Wilks Brothers:702,367 acres in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Tennessee, and Texas. His ranch is a refuge for a herd of big horn sheep, trophy elk, antelope, mountain lions and stone writings from early Spanish explorers, asking Donde esta la carne? or Wheres the beef? Ya, thats a joke. The Lydas are Texas cattle ranchers and landowners. Peterffy made a fortune as a successful investor and innovator on Wall Street. And it only gets bigger from there for several wealthy families. Its the fifth-largest in the nation. Both the Family's 06 Ranch and Leoncita Cattle Company Ranch are in West Texas. The rest is history. Reed family:1.7 million acresWashington, Oregon, and California. Westervelt heirs: 518,000 acres inAlabama, Mississippi, and Virginia. 100,000 acres For a basic sense of how the world of ultra-massive real estate has changed, heres one fact: Between 2012 and 2013, the top 100 added 700,000 acres to their collective portfolios, bringing their total to two percent of the U.S. land mass. Largest Landowners by State 2023 Utah 33,000,000 Alaska 12,500,000 California 1,900,000 Maine 1,250,000 Kentucky 1,130,000 New Mexico 1,000,000 Washington 900,000 Texas 825,000 Montana 765,000 Arizona 750,000 Largest Landowners by State 2023 Largest Landowners by State 2023 King Ranch heirs: 911,215 acres inTexas. That includes seven productive cattle operations and two farms. Family members are ranch operators. Land: Oilfields and ranchlands throughout Texas. Family members are farmers and descendants ofJack Simplot, who first supplied McDonald's with french fries. The late Truman Collins was a lumberman who became the largest private landholder in Pennsylvania before his death in 1914. Two of the largest owners of land in Florida are the Fanjul family with their Florida Crystals sugar cane . Another logging family with the heart of a tree hugger. The park also boasts abundant wildlife populations, including large herds of elk, deer, bison, and antelope. David Pingree, known as the Merchant Prince of Salem, built an empire that exceeded 1 million acres in the 1800s. Roughly equal to: Twice the size of Singapore. Land: Ranchlands and oilfields throughout Texas. It was in 2004 that Bezos bought Broes Hubble & Green Ranches in New Mexico; it covers 290,000 acres. The land conservancy act will protect more than 500 species of vertebrates. Thomas Lane Jr. makes the ranching business sound simple: Were just continuing a tradition and well expand if we can.. We have no idea what those Spanish writings say. Using data from The Land Report magazines 2018 Land Report, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 50 largest private landholders in the United States. Peterffy,a refugee from Hungary, made his fortunes as an investor. The most common exceptions to this rule are parcels located in Maine and Florida. 130,000 acres The Coloradoans focus on buffalo ranching, cattle ranching and farming. 49. Ford family: 580,000 acresin Oregon. 27 febrero, 2023 . 44. Much of the land is in Texas. Through Sierra Pacific, the family owns some 2 million acres in California and Washington. Here is a look at the richest person in every state. The couple are ranch operators. Theres so much private land, too, with nearly 50 acres for every person in the state. New Mexico officials . Holland Ware:534,900 acres in Florida and Georgia. Crystal is a curious writer who's always looking to learn more. He owns ranches in Texas, New Mexico and Kentucky. Jeff Bezos:420,000 acres in Texas. 848,571 acres 730,000 acres 9 Ranch Caprock, N.M. Background: Robert Earl Holding's success began in the oil industry where he owns three refineries and bought Sinclair Oil in 1976. Shannon Kizer: 302,000 acres inArizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. 125,000 acres And while more than a quarter of all land in the states is owned by the federal government, it turns out that only a fraction of the nation's population of more than 327 million control the most private land, the investigation found. Horton owns over half a million acres of land. The Singleton family owns a number of ranches, mostly in New Mexico. The Barta family, which owes its wealth to its prescription services company, Sav-Rx, now owns one of the largest cattle ranching operations in the state. From Ted Turner to Jeff Bezos to the federal government, New Mexico has some of the biggest landowners in the nation. Background: According to Forbes, Kelley founded a tobacco company in 1990 and sold it for $1 billion in 2001. Boswell Co. is the nations leading cotton grower. 230,000 acres After his family made a killing in the oil and gas business, Dan Allen Hughes Jr. has attempted to make his name with the purchase Texas hunting land. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and are used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. What David Pingree purchased from 100 different Maine townships in 1840 is now an ecologically managed forest supplying hardwood floors to the world. Claims their ranch holdings are just as impressive as their highly-productive oil fields. The combined landholdings of former Texas governor, the late Dolph Briscoe Jr., heirs total 640,000 acres. Collier was the largest landholder in the state at the time of his death. Top 100 Largest Landowners Of Private Property In The United States Own Roughly 40 Million Acres Equalling 2% Of The Country's Total Land. Why has the federal governments ownership of land been decreasing? The family behind logging company Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) with land holdings twice the size of Rhode Island. And apparently yes: there is a hall of fame just for horses that cut cows from the herd. The land has short grasses, alpine tundra mountains, and more. The move earned a serious wag of the finger from MSNBCs Rachel Maddow. Background: Ted Turner founded the Turner Broadcasting System that launched CNN and several other cable successful programs. David Fasken, a Canadian, bought a ranch in West Texas in 1913. They use their land for timber, sand and gravel, and oil extraction. The family runs 10,000 cattle on 475,000 acres along the Montana-Wyoming state line. Malone made his fortune as a media tycoon, building the company Tele-Communications, Inc, or TCI, and acting as its CEO before selling it to AT&T for $50 billion in 1999. Moursund III must have been one hell of a judge. Discover the Little-Known U.S. River Gorge That's, The 9 Best Books About National Parks for Travelers, Discover 8 Extinct Animals from New Mexico, Meet the 4 Largest Land Owners in Arizona, The 15 Deepest Lakes in the United States. Roughly equal to: Three times the size of New York City. 115,000 acres 175,000 acres 14 to 21 | Nos. The former media tycoon made his wealth building the company Tele-Communications Inc., or TCI, which he sold to AT&T for $50 billion 20 years ago. Cowboys on horseback still work these New Mexico ranches. Other than buying and selling financial institutions at huge markups, Ford has a deep love of the land. Roughly equal to: Twice the size of Jacksonville, FL. When she's not out in nature, she's writing about it. Roughly equal to: Two-thirds the size of Yosemite National Park. Family members have oil interests. Clayton was set to bring his cowboy image to the Texas governorship until a set of gaffs derailed the campaign in 1990. Roughly equal to: As large as Anchorage, AK. He founded the Commonwealth Brands tobacco company in 1991 and sold the company in 2001 to Houchens Industries for US$1 billion. 290,000 acres With such a large amount of land under its control, the federal government plays an important role in New Mexicos landscape. 163,800 acres 5 with 1.4 million acres, including a 124,000 acre ranch in Montana, and additional land in Wyoming. Robert East, great-grandson of Richard King (see #7), funded the foundation to build ranches compatible for livestock and wildlife in South Texas. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The Austin-based family partnership climbed the rankings with a couple of add-ons to their New Mexico and Texas ranches. A third generation now steers the Monahan Cattle Co. in Nebraska. Roughly equal to: A third of the size of New Hampshire. 213,730 acres New Mexicos top landowners are shaping the future of this unique state, making it an exciting place to live, work, and play. No longer #10 with the acquisition of Montanas Broken O Ranch, an inspiring combination of irrigated farming and cattle land envisioned by paint mogul, Benjamin Moore. 7. The discovery of oil on that ranch propelled Fasken to wealth, and now Fasken Oil & Ranch is a major oil drilling company that has heavily employed fracking technology. 215,990 acres In addition, they bring jobs and economic growth with their investments in the aerospace and other industries. The family used the sale of New Mexicos Ladder Ranch to Ted Turner to purchase La Escalera ranch in Texas. 100,000 acres Background: The Lykes family-owned company began as a cattle ranching operation and has since expanded into bioenergy and farming. Family members runSierra Pacific Industries, a log business that relies on lumber fromforest fires and sells it to lumber retailers. All told, Buck owns 925,000 acres. His Crossroads Ag grows corn, canola, sunflowers, sorghum, wheat and cotton, but he recently expanded into New Mexican grasslands for large-scale cow-calf operations. Malone Mitchell 3rd:336,000 acres in Texas. Bezos?). This ranching family owns some of the oldest operating ranch land in the country. Roughly equal to: Half the size of Lake Ontario. The Irving family is the sixth largest private landholder in the United States. The comments below have not been moderated, By Many of the owners are ranchers, heirs to the properties or companies founded decades ago that purchased the land. Malone Mitchell runs Longfellow Ranches, a 500 square mile hunting preserve. Luke Brite made a name breeding some of the toughest cattle in Texas around the turn of the century. His NC2 Media Company recently bought Lonely Planet guidebooks. The islands ranch closed in 1999, leaving animals to roam freely and almost all residents to leave for other parts of the state. Still, thats not as it much as it once was. Real estate mogul and owner of the Los Angeles Rams, Stan Kroenke, owns 1.4 million acres of land in the United States, including a 124,000 acre ranch in Montana and additional land in Wyoming. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Brad Kelley:1.2 million acres in Kentucky. The Faskens have several major properties in West Texas. The "9" continues under third- and fourth-generation ownership, exemplifying the ranching heritage and tradition. Background: Joseph M. Huber's success as a sales agent for his family's pigments and manufacturing business back in the late 1800s grew into a diversified corporation that spans many industries from paper and energy to plastics and construction. Donald and Doris Fisher co-founded the clothing brand Gap Inc. Roughly equal to: The size of the island of Maui. steve@mfi-miami.com; Free Call: (888) 737-6344; . Collier was the largest landholder in the state at the time of his death. Then there's the Killiams at No. All told, the 50 individuals, families, and heirs on this list own over 31 million acres or about 1.4% of the countrys total landmass. Land: Purchased 290,000-acre Bell Ranch in Nex Mexico this August to add to his landholdings in Colorado and Wyoming. His purchase of the enormous Corn Ranch in West Texas was part nostalgia and part business. That means the federal government controls 31.7% of the state's land. A study found that 31 million acres, or 1.4 per cent of the country's total land mass, is under the control of the private owners, who are noticeably wealthy, white and older. 384,000 acres 212,985 acres Vermejo Park is the only Turner ranch operating as a full-service guest ranch. Mike Smith:295,980 acres in Texas. 46 withabout 275,000 acres in New Mexico. For now, heres the compromise: 70,000 acres of parkland, 30,000 for hunting, snowmobiling, and logging. largest landowners in louisiana. Isaac Ellwood invented barbed wire in the 1870s. Luther and Frank King independently run their cattle operations in the heart of Texas. Then theres the Department of Defense handling 4.6% of the land. Peter Buck made his fortune as a founding partner of the Subway restaurant franchise. Both Zane and Tanya were born into ranching families. Ol A.S. bequeathed the private land to his daughters. Background: The main cash cow for King Ranch remains ranching and farming but it has also expanded into publishing, retail and eco-tourism. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 29. The ranch recently received a conservation easement from the U.S. Department of Defense and New Mexico Land Conservancy. Roughly equal to: One-tenth the size of Puerto Rico. J.G. While over a quarter of all land in the United States is owned by the federal government here is a look at how much land the government owns in every state vast swaths of the country are owned by just a handful of individuals and families. 110,000 acres Loves oil investment, ranching and Mitt Romney; not a fan of gay reporters knocking the Boy Scouts of America. Background: W.T. Sounds like the perfect setting for a combination of Gunsmoke and Beverly Hills: 90210. Simplot family:443,091 acres in Idaho. John Malone is the largest private landowner in the United States. In 2014, the family-owned Port Blakely Mill Company will celebrate its sesquicentennial. . The family owns numerous properties throughout the northern and eastern part of the state. 255,000 acres Background: Henry Singleton amassed his wealth in digital technology before purchasing the San Cristobal Ranch in 1986. It is a wonderful life. Background: Gerald Lyda's success in construction and land development in the 70s allowed him to return to ranching and amass over 900,000 acres within his lifetime. The top 100 landowners of America, who collectively own about the same amount of acreage as the state of Connecticut. The company, now known as Westervelt Company, has operations in renewable energy, lumber, and wildlife services. 26. The activities help residents experience the natural world. Second-generation president, Allyn Ford (degrees from Stanford, Yale), keeps reforestation and recycling science at the core of his management of Rosenberg Forestry Products. 260,035 acres In addition to the 1.2 million acres the family owns, primarily in Maine, the Irvings also own some 1.9 million acres in Canada. Holding family:395,030 acres in Montana. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Boyd's Frying Pan Ranch was originally made up of 95 sections in the Texas Panhandle, which was one of the first areas to test out barbed-wire fencing over 130 years ago. 102,882 acres Stefan Soloviev:325,077 acres in New Mexico, Kansas and Texas. The family is in the lumber business. The owners of the land are heirs to the late Dr. Howell Tyson Lykes, who left a career in medicine to raise cattle and crow citrus. Buck is the owner of Tall Timber Trust, one of the largest owners of timberland in Maine. His properties include the 11,830 Broseco Ranch, which contains two lakes that are 100 acres in size. Malone's 2.2 million acres are largely located in Maine, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming and include profitable cattle ranches. And the land, while private, is still use for commercial purposes, the 24/7 Wall Street investigation found. 9, owns more than twice as much as Bezos. 23. Roughly equal to: Six-and-a-half times larger than Detroit. The family's 1.7 million acres of land are primarily spread across Washington, Oregon, and California. A forest products firm with Forest Stewardship Council-certified forests in California, Oregon and West Virginia California, Oregon, West Virginia, and one of the largest private holdings in Pennsylvania. 2,000,000+ acres CNN founder Ted Turner is the second biggest land owner, with 2 million acres of land in New Mexico, South Dakota, Nebraska and Georgia. Doesnt just own CNN he is the largest landowner in New Mexico. Family membersoperate ranches. 16. In 1959, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Land: Approximately two million acres of forestland in California and Washington. Collier family: 280,000 acres, primarily in Collier County, Florida. 170,000 acres Of all the grandpa-bought-some-land stories in this list, this is the best. 21. Family members have run a long-time lumber business. After over 100 years in operation, its still run by tough men on horses. Its recreational offerings include hunting, fishing, and eco-tourism activities. The former Reebok CEO now owns James Stewarts old ranch in Nevada and has grazing rights to another three-quarter of a million acres. They make money by leasing the state trust land to a multitude of companies. Today, the familys private holdings in Texas and Florida make up one of the largest cattle operations in the country. Background: Malone has served in executive positions in telecommunications firms and is currently the chairman of Liberty Media Corp. Land: 1.2 million acres of forests in Maine. Land: Ranches and oilfields throughout Texas. His Mare Pasture development will integrate high-end commercial and residential development with vineyards, orchards, gardens, greenhouses and plenty of land for grass-fed beef. Below are the nuts and bolts of the list along with some extra insights. 8. 43. Family members run a long-time lumber business. 16:01 GMT 26 Nov 2019. Starting with ranches along northeast of Abilene, Texas, the Reynolds now own ranches in West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, and North Dakota. Maybe deer and the antelope can play with Angus steers. Its also home to some of the biggest landowners in the country. 1. Offering competitive leases is only the start. Kokernot heirs:278,000 acres in Texas. Roughly equal to: Two and a half times the size of Phoenix. 28. Ralph R. Ortega For Dailymail.com The 50th largest land owners are the Hadley family, heirs to the Anheuser-Busch beer empire, who own 260,000 acres in New Mexico. 310,472 acres These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The family-run business has earned high praise from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Stimson family:552,000 acres in Montana and Oregon. 44, with 277,000 acres of ranches that fuel the family's cattle and oil interests. Family members are mostly cattle ranchers. Has anyone ever heard of Bill Honeycutt who says he owns 100,000 acres in the San Joaquin Valley area, an raises a huge herd of sheep, (10,000) an a large herd of Black Angus Beef cattle??? His land holdings have helped knit together 800,000 acres of publicly and privately protected land from Colorados Great Sand Dunes National Park to Northern New Mexico. 40. , updated Heart of America, a song he co-wrote with his wife, became the anthem of the Today shows campaign to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. 13. 170,000 acres Data published with permission from The Land Report. His properties include the 11,830 Broseco Ranch, which contains two lakes that are 100 acres in size. O'Connor, above, continued to expand the land his father, Thomas O'Connor, was awarded in the Battle of San Jacinto. The ten largest landowners in America are 1. cable and media honcho John Malone (2.2 million acres), 2. lumber titans Emmerson Family, 3. Evans turned himself in this June. Stan Kroenke: 1.4 million acres in Montana and Wyoming. ), 127,500 acres A 1910 advertisement for his bulls ran, Big-Bones, Broad-Backed, Bald-Faced Beauties-Buy Bar-Cross Bulls- Brites Best. Not bad. Lee family:275,000 acres in New Mexico. 112,042 acres Their Florida rice and sugar empire built the largest biomass power plant in the country. Their holdings outside New Mexico include the Peachtree and Top ranches in John Steinbecks Salinas Valley. By Land: The Singleton ranches comprise of 29 ranches across California and New Mexico, including the picturesque San Cristobal Ranch outside of Santa Fe. The Briscoes operation spreads over nine Texas counties and three Briscoe generations. Roughly equal to: The size of Los Angeles. 30. Roughly equal to: Half the size of Connecticut. The Texas businessman, not the president. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Lyda family: 260,035 acres, including La Escalera ranch in far West Texas. While this list only includes privately held land, nearly all of it serves some commercial purpose from farming and ranching to logging and renewable energy production. Baron Collier, an advertising executive who developed land and infrastructure in southern Florida, had been largest landholder in the state at the time of his death. The largest landowners in both Montana and Idaho, the Wilks brothers also own ranches in Oregon, Tennessee, and Texas. 36 to 40 Ted Turner is not the biggest. The Hamer family owns some 600,000 acres of land, largely forest in West Virginia. Funk deals in bull semen lots of bull semen. 48. His holdings include the 292,779 acre Great Western Ranch in New Mexico and Camp Horton, a ranch near Fort Stockton, Texas, where he hosts a children's summer camp. Roughly equal to: Three times the size of Los Angeles. 11. At their production sale, the Powell Family promises cows with, a heavily muscled quarter with a thick loin designed for maximum performance. His Anschutz Entertainment Group is also the worlds largest owner and operator of sports and entertainment venues. Roughly equal to: Twice the size of Dallas. Forbes Magazine once called Clarence Scharbauer Jr., probably the most powerful man in Midland [Texas]. That was before the First Nation Bank of Midland failed and left Scharbauer with plenty of land, but little of his old wealth. Land: Kelleys properties span Texas, New Mexico, and Florida and are used to breed rare species of animals. Land: 250,000-acre Baughman Farms in Kansas; 149,493-acre Overland Trail Cattle Company & Ranch in Wyoming and 35,000 acres in Colorado. Founded by Thomas Douglas Stimson, the Stimson Lumber Company, which today operates out of the Pacific Northwest, has remained in the family for six generations. We think of William Randolph Hearst as the newspaper mogul whispering Rosebud to an empty room, but the family fortune started with land. Today, the Simplot family oversees a $2.5 billion farming operation and owns over 443,000 acres, largely in southern Idaho. 153,000 acres They own several large ranches in the northern part of the state. 5. His purchase of the Sierra Grande Lodge and Spa brings tourists closer to two of his landmark properties and, ya know, space. 141,700 acres What Lives At The Bottom of The Mississippi River? 41. A few people and families own more than 100 million acres of land in the United States. Ted Turner:2.0 million acres in New Mexico, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Georgia. She does this while also helping to fund public education and other important state institutions. New Mexicos State Trust Land Office oversees 9 million surface acres of land and 13 million mineral acres. (The other? 15. Not that were keeping score, but the W.T. These cookies do not store any personal information. Roughly equal to: Three times the size of Detroit. The Nunleys are a ranching family particularly proud of their genetics program around Santa Gertrudis Cattle and the size of the deer on their Texas ranches. 215,000 acres The real estate mogul is also owner of the Los Angeles Rams and married toAnn Walkton Kroenke, an heiress to the Wal-Mart fortune. 400,000 acres Today, his family owns some 280,000 acres, primarily in Collier County, which is named after him. 911,215 acres 33. The Emmerson family owns and operates Sierra Pacific Industries, a company that logs usable lumber after forest fires and sells it to lumber retailers. But shes upset local interests. Thank you for reading! The amount of land owned by the federal government has stayed steady since 1990, with a slight decline of -0.3%. Background: Phillip Anschutz's company has investments in energy exploration, telecommunications and agribusiness.