Mark Zuckerberg continues to buy land in Hawaii. Photo: Daily Beast . |
Julian Ako, a native Hawaiian, discovered that his ancestors were buried on the land that is now part of the Meta CEO’s secret compound. The land, which belonged to Ako’s great-grandfather’s family, is now part of Zuckerberg’s multimillion-dollar real estate development on Kauai.
After negotiations with Zuckerberg’s legal representatives, Ako was granted access to the land to identify and register the graves with the state of Hawaii. However, he has not yet been able to find any trace of other relatives who are believed to be buried there. What worries Ako is that the area is heavily guarded and construction workers are required to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), making it difficult to report the discovery of cultural relics such as iwi remains.
In a report shared with Wired , Hawaiian authorities confirmed the possibility of additional unidentified burial sites on the property. Zuckerberg’s communications representative, Brandi Hoffine Barr, confirmed that the Ako family gravesite had been reported in 2015 and was currently fenced off. She said staff were required to follow reporting rules if they found cultural artifacts.
Mark Zuckerberg buys land
The burial sites, located on the grounds of a tech billionaire's real estate development, have raised concerns among the Native Hawaiian community, especially since it is unclear how many other cultural relics are buried in the enclosed land.
Mark Zuckerberg has become one of the largest landowners in the state of Hawaii. He recently purchased an additional 962 acres (3.9 million m2) of farmland across from his main Kauai property for an estimated $65 million . The Meta CEO’s total land area here now exceeds 2,300 acres (9.3 million m2), nearly 10 times the size of New York’s Central Park.
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Mark Zuckerberg owns several million square meters in the Hawaiian Islands. Photo: New York Post . |
According to documents published by Wired , Zuckerberg is continuing to build new structures on the land. Among them are three large buildings ranging from 80,000 to 120,000 square feet, far exceeding the average size of a Hawaiian home. Two of these are designed as row houses with 16 bedrooms, equipped with cameras, security locks, and motion sensors. Hoffine Barr said the buildings serve as short-term accommodations for family, friends, and employees.
The current complex includes many special infrastructure items, including 2 large villas the size of a football field, a gym, tennis court, an executive building, a water tank system, a tree house and especially an underground shelter with an area equivalent to an NBA basketball court.
The total cost of the project is estimated to exceed $300 million , more than the entire annual operating budget of Kauai County. Some shelter builders say they have seen a surge in orders due to the “Zuckerberg effect.”
Wave of criticism from natives
Since 2014, Mark Zuckerberg has steadily expanded his land holdings on Kauai through a series of complex acquisitions. He initially purchased 700 acres (2.8 million m2) for about $100 million , but faced backlash from locals. After criticism, Zuckerberg withdrew his lawsuit, but his ownership of the land was consolidated through his partner, Carlos Andrade, who was eventually awarded ownership of the land at auction.
In 2021, Meta CEO continued to acquire 560 acres (2.2 million m2) of coastal land, including the area near the Kaloko Dam, which collapsed in 2006, killing seven people. The largest deal came in early 2025 when Zuckerberg bought 962 acres (3.8 million m2) from the Mary Lucas Trust Estate, an organization run by descendants of King Kamehameha I’s adviser. Property records show the land’s market value is about $75 million .
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Zuckerberg wants to build a super resort in Hawaii. Photo: Bloomberg . |
Zuckerberg’s representatives confirmed that the new land would be used for agricultural and conservation purposes, including raising cattle on a macadamia diet, growing organic turmeric and ginger, and protecting native species. After taking over, they also canceled plans to build 80 luxury villas that were planned by the previous landowner.
Zuckerberg’s growing presence, however, remains controversial. Many experts and native residents fear that the land grab by mainland billionaires will disrupt Hawaii’s social fabric and identity. The consequences are already being felt: skyrocketing home prices and the loss of property ownership for locals.
Zuckerberg is not alone in this trend. Larry Ellison, Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey and Marc Benioff all own large tracts of land in the Hawaiian islands. Kauai Community College professor Puali'i Rossi warns that if this trend continues, Hawaii will become “a resort for the rich,” where natives will be marginalized in their own homeland.
Source: https://znews.vn/ceo-meta-gay-soc-khi-thau-tom-dat-tai-hawaii-post1570815.html
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