He owns ranches in Texas, New Mexico and Kentucky. The founder of Burts Bees hopes she isnt on the list for long. When she's not out in nature, she's writing about it. 1 is John Malone, who can boast being the largest landowner in the US with 2.2 million acres. Take Jeff Bezos, for example. The family-run business has earned high praise from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 110,000 acres Land: Operates 825,000 acres of cattle ranches and 60,000 acres of farms in South Texas; thousands of acres in Florida producing orange juice, sugar cane, sod, sweet corn and green beans. The activities help residents experience the natural world. 830,000 acres Because if youre going to go softwood sawmill, you want to make it state-of-the-art. The Faskens have several major properties in West Texas. D.R. 112,600 acres 149,000 acres as well as other partner offers and accept our. Bezos has also invested millions of dollars into the development of Spaceport America. Brothers Farris and Dan Wilks started off with Frac Tech, a natural gas extraction company in 2002, and sold it for $3.5 billion in 2011. His Colorados Great Western Industrial Park became a major source of the states green job growth in 2008. Background: Ted Turner founded the Turner Broadcasting System that launched CNN and several other cable successful programs. Thank them for the shirt on your back. Roughly equal to: Three and a half times the size of Philadelphia. J.G. He became one of the largest landowners in the United States when he purchased 561,000 acres of land in northern Florida for $700 million in 2015. 40 and owning 285,000 acres equaling one-tenth the size of Connecticut, has made its fortunes from oil and cattle ranching on the land. The West Texas rancher and oilman keeps close track of his portfolio. of Ecology, Goldman's Top Economist Says There Are Only Two Scenarios, Bad And Very Bad >. The Hadley family, Anheuser-Busch heirs, own 260,000 acres, including the massive Diamond A Ranch, which makes up a substantial part of New Mexico's southwestern tip. 500,000 acres Sign up for your Modern Farmer Weekly Newsletter. Whatever your politics, you cant deny their love for cattle. From ranchers who have owned land for generations to newcomer billionaires splashing the cash,. McDonald family: 474,000 acres in Alabama, Florida, and Oklahoma but the majority of the family's land holdings are in Maine. 28. Roughly equal to: Half the size of Connecticut. Background: Toronto attorney David Fasken started buying land in Texas in 1913. The 25 biggest landowners in America own 20 million acres -- nearly 1% of the country -- according to new data from The Land Report. Roughly equal to: The size of San Antonio. It also oversees granting grazing leases and mineral rights on federally-owned lands. Manages ranches only fit for the best cowboys. Family members runSierra Pacific Industries, a log business that relies on lumber fromforest fires and sells it to lumber retailers. Crystal is a curious writer who's always looking to learn more. The brothers started buying up Texas ranch land in 1923 and the modern day Beggs still manage much of it. JOHN MALONE: 2.2 million acres in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Maine . Ah the Koch Brothers. Roughly equal to: The size of Phoenix, Arizona. I think the Longyear family and Longyear Heirs out of Marquette MI own at least 100,000 acres. Koch Ranches Inc. specializes in high-quality grass-fed beef. 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. 24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Today, much of Kelley's 1.2 million acres are located in Kentucky. Roughly equal to: Seven times the size of Philadelphia. Oil was discovered on their cattle ranches and today, the O'Connors now own an estimated half-million acres across Southern and Western Texas. Killam family: 277,000 acres, mostly ranches in Texas and Oregon and oil operations in Louisiana, Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas, and Texas. Using data from The Land Report magazines 2018 Land Report, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 50 largest private landholders in the United States. Land: Idaho, agribusiness. And the land, while private, is still use for commercial purposes, the 24/7 Wall Street investigation found. 44. When your ranch surrounds a For Union National Monument in Northern New Mexico, you have to think slightly beyond raising cattle. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. In 1870, Dr. Howell Tyson Lykes gave up the practice of medicine to take over his familys 500 acres in Florida. Roughly equal to: Three times the size of Guam. Family members have oil interests. The founder of Southern Pine Plantations diversified from timberland in the U.S. South with the purchase of 20,000 acres of mineral rights in East Texas. Family members run a long-time lumber business. And it only gets bigger from there for several wealthy families. Lee family:275,000 acres in New Mexico. That means the federal government controls 31.7% of the states land. Funk deals in bull semen lots of bull semen. Malone Mitchell 3rd:336,000 acres in Texas. Land: Timberland throughout Oregon and California. Richard Bransons spaceport is just a quick drive away. Roughly equal to: Twice the size of Badlands National Park. 119,500 acres His properties include the 11,830 Broseco Ranch, which contains two lakes that are 100 acres in size. 150,000 acres The online retailing billionaire who founded Amazon and is among the wealthiest people in the world owns 420,000 acres, which is about three times the size of Guam. Roughly equal to: Half the size of Lake Ontario. Then there's the Killiams at No. The "9" continues under third- and fourth-generation ownership, exemplifying the ranching heritage and tradition. The property is the largest ranch in the state,by Captain Richard King in 1853 and subsequently passed down through generations. 1,860,000 acres 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. The combined landholdings belonged to former Texas governor, the late Dolph Briscoe Jr. 12. Ralph R. Ortega For Dailymail.com, 443,091 acres in Idaho. Jack Simplot was a potato farmer who forged a deal with the former CEO of McDonald's to supply the restaurant chain with french fries. Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. Now, Theyre Spurring Tourism. In 1864, great-great-grandmother Elizabeth Sinclair bought Niihau, the Forbidden Island of Hawaii, for $10,000 in gold from King Kamehameha V. Since, the family has honored the islands traditional culture, but not always to commercial success. Roughly equal to: 2,500 times the size of Vatican City. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Hershey's Canada releases HER for SHE bars featuring a trans activist, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Family of a 10-month-old baby filmed vaping open up. Ted Turner tops the list, with more than 2 million acres spread across 12 states. Land: Cow-calf operations on Cedar Creek and PV Ranch in Montana; Q Creek Land & Livestock Company runs up to 12,000 yearlings on 550,000+ acres in Wyoming. Land: Ranchlands and oilfields throughout Texas. Mike Smith owns nearly 300,000 acres, which are primarily spread throughout eastern Texas. Brothers Farris and Dan Wilks launched Frac Tech, a natural gas extraction company in 2002, and sold it for $3.5 billion in 2011. Turner's land is utilized by greater than 50,000 head of buffalo for grazing - the biggest non-public herd of bison on the earth. 140,000 acres The type of resources that help them manage their land responsibly and sustainably. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. 255,000 acres Land: Oilfields and ranchlands throughout Texas. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. Today, the Simplot family oversees a $2.5 billion farming operation and owns over 443,000 acres, largely in southern Idaho. Family members have run a long-time lumber business. 911,215 acres Background: Alice Gertrudis Kleberg East, gave up her interest in her grandfather Richard King of King Ranch estate in exchange for the San Antonio and Santa Fe ranches. 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. 215,990 acres Ted Turners holdings make him one of the top private landowners in New Mexico. He also liked alliteration. According the company, it turns out that Frac Techs specialty-hydraulic fracturing is one of the two drivers powering the U.S. energy renaissance. 125,000 acres The Kokernot family's 06 Ranch brand registered in Texas since 1837. Bezos owns 420,000 acres, much of which is in west Texas. Singleton family: 1.1 million acres in New Mexico and California. In addition, they bring jobs and economic growth with their investments in the aerospace and other industries. The enormous cattle operation near Yellowstone National Park seems not to mind when elk or antelope walk by. Bass family Land. Youd think that growing tobacco would be a surefire way to earn a place on the Land 100, but Umphrey made his fortune suing tobacco companies. 150,000 acres This land isn't your land. Irving family:1.2 million acres in Maine. 179,129 acres The vast majority of the land held by the individuals and families on this list is located in states west of the Mississippi River. The land conservancy act will protect more than 500 species of vertebrates. 19. Malone Mitchell runs Longfellow Ranches, a 500 square mile hunting preserve. The 50th largest land ownersare the Hadley family, heirs to the Anheuser-Busch beer empire, who own 260,000 acres in New Mexico. 39. That's about half the size of Lake Ontario. Kroenke is married to Ann Walkton Kroenke, an heiress to the Wal-Mart fortune. Its the fifth-largest in the nation. Estimates are based on information from published reports, online databases, tax records, and information provided by various landowners, and include only rural land holdings. 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. These cookies do not store any personal information. Her two main ranches, the 6666 Ranch near Guthrie and the Dixon Creek Ranch near Panhandle, total 275,000 acres. 247,000 acres By the way, what is it about land that makes people want to number their children? A good old picture of the American heartland. 135,000 acres The land office also helps landowners access important resources. Herbert Westervelt started a paper company in the late 1800s. 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. The vast swaths of property are used for farming, ranching, logging and renewable energy production. Today, his living family members own over 311,000 acres of land in northern California and western Pennsylvania. 560,000 acres The islands ranch closed in 1999, leaving animals to roam freely and almost all residents to leave for other parts of the state. Waggoner Estate claims to be the largest Texas ranch under one fence. 625,000 acres 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. Robinson & Freed families:300,000 acres in Utah. Our stock have an uncommonly high rate of gain with heavy yearling weights. No word on the 0-60 time. To determine the largest landowners in the United States, 24/7 Wall St . Kelley's investment group owns and runs the 762-acre Calumet Farm, which produces Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown winners. Babacomari Ranch Elgin, Ariz. Hughes family: 390,000 acres in Texas. 111,977 acres Philip Anschutz: 434,500 acres in Wyoming and Colorado. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. However, a media tycoon is America's largest landowner. Kizer has farming and ranching operations that produce peanuts, corn, wheat, dairy, and cattle. Luke Brite made a name breeding some of the toughest cattle in Texas around the turn of the century. He owns Sierra Grande Lodge and Spa, located close to Richard Bransons Spaceport America. Starting with royal-looking Ramboulient sheep, the Broadbents have diversified their ranches to include cattle, horses, timber, hunting and wind turbines. Will Moursund runs the ranches now, but father A.W. Shannon Kizer: 302,000 acres inArizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. For reference, onesquare mile is equal to 640 acres. Land: Owns 2 million acres in 12 states and Argentina; the 8,800-acre Nonami Plantation known for quail hunting is his most recent and largest acquisition in his home state of Georgia. Texas Republicans' solution:Giant wind farms, Roughly equal to: The size of Luxembourg. He was born in the state and has continued to invest in its well-being. The ranch spawned from land that was originally purchased by Captain Richard King in 1853 and subsequently passed down through generations. Barta family:286,000 acres in Nebraska. What luck. 44, with 277,000 acres of ranches that fuel the family's cattle and oil interests. Doesnt just own CNN he is the largest landowner in New Mexico. Luther and Frank King independently run their cattle operations in the heart of Texas. Spanning over 3.5 million square miles, the United States is the third largest country in the world by landmass, trailing only China and Russia. 422,164 acres He is a cable TV mogul who currently owns the $24 billion company, Liberty Media. Dan Hughes, patriarch of the Hughes family, was a wildcatter in Texas. Roughly equal to: Twice the size of Chicago. The Briscoes operation spreads over nine Texas counties and three Briscoe generations. 46 withabout 275,000 acres in New Mexico. Hamer family:600,000 acres in West Virginia. The terrain is diverse and spectacular to see. 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. He operates a ranch and children's summer camp. 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. This ranching family owns some of the oldest operating ranch land in the country. His book, A Forest for the Trees, documents the history of Maines Baskahegan Watershed from resettlement to 1982. Stefan Soloviev:325,077 acres in New Mexico, Kansas and Texas. Collier was the largest landholder in the state at the time of his death. This businessman has ranch holdings in Texas, Florida, and New Mexico. Since then, they have been acquiring land. A guy that came to work here once asked me what we wear in the winter, he told Western Horseman. In other words, stitching together all the land listed here gets you something about the size of Connecticut. Land: Holdings in many states. 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. Not that were keeping score, but the W.T. 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. Animals, plants, survival tips, and more. 115,000 acres The family harvests hardwood timber from the land. Much of Turner's land is used as grazing land for over 50,000 head of buffalo - the largest private herd of bison in the world. The family, thanks to the property which amounts to roughly twice the size of Chicago, was able to enrich themselves off uranium and coal discovered on the land, located in the western half of the state. 14 to 21 | Nos. 31 - New Mexico John Malone owns a total of 2.2 million acres of land, with a portion of it being in New Mexico. Here's how it breaks down between each division: 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. Some love the land so much they end up inside it. While true to their legendary ranching roots, the heirs of King Ranch Inc. have diversified their portfolio to include land for pecans, citrus, turf grass and vegetables. At their production sale, the Powell Family promises cows with, a heavily muscled quarter with a thick loin designed for maximum performance. To date, the clan has produced one governor: Dolph Briscoe Jr, who served two terms for the Lone Star State. Mike Smith:295,980 acres in Texas. His purchase of the Sierra Grande Lodge and Spa brings tourists closer to two of his landmark properties and, ya know, space. Moursund III must have been one hell of a judge. Lay folks like to hear land measured in acres or square miles, but the Killiam prefer animal units the measure of how many cows an area can graze. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. His land ownership in New Mexico will likely expand as the space industry develops. Roughly equal to: Twice the size of the Hawaiin Island of Molokai. 149,702 acres The largest landowner in America owns 2,200,000 acres, located largely in Maine, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. Member of both families operate six cattle ranches. The riches helped Ed Bass build the new $540 million Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, and funded the purchase of San Jose Island off the state's Gulf Coast area. Zane & Tanya Kiehne:345,000 acres in New Mexico and Texas. Today, the familys private holdings in Texas and Florida make up one of the largest cattle operations in the country. Learn more about the scenic state of New Mexico with the articles below. Trees arent just good for wood anymore. Roughly equal to: Twice as large as Rhode Island. Horton:503,000 acres in New Mexico and Texas, where he hosts a children's summer camp. At the same time they strive to help maximize potential revenue. John Malone is the largest private landowner in the United States. Background: The Pingree family's fortune in timber began in the mid 1800s and has conserved more than three quarters of a million acres of Maine forestland -- a block larger than the size of Rhode Island. Peterffy,a refugee from Hungary, made his fortunes as an investor. Where is the best hunting ranch in California? The combined landholdings of former Texas governor, the late Dolph Briscoe Jr., heirs total 640,000 acres. Collectively, the Robinson and Freed families own 300,000 acres in partnership. Another logging family with the heart of a tree hugger. The ranch recently received a conservation easement from the U.S. Department of Defense and New Mexico Land Conservancy. The federal government is the top landowner in New Mexico, controlling over 24 million acres. Emmerson family:2.0 million acres in California and Washington. Dont over look the kitchen at the familys Pitchfork Ranch. Roughly equal to: One-third the size of Delaware. 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. By Their Florida rice and sugar empire built the largest biomass power plant in the country. The family's 1.1 million acres of land also includes land in California. 7 to 13 | Nos. What David Pingree purchased from 100 different Maine townships in 1840 is now an ecologically managed forest supplying hardwood floors to the world. Roughly equal to: Two-thirds the size of Yosemite National Park. Do fence them in. 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. Today, between his fifth, sixth, and seventh generation of descendants, Pingree's heirs own some 830,000 acres mostly in Maine through Seven Islands Land Co., a lumber company. The land and livestock division has 37 farms and 15 ranches with capacity for 30,000 mother cows. . Of the many fowls he has sired, the family says, we havent found anything we dont like about them.. Dont worry, the Hunts dont just own land to raise cattle, breed horses and grow hay, corn, citrus, grains and sugar. O'Connor heirs:587,800 acres in Texas. The late Truman Collins was a lumberman who became the largest private landholder in Pennsylvania before his death in 1914. Roughly equal to: Eighty times the size of Los Angeles International Airport.