The United States has a total land area of nearly 2.3 billion acres, with over 60% of it held by the federal government. But even though the federal government owns the most land overall, a handful of individuals, families, and companies also hold massive amounts of land across the country.
In this article, we will look at who owns the most private land in the U.S., how much land they own, where their land holdings are concentrated, and how they accumulated so much property.
The Largest Private Landowners in the U.S.
Here are the top 5 private landowners in the United States:
| Owner | Land Area |
|---|---|
| John Malone | 2.2 million acres |
| Ted Turner | 2 million acres |
| Emmerson Family | 1.95 million acres |
| Stan Kroenke | 1.4 million acres |
| Irving Family | 1.2 million acres |
As you can see, John Malone, a media tycoon, tops the list with over 2.2 million acres of land, over twice the size of the state of Delaware. Ted Turner, founder of CNN, comes in second with 2 million acres. Rounding out the top 5 are the Emmerson Family, owner of Sierra Pacific Industries, with 1.95 million acres; Stan Kroenke, a real estate developer and owner of sports teams, with 1.4 million acres; and the Irving Family of Canada with 1.2 million acres of land.
Where the Biggest Private Landowners Own Property
Many of the large private land holdings in the U.S. are concentrated in a few western states where large ranch properties are common. Here are some of the states where top landowners have significant acreage:
- New Mexico – Ted Turner owns over 1 million acres in this state spread across 15 different ranches. The Malone family also has considerable land in New Mexico.
- Montana – John Malone owns around 300,000 acres in Montana. The Irving family has over 200,000 acres in the state.
- Colorado – Stan Kroenke has his largest land holdings in Colorado at over 830,000 acres. John Malone also owns ranches in Colorado.
- Wyoming – The Emmerson Family has over 394,000 acres in Wyoming, while John Malone has a 33,000 acre ranch.
- Florida – John Malone owns around 300,000 acres in Florida cattle ranches and other properties.
So while these landowners have property across much of the U.S., the Mountain West and Florida seem to attract the most investment from billionaires and millionaires looking to buy large tracts of land.
How the Biggest Landowners Acquired So Much Property
Many of the current top private U.S. landowners acquired the bulk of their real estate holdings through leveraged buyouts, inheritance, or investments over decades:
- Leveraged buyouts – John Malone acquired many of his media and land investments through complex leveraged buyouts using his stake in Tele-Communications Inc. (TCI) as collateral.
- Inheritance – Ted Turner inherited his father’s billboard business in 1963 which became the foundation for his media empire and real estate investments.
- Long-term investments – The Irving Family has been steadily acquiring land in Maine and other parts of the U.S. Northeast and South for over 80 years as part of their conglomerate businesses.
- Corporate investments – Many of Stan Kroenke’s land holdings in the U.S. West came through his real estate development company Kroenke Group.
For those that inherited property or land assets, their holdings have grown over time through long-term investments and land purchases. Other major landowners like John Malone aggressively acquired large ranches and tracts of land over the past few decades when prices were lower.
Why Do Individuals and Families Own So Much Land?
There are several reasons why private U.S. landowners acquire vast tracts of property:
- Diversification – Real estate is seen as a smart diversification for billionaires with excess capital looking for places to invest and park money.
- Asset appreciation – Land values have appreciated considerably over the past 50 years, especially in high-demand areas like Colorado and coastal regions.
- Status symbol – Owning large ranches and huge amounts of property is seen as an attractive status symbol and luxury purchase.
- Love of the land – Some billionaire landowners like Ted Turner love owning rural property for horseback riding, hunting, and enjoying the outdoors.
- Development opportunities – Landowners see long-term potential in land for agricultural development, oil/gas extraction, renewable energy projects, and real estate development.
The largest private U.S. landowners view their massive real estate holdings first and foremost as investments. But many also have a genuine appreciation for the land and rural lifestyle it affords them.
Federal Government Still Owns the Most U.S. Land
Despite their vast land holdings, even the biggest individual owners are dwarfed by the amount of land held by the federal government and public agencies, according to the Congressional Research Service:
- Federal government – Over 60% of U.S. land is owned by the federal government through agencies like the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Department of Defense.
- State governments – Around 10% of U.S land is owned by U.S. state governments combined.
- Private – Under 30% of land in the U.S. is privately owned.
So while billionaires like Ted Turner and John Malone may assemble private land empires of 2 million acres or more, their holdings are just a fraction of the over 1 billion acres owned by U.S. federal and state governments. Most U.S. land remains firmly in public ownership.
Conclusion
A handful of wealthy individuals and families do control enormous amounts of private land across the United States, dominating ownership of tens of millions of acres. John Malone tops the list with over 2 million acres of ranches, forests, and other investments concentrated in Western states.
But despite their huge land holdings, the federal government still owns well over half of the U.S. landmass. And even the largest billionaire land barons need to contend with government regulations and public land managers like the U.S. Forest Service.
For the foreseeable future, most of the mountains, forests, and deserts of the American West will remain public lands, regardless of what the billionaires and millionaires are able to buy up and add to their empires.