Mark Zuckerberg’s future plans for his sprawling Hawaii ranch: the Facebook boss has dropped over US$270 million so far on the controversial compound – and a recent investigative report offers a glimpse

Dec 22 , 2023

Mark Zuckerberg has a reported US$320 million property portfolio across 10 homes – but it is the massive ranch he’s building on the Hawaiian island of Kauai that is causing by far the most controversy. Photo: Getty Images

Enforced secrecy around Mark Zuckerberg’s gargantuan land development, on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, has led to suspicion, controversy and some locals branding him ‘the face of neocolonialism’

The ‘doomsday haven’, designed to be entirely self-sufficient, spans 570 hectares and includes two mansions, a 5,000 sq ft underground shelter, 30 bedrooms, 30 bathrooms and an industrial-sized kitchen

With an estimated net worth of US$125 billion, per Forbes, there’s no doubt that Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg has money to spend on luxury homes around the world.

And spend money he does. The Silicon Valley leader has dropped tens of millions on homes in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, but it is his Hawaiian ranch that continues to make headlines.

For the first time, media reports have offered rare glimpses into Zuckerberg’s gargantuan land development. From its self-sufficiency to its intricate tree houses and properties, the ranch Zuckerberg is planning to make home is fascinating – and controversial – indeed.

Where is Mark Zuckerberg’s ranch on Hawaii?

Where better for a “doomsday haven”? The paradise island of Kauai, Hawaii. Photo: Unsplash

Zuckerberg’s compound is on the north-east side of Kauai. The Hawaiian island is the oldest of the four main islands and has a population of around 73,000. The ranch land spans around 570 hectares (1,400 acres), with the Facebook boss beginning to buy land in 2014, per The Hill.

His first purchase set him back around US$100 million, with the billionaire adding more land over the years to ensure complete privacy. The property is known as Koolau Ranch and, per Wired, with the land additions and renovations, is valued at more than US$270 million.

Why is it so controversial?

Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg and their three daughters. Photo: @zuck/Instagram

A newly published investigation by Wired has, for the first time, lifted the lid on the secret development that the Facebook chief has been building over the years. The land purchases have sparked controversy from day one, with Zuckerberg raising the ire of locals after he tried to force them to sell their rights to the land. After some native Hawaiians branded him “the face of neocolonialism”, Zuckerberg wrote an op-ed for the local newspaper pledging to retract his heavy-handed approach to land buying, reports The Guardian.

But the controversy has continued. A policy of strict NDAs for anybody working on the ranch led to spiralling rumours about the building project and its owner’s intentions. Per Wired, in August 2019, security guard Rodney Medeiros suffered a heart attack while on duty. His children have since said that they were not given clarity as to what happened to their father, with certain staff apparently saying they could not provide details because of their NDAs, per Hawaiian News Now.

Neighbours have also accused Zuckerberg of ruining their view and experience of the island with all of his high walls and security cameras. The building project has also brought increased traffic to the island – an unwelcome change for some locals, reports Wired.