Attracted by Hawaii's heart-stopping natural beauty, year-round balmy weather and reassuring seclusion, North America's uber-rich have flocked to the tropical paradise in their droves. However, Maui's devastating wildfires have turned a spotlight on land ownership in America's 50th state, and some of the region's wealthiest residents might find its harsh glare uncomfortable.
Billionaires from Jeff Bezos and Oprah Winfrey to Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Ellison have scooped up lavish properties and acres of land over the years, and are now being accused of 'colonising' the islands and 'stealing' land from indigenous Hawaiians.
Click or scroll through to discover exactly why these famous faces are attracting criticism and take a look at the extravagant homes that lured them to this dreamy archipelago in the first place...
In early August, the first of many small fires sparked across the islands. Very dry conditions, combined with strong and gusty easterly winds and low humidity produced critical fire weather conditions, according to the National Weather Service, with officials on Maui reporting gusts of up to 80 miles per hour, which may have been fueled by Hurricane Dora.
The winds carried burning embers from house to house, destroying more than 2,000 buildings and forcing 8,000 from their homes, AP reported. The town of Lahaina (pictured) was worst hit, after a downed power line sparked flames in dry grass. The winds pushed the fire into dense neighbourhoods, where many homes were reduced to ash.
In October, the official death toll for the wildfire rose to 99 people, making it the deadliest US fire in more than a century. Six people are still missing.
The first significant fire took hold in the community of Kula, where Oprah recently bought about 870 acres of agricultural land to add to the hundreds of acres she already owned in Kula, as well as the oceanfront community of Hāna.
In the immediate aftermath of the fire, the talk show billionaire visited an emergency shelter with a CBS News crew in tow. While the journalists were asked to stay outside, Oprah went in and asked people what they needed, before buying supplies including pillows, toiletries and nappies, she told the BBC.
Oprah was reportedly denied entry to the shelter, as media were restricted from entering. However, the County of Maui posted a clarification via Facebook thanking her for her actions, saying:
"Oprah was able to visit our shelter and we thank her for instructing media journalists and camera crews to remain outside. We welcome Oprah to continue to uplift our community’s spirit and give her aloha to victims of the tragic disaster."
On 31 August, Oprah and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson – who reportedly holidays in Hawaii and spent part of his childhood on Oahu – made a joint video statement on Instagram, announcing the launch of the People's Fund of Maui, urging people to donate to the cause. Despite the fact the stars – who have a combined estimated net worth of more than $3 billion (£2.5bn) – kickstarted the fund by donating $10 million (£8.2m) of their own money, they were criticised for asking ordinary people to give during a time of global economic uncertainty.
Oprah also drew disapproval for owning thousands of acres of land that once belonged to the Kānaka Maoli.
"Oprah owns 2,000 acres in Maui," one X user wrote."Her land wasn't destroyed. Her donation for recovery efforts should be the 2,000 acres she owns!"
Following the deadly fires, Jeff Bezos and his finacée Lauren Sanchez reportedly established a $100 million (£82.5m) Maui Fund, while Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan donated $400,000 (£300k) to the Hawaii Community Foundation. However, as Maui residents sifted through the ashes of their homes, affluent landowners came under scrutiny for owning land and property that had once belonged to indigenous Hawaiians.
"Wealthy individuals like Oprah are settler colonial agents, buying up Hawaiian land by the thousands of acres and in doing so forcing Kānaka Maoli away off of the land in which they’re using as vacation properties," one critic posted on X. "If Oprah wanted to help, she’d give up the land she’s stolen."
More sinister still, while the flames on Maui still burned, residents reported being contacted by developers and investors offering to buy their land from them.
“I am so frustrated with inventors and realtors calling the families who lost their home offering to buy their land,” one local said in a video for local charity, Kāko'o Haleakalā. “How dare you do that to our community right now.”
Hawaii governor Josh Green released a statement warning developers against predatory land buying. He announced that the Hawaii state government was considering securing land in Lahaina (pictured) "to protect it for our local people so it’s not stolen by people on the mainland."
He estimates Hawaii lost $5.6 billion (£4.6bn) due to damage from the fires. Rebuilding costs are likely to reach several billion dollars, in part due to high labour costs and because much of the building materials will have to be shipped in from the mainland US, CNN reported.
The tragedy has highlighted the indigenous Hawaiian struggle for sovereignty, the Guardian reports. The Kingdom of Hawaii held sovereign nation status until a group of US sugar tycoons overthrew the country's queen in 1893, which allowed the USA to annex the islands in 1898, before eventually being granted US statehood in 1959.
Shockingly, native Hawaiians do not have self-governance rights – the only indigenous people in the US to be denied them. Now, grassroots activists are calling for Hawaii to be restored as a nation separate from the mainland.
“As far as I’ve been taught, the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi still exists,” one West Maui council member told the Guardian. “We’re a nation occupied by the US.”
Locals also cite a fight for water rights and centuries of exploitation and poor land management by sugar plantations, which turned Lahaina – once known as the 'Venice of the Pacific' – into the "arid and dry" land that burned so quickly in the August inferno.
Today, second-homeowners and holidaymakers from around the world are attracted to Hawaii for many of the same reasons the sugar magnates were drawn to the islands in the late 19th century. Its climate, breathtaking beaches and vibrant culture have made it very attractive to those who can afford to vacation there. Hawaii uses the US dollar, boasts excellent infrastructure and hospitals and offers high standards of service. Also, English is widely spoken and, for the super-rich, it offers a whole host of other distinct advantages, too.
Privacy and seclusion are pretty much guaranteed. Unlike Malibu or Florida's Star Island, where homes are on top of one another, Hawaii has many sprawling luxury estates and gated communities, if you can afford the top-end prices. And due to strict building regulations, the likelihood of a development springing up right next door is slim. “It’s a beautiful island paradise with few places where you can build,” Zillow economist Jeff Tucker told the FT in 2019.
Meanwhile, local realtor Matthew G Beall told Forbes that “there is an unspoken ethos of privacy and humility in the Hawaiian culture, allowing celebrities and billionaires to enjoy a latte in the local coffee shop without locals staring or paparazzi hounding them.”
Beall also highlighted the widespread availability of highly trained staff on the islands, from gourmet personal chefs and nannies to security guards, all of whom are in high demand among the uber-affluent.
Adding to Hawaii's billionaire appeal is its general expensiveness, which ensures exclusivity and guarantees a thriving fine dining scene, along with numerous high-end stores including branches of Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci and Cartier. The airports on the major islands have also been upgraded to cater for private jets.
Now, let's look at who has bought their own patch of paradise...
The first billionaire to make the Aloha state his part-time home was the late Intel co-founder and chairman emeritus Gordon Moore. Before his death in March 2023, the tech giant is said to have spent the bulk of his time at his Hawaiian home together with Betty, his wife of 72 years.
The property is situated on the oceanfront in Big Island's Kamuela area, about a 20-minute drive up the coast from the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.
The creator of the famous Moore's Law appears to have owned the house since it was built in 1991, or may have purchased it not long after.
According to public records, the home, which is located on lava fields near a golf course, totals 6,400 square feet and features five bedrooms and six bathrooms.
Looking at this photo taken from the lava fields near the home, the property is typically Hawaiian in style and is surrounded by towering coconut trees. While you can't really make it out in this shot, there's a good-size pool on the grounds and several terraces on which to relax and unwind.
Moore reportedly died at his beloved Hawaiian home surrounded by family, at the age of 94.
Marc Benioff is also a veteran Hawaiian holiday homeowner. The Salesforce founder, chairman and CEO bought his bolthole in Big Island's Mauna Kea Resort (where fellow billionaire Guy Laliberté's place is located – more on that in a moment) in 2000 for $12.5 million (£10.3m).
Since then, the tech billionaire has purchased several lots around his home, presumably to boost his privacy.
In addition, Benioff holds the deeds to a unit at The Villas at Mauna Kea. Like his long-time friend Larry Ellison, the cloud-computing entrepreneur is hugely passionate about Hawaii and its culture. He wears Hawaiian shirts to work and named his dog Koa (Hawaiian for warrior) but has played this down of late following accusations of cultural appropriation.
Benioff revealed to Fortune that Salesforce had donated $1 million (£822.5m) to World Central Kitchen in the aftermath of Maui's deadly fires.
The Queen of All Media is also known as the Queen of Maui, and for good reason. Other billionaires like Jeff Bezos may be buying up property on the second-biggest Hawaiian island, but Oprah reigns supreme as its leading private landowner.
The TV mogul and philanthropist started purchasing land there back in 2003 when she parted with $5.3 million (£4.4m) to snag 23.7 acres.
This initial plot in the Kula district contains Oprah's gorgeous American farmhouse-style property, which she revamped with the help of her favourite interior designers, not to mention at least three additional structures.
Over the subsequent decade, the talk show legend amassed a total of 782 acres according to an analysis by Variety, spending up to $60 million (£49.4m) all in all. But she didn't stop there...
In October 2021, Winfrey snapped up a three-acre agricultural-zoned property next to the other Maui properties, according to Maui Now, adding two 10-acre $100,000 (£82.3k) plots at the end of 2022. Then, in March 2023, she reportedly spent an impressive $6.6 million (£5.4m) on 870 additional acres in Kula.
Oprah's vast holding is now said to encompass around 1,000 acres in Kula, dotted with multiple buildings and an additional 63 acres in Hana, but the pristine white clapboard farmhouse remains the place Oprah stays when she comes to the island for a visit.
Interestingly, unlike many other billionaire properties in Hawaii, Oprah's estate is inland, rather than fronting a beach.
America's number one celebrity interviewer travels regularly to the estate – wouldn't you do too if you owned such a captivating property? – and especially enjoys spending Christmases there with her longterm partner Stedman Graham, bestie Gayle King and various other family and friends, who must jump at the chance of getting an invite.
Next up is computer magnate Michael Dell. The IT entrepreneur bought Maui's Four Seasons Resort at Wailea in 2004 for $280 million (£230.7m) via his investment company MSD Capital.
He followed up his big purchase by buying a share in the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on Big Island (which these days is co-owned by Walmart billionaire Rob Walton), as well as the nearby Kona Village Resort.
Big Island's only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond Resort, the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai has a sumptuous yet laid-back vibe and is the most expensive and luxurious of the two Four Seasons properties Dell has an interest in.
In 2021, it underwent a $100 million (£82.4m) renovation, which saw the construction of three villas billed as the archipelago's largest and most high-end villa accommodations.
The resort is jam-packed with billionaire-worthy amenities that make it a magnet for the ultra-rich, but some choose to buy real estate next door at the Kukio Golf and Beach Club, which offers what the marketing blurb describes as some of the finest property in the State of Hawaii, along with a clubhouse, spa and fitness centre, dining pavilion, golf course and more.
In fact, Dell's Hawaiian home is located within the gated community, which he also part-owns. Dubbed the Raptor Residence, the 18,500-square-foot three-lot property is the grandest in Kukio. Worth tens of millions of dollars, it features seven bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and lavish open-concept living spaces.
Pierre Omidyar is one of only two full-time billionaire residents of Hawaii – the other is Larry Ellison, who we'll come to in a moment.
The famously reclusive eBay founder moved to the 50th state with his wife Pam and their three children back in 2006, settling in a 5,800-square-foot beachfront home in the upscale Honolulu neighbourhood of Kahala.
The posh area has been called the Beverly Hills of Honolulu, though Omidyar is the only billionaire to own property on the island of Oahu, with most mega-rich buyers as we've seen favouring other islands in the chain such as Maui and Big Island.
Be that as it may, the Omidyars have donated tens of millions of dollars over the years to various causes across the islands via their philanthropic investment arm. They also donated $500,000 (£412k) to the Hawaii Community Foundation in the wake of the wildfires, according to Philanthropy News Digest.
Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté has built up a spectacular real estate portfolio over the years, with trophy mansions in his home town of Quebec City, Las Vegas, Ibiza and even a private island in French Polynesia, which can be rented for an unbelievable $1 million (£824k) a week.
The former street performer has a showstopping home in Big Island's Mauna Kea Resort to boot, which he picked up in 2007 for $29 million (£23.9m). It has also been available to rent and like the French Polynesian atoll, the four-house, 10-bedroom estate certainly doesn't come cheap.
Available for a minimum of seven days, the property has been priced at $25,000 (£20.6k) per night in peak season, meaning a week's stay there would cost a painful $175,000 (£144k) – clearly Laliberté's fellow billionaires need only apply. That said, you do sort of get your money's worth with this magnificent property, which spans 16,000 square feet and sits on 2.5 acres.
Highlights include the infinity pool and hot tub, spa, home cinema, commercial kitchen (the rental includes the services of a personal chef), alluring living spaces and bedrooms, along with the heavenly tropical garden, which feature koi ponds, a vintage tiki bar, a table seating 26 and what the Airbnb blurb describes as “gallery-worthy” outdoor sculptures.
In October 2023, Laliberté listed his eight-bedroom Montreal mansion for a cool $10 million (£8.3m), so he may be about to spend more time at his Hawaiian home.
Michael Dell isn't the only billionaire who has a holiday home in the highly sought-after area. Hedge fund manager and investor Ken Griffin owns two properties within the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, the first of which, a four-acre plot of land, he bought in 2009 for just under $11.4 million (£9.4m).
Two years later, the financial whizz and his now-ex-wife Anne Dias-Griffin splashed $17 million (£14m) on a spellbinding 5,600-square-foot beach house just 318 feet away from the four-acre plot, complete with ravishing ocean views, a fabulous infinity pool, charming gazebo and other attractive attributes.
A serene escape if there ever was one, the property, which epitomises indoor/outdoor living, is Balinese rather than Hawaiian in style, replete with calming water features, lots of teak fixtures and furniture, Hindu and Buddhist statues – a style popular among the wealthy residents looking for solace and a sanctuary to chill in.
One of the property's bedrooms is shown here. It delights with expertly crafted teak cabinetry, a welcoming four-poster bed and sliding patio doors that open up the space, which looks out to a raised stone-clad terrace and very private tropical garden brimming with luxuriant plants and trees.
No stranger to luxury living, Griffin is currently planning to build the world's first $1 billion (£823m) home, after buying up swathes of prime Palm Beach, Florida real estate.
Yet another billionaire who owns an awesome holiday home in Hawaii, PayPal co-founder and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel bought an oceanfront mansion in Makena back in 2011 for $27 million (£22.3m), which broke the then-record for the most expensive single property sold on the island of Maui.
While just 10 miles from Lahaina, the area most devastated by the August wildfires, Thiel has not made public the extent of his charitable donations, according to New York Post.
Thiel's five-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bathroom home (the house appears to have had just four bedrooms when it was listed in 2011) rocks a total floor space of 5,224 square feet and sits on a plot spanning just under 1.7 acres.
The property is located just up the road from Bezos' new love nest.
Details of the property are few and far between as it was a private sale, but judging by this recent satellite shot, it looks like Thiel has removed the ocean-facing lawn at the back of the property and may be in the process of planting trees there to bolster the home's privacy, while retaining the pool and greenery in the front.
Next up is Larry Ellison, who easily trumps even Oprah and Mark Zuckerberg when it comes to enormous landholdings since he owns an entire Hawaiian island – well, around 98% of it at least.
The Oracle co-founder purchased Lanai, the sixth-largest island in the archipelago at 141 square miles, in 2012 for a reported $300 million (£247m).
Considered the most secluded and unspoilt of Hawaii's inhabited islands, Lanai has a population of around 3,200 and is nicknamed Pineapple Island since much of the land there was used to grow the fruit up until the early 1990s, providing 75% of the world's supply. It takes your breath away with wonderful deserted beaches, rugged terrain and tropical rainforests.
Ellison owns a third of the island's homes and many of its businesses, including shops, restaurants and galleries, along with two golf courses, the local water company, an animal rescue centre, the community swimming pool and more.
Ellison is a "modern day American king," according to a 2022 exposé by Bloomberg Bussinessweek that looked into his ownership of Lanai. “Many residents both rent from him and work for him, and a provision in his residential leases states that if you’re terminated from a job with any of his companies, you can be kicked out of your home, too.”
However, when the pandemic hit, Ellison cancelled or reduced rents for businesses on the island and covered his staff's wages and benefits.
The tech billionaire, who became a permanent resident during the 2020 lockdown, lives in this sprawling compound in Lanai City (which is really a tiny village).
The tycoon has been working to transform Lanai into a sustainable, carbon-neutral tourism hub and “health utopia”, and owns two Four Seasons hotels there, including the blissful Sensei “wellness enclave”, which has its own hydroponic farm powered by Tesla solar panels.
Ellison's development hasn't been good news for everyone, however. His purchase of the island has been blamed driving up the cost of living on the island, which has allegedly resulted in familes who have lived on Lanai for generations being forced to leave, the New York Post reported in 2022.
Together with his wife Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg has amassed a vast portfolio of land on the island of Kauai, which is famed for its verdant rainforests, beguiling beaches and awe-inspiring cliffs.
The twosome got the ball rolling in 2014 when they acquired 741 acres on the island's North Shore, splurging more than $200 million (£164.7m) on two huge parcels, though some sources put the figure at nearer $100 million (£82.3m).
To their credit, the couple have promised to be good stewards and say they are "dedicated to preserving [the island's] wildlife and natural beauty," but have clashed with the local community for allegedly preventing public access to the coastal trail and beach on the property and for filing lawsuits to buy several clusters of land traditionally owned by Native Hawaiians.
The lawsuits were eventually dropped, but the parcels were nevertheless auctioned off in 2019, with Zuckerberg and his wife winning three out of the four on offer.
Pictured here from above, the landholding had actually been extended in 2018 when the pair bought an 80-acre plot next door for $45.3 million (£33.8m) and 12 smaller parcels for just under $12 million (£9m).
That same year, documents obtained by local newspaper Garden Island showed the Zuckerbergs were planning to build a relatively modest two-bedroom home on the site. The couple and their children are said to have spent part of lockdown at the property.
Fast-forward to March 2021 and the pair bought a further 600 acres fronting Kauai Larsen's Beach for $53 million (£43.6m), giving them a total holding well in excess of 1,400 acres.
Following Maui's deadly fires, the couple reportedly donated $400,000 (£300k) to the Hawaii Community Foundation.
Ex-Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is another billionaire who owns a lavish home in the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. In 2015, the rags-to-riches billionaire handed over a cool $25 million (£20.6m) to get his hands on the 10,641-square-foot property, which nestles on 1.8 acres set back from the ocean on the edge of the swish resort's golf course.
You may think $25 million (£20.6m) is an obscene price to pay for a holiday home, but Schultz actually got a major bargain since the property was originally listed for $33 million (£27.2m).
Like his neighbour Ken Griffin's pad, the eight-bedroom, two-lot home has a Balinese feel, with indoor/outdoor living spaces and wall to wall teak.
In addition to the open-plan reception rooms, which are arranged around the expansive infinity pool, the property has everything from game and media rooms to a light-up bar, gourmet kitchen, jacuzzi and fire pit. As holiday homes go, this place pretty much has it all and is probably second only to Dell's in the area.
Among the other billionaires who are said to have homes in the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai and Kukio gated community are brokerage trailblazer Charles Schwab, financier George Roberts, investor Howard Marks, GoDaddy founder Bob Parsons and private equity boss Ellis Short, while the long list of centimillionaire owners includes Warren Buffett's sister Bertie.
In November 2021 it was reported that Jeff Bezos was the latest in a long line of billionaires to bag a wow-factor property in Hawaii. He scooped up the sensational and exceedingly private Carter Estate on the island of Maui, which no doubt serves as a tropical love nest for the now third-richest person in the world and his finacée Lauren Sánchez.
Luckily for the high profile couple, their home lies roughly 25 miles from August's wildfire zone and so escaped damage. Reacting to the tragedy, Lauren expressed their heartbreak via Instagram and pledged $100 million (£82.3) "to help get Maui back on its feet."
A frequent guest at Maui's Montage Kapalua Bay resort, the Amazon boss is said to have made several deep-pocketed donations to local charities around the time of the big purchase, which is rumoured to have gone through in June.
Bezos reportedly paid $78 million (£64m) for the 14-acre estate, smashing the record for the most expensive real estate sale on the island.
The seller was energy magnate Doug Schatz, who purchased the compound in 1996 for $4.2 million (that's about $8.2m / £6.7m today) and went on to spend millions upgrading it.
The property on La Perouse Bay is surrounded by lava fields and parkland and allegedly boasts the only private beach in Maui, the compact white sand beauty pictured here – though under Hawaiian law all beaches can be accessed by the public.
Consisting of seven land parcels, the estate includes a 4,500-square-foot main house based on a traditional Hawaiian plantation mansion, a guesthouse spanning 1,700 square feet and several other buildings, together with a circular swimming pool, acres of lush grounds and those dramatic-looking lava fields.
Luckily for the couple, the island's Haleakalā volcano is dormant and isn't expected to erupt again for 500 years.
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