Where is Mark Zuckerberg’s ranch on Hawaii?

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?

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.

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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.

So what’s next for the ranch?

Wired’s investigative reporters spoke to workers and locals to uncover details about the building project. Development plans reportedly show that, besides two central mansions, there will be a 5,000 sq ft underground shelter. The entire complex will also have its own energy and food supplies. The ranch has multiple buildings with a total of 30 bedrooms and 30 bathrooms. Inside the main building there are lifts, conference rooms and an industrial-sized kitchen.

Per Wired, outside there are 11 disc-shaped tree houses to be connected by rope bridges. A building on the other side of the main mansions will have a full-sized gym, sauna, hot tub, cold plunge pool and tennis court. The ranch has reportedly already been used as the venue for two corporate events that Zuck hosted.

What other properties does Zuck own?

Koolau Ranch is just the latest addition to the tech billionaire’s expansive property portfolio. In 2012, he dropped US$10 million on a 7,200 sq ft property in San Francisco. Per the New York Post, Zuck spent around US$1.8 million on renovating the property, which has a wine room, wet bar and a total of 23 rooms over four floors.

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In Palo Alto, Zuck owns around 0.7 hectares (1.83 acres, about half a block) of properties, for which he paid nearly US$51 million. As reported by the New York Post, the homes have 15 bedrooms and more than 16 bathrooms combined. Per Architectural Digest, he bought the primary house in 2011; it has a saltwater pool, a glassed-in sun lounge, five bedrooms and five bathrooms.

In late 2018 and early 2019, Zuck dropped US$59 million on two Lake Tahoe homes, with the estates sprawling over almost four hectares (10 acres). The Brushwood and Carousel estates have private piers, guest houses and expansive lake views.