Key Takeaways
- Red Emmerson and his family (owners of Sierra Pacific Industries) control 2.44 million acres across California, Oregon, and Washington, making them the largest private landowners in 2025.
- For reference, this is over 3x the land area of Rhode Island, the smallest state.
- Former cable-TV magnate John Malone ranks second with 2.2 million acres.
🤔 Where's Bill Gates?
In 2020, news broke that Bill Gates was America’s largest farmland owner with more than 260,000 acres.
He ranks 43rd in 2025, with 275,000 acres.
