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Oprah Winfrey recently purchased a chunk of land in Hawaii, substantially rivaling the last purchase that she made 15 years ago. According to SF Gate, Winfrey bought 870-acres of land in Maui, bringing her total very close to 1,000-acres. She previously owned 100-acres on the "slopes of the Haleakala volcano" in the Hana and Kula region, and has lived there part-time since 2008. Her latest purchase lies inside of the Ulupalakua Ranch, known for being the largest cattle ranch in all of Maui.
SF Gate mentioned that celebrities have received backlash for purchasing land in Hawaii due in large part to an ongoing housing affordability crisis throughout the state. Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan actually own more of Kaui than the government does. The Meta founder owns approximately 525 more acres of the island than the state. While it may seem like Winfrey purchased a huge amount of land, 11,000 acres of the ranch are entirely reserved for conservation purposes. CEO of Hawaii Land Trust Angela Britten told SF Gate that Winfrey did not cross any lines with the purchase.
“I can confirm that the land in question is not part of the lands protected by conservation easement with Hawaii Land Trust." Information regarding what Winfrey plans to do with the land that she purchased has yet to be revealed.