Column By Mike Bibb
“A 2025 Land Report named him [Bill Gates] the largest private farmland owner in the U.S., with 275,000 acres under his name—248,000 acres of it active farmland across at least 17 states. That makes him No. 1 in farmland and the 43rd largest landowner overall when factoring in non-agricultural holdings.”
— Benzinga, May 22, 2025.
When working on last week’s article, “Running From The Fire,” Nov. 5, I reported Microsoft billionaire, Bill Gates, was eagerly buying U.S. farmland by the thousands of acres.
These purchases stretch from the East Coast, across the Heartland, to the West Coast.
So far, 275,000 total acres, including “transitional and recreational” acquisitions within 17 states.
Bill has accumulated 25,750 acres in Arizona.
Okay, the guy has been shopping for property. So what?
There’s logic in his reasoning; primarily, he can do whatever he lawfully wants with his money if he chooses to add farmland to his investment portfolio —that’s his privilege.
Some billionaires spend buckets of money on rockets and launch sites to send their friends on a ten-minute ride to the edge of space and back. Gates shops around for deals on farm sales.
Also, I’d imagine there are various economic, tax, and borrowing advantages to pursuing such a strategy.
Except, it seems a little weird that, being next door to Arizona, Bill only has one acre of property in New Mexico.
As in “Uno. No mas.”
For a state touting itself as “The Land of Enchantment,” one might think the allure of acquiring property in such an appealing environment would be a little more enticing than laying down a few bucks for a single parcel of dirt.
Well, it’s really not a mystery.
Before Microsoft was established, Bill and co-founder Paul Allen worked and lived in Albuquerque during the mid-1970s. Later, they moved their operation to Seattle, where Gates is originally from.
As a result, Bill still owns the residence in New Mexico.
You were expecting something more sinister? Sorry, no clandestine story here. He and Paul decided the grass was greener in Seattle.
Which, it is — in several ways.
While Gates has gained recognition as a wealthy computer guy, he’s also known for controlling vast tracts of farmland across the country.
That’s a lot of rows to hoe, but not nearly as many as the largest landowner has. In fact, Bill’s scattered farm holdings pale in comparison to the massive 2.2 million acres of ranch and private land owned by former CEO of Tele-Communications, John Malone.
Malone’s land is about the size of Yellowstone National Park — 3,472 square miles — and larger than the combined states of Rhode Island and Delaware.
Tele-Communications was sold to AT&T in 1999 for more than $50 billion. Malone wisely invested his earnings in other enterprises, including land.
While Gates may have the name and fame of a self-made American billionaire — and Harvard dropout — he’s not at the top of the heap in owning ranches and other properties.
In total, there are approximately 880 million acres of farm and ranch land in the United States. This represents 39% of all U.S. land. The average-sized farm is reported to be 463 acres — USDA NASS (National Agricultural Statistics Service), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
Given all this, it’s still puzzling why Bill hasn’t made any sizeable farm purchases in New Mexico.
Maybe he doesn’t care for Hatch Chili.
Possibly, New Mexico’s politics, government policies, and slow growth are not to his liking.
Missed the rain?
If that’s the case, he should have moved to New Orleans, where water falls from the sky at the rate of about 63 inches a year.
Seattle is about half that — sort of a perpetual drizzle.
Actually, Bill may appreciate the value of a rainy part of the country. Nearly 50% of his farmland has been purchased in the tri-state area of Arkansas (47,927 acres), Mississippi (16,963 acres), and Louisiana (69,071 acres), totaling 133,967 acres.
Coincidentally, in Louisiana’s case, there’s also the possibility of an abundance of oil under the ground, which could conflict with Bill’s “green energy” philosophy.
Or, help fuel his private jet flying him to Climate Change Conferences in Zurich.
Then again, Bill’s apparently had a change of heart regarding his infatuation with “Climate Change.”
The flame is starting to flicker. Now he thinks that his previously sensationalized squawking about a changing climate will eventually be the ruination of civilization, and that it is no longer in vogue.
That, in fact, “it will not lead to humanity’s demise” — so saith the Oracle of Microsoft.
Wow, Bill must have suddenly realized there won’t be much profit in raising farm products if there’s not going to be anyone left to buy them.
It’s forward thinking like this that separates the brainy billionaires from the rest of us!
The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author.
