Is Hawaii benefiting from these billionaires who live full or part-time in the islands?
57 thoughts on “Billionaires Bezos, Zuckerberg, Oprah and Ellison Pony Up Big In Hawaii”
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Is Hawaii benefiting from these billionaires who live full or part-time in the islands?
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All we can do is hope they have the majority of the residents best interest in mind. Let’s not privatize or trash the Islands.
As a Hawaiian, whose family (Ohana) along with the vast majority of Hawaiians protested the annexation of Hawaii, an Independent Nation, by the United States in 1898, it is sad seeing our lands being sold. Nobody talks about Justice for the Hawaiian people and our Nation. Try that topic on national TV Oprah, Bezos and Zuckerberg, who now owns my Ohana lands in Waipake Kauai that we had under the Hawaiian Kingdom taken by the supreme court of the territory of Hawaii in 1906. So much for Aloha.
I believe its easier to just share a story i found interesting.
propublica.org/article/the-government-promised-to-return-ancestral-hawaiian-land-then-never-finished-the-job/
True there should also be reservations for Hawaiians where they can govern they’re land as the please and large communities not HOA regulated homesteads. But I have no say people that have little money don’t matter in todays world.
And may I also point out that no matter how much billionaires “pony up” (enriching the pockets of mostly non-native sellers & making large donations to non-profit social assistance organizations…which thankfully some of them kindly did), they will never be able to own & restrict access to our beaches. Period!
I keep hearing that the Beezos property and the beach is all private. I have swam out to that beach many times. Now we have a legally private beach on Maui? Am I dreaming? It’s like Waimanalo blues.
At some point these new, outsider billionaires need to reach a saturation point with their land acquisition goals. If that’s not in their game plan then they should consider doing so. It is unseemly to acquire properties costing double & triple digit millions of dollars when Native Hawaiians and others who have been living in the islands for generations are unable to afford their own properties with which to establish & raise their own families.
Maybe they can solve the homeless and affordable housing problem with building homes on the land they own next to where they live. Hoarding land just makes it harder for those that need a home. I am in favor of private land planning that address the need.
Weren’t the Mirikatani forced to sell off a lot of their land decades ago for buying too much? I know that Mark Zuckerberg wanted to buy native land and wall it off as his own some years back. That’s sickening…
Hawaii should have laws in place voted by the people that prevent any one person organization or business from owning that much land. Owning 98% of an island county or 1500 acres of coastal property is so unnessary offensive and basically robbing Hawaiians of land. It doesn’t matter how much they give to charitable organizations. They fail to realize that land here is sacred, belongs to the people with not all that much to share.
Would you rather see the rich buy & preserve the land & donante millions to causes the local government can’t, or won’t solve- or should they develop it to make even more money?
Unfortunately, as in Ellison’s case, they can do both. The positive thing he provides jobs to a few thousand people in the process, but then again he can control and limit the population. Is that really ethical or moral?
Compared to regular ‘Joe’s’ like you and I – these mega rich give only a tiny percentage of their income to charity. Most of it is for tax write offs. One of the few rich people who actually GAVE was Paul Newman with his ‘Newman’s Own Brand’ that gives all profits to charity. Now, that is giving. Too bad more celebs don’t do something like that. All these ‘rich and infamous’ could fund so many worthy causes if they truly cared. newmansownfoundation.org/
I agree with Colleen in that most who donate are doing it as a write-off for their own benefit. Don’t get me wrong–I’m sure the money is welcomed by the receivers but it’s still annoying for the ulterior motives. And I love Oprah but only $100,000? Really? For the “Queen of Maui” that’s probably her pocket change!
They’re all idiots. But wouldn’t it be amazing if one of them could somehow get elected as mayor and / or governor??? Would be nice to have someone with a clue about how to run a profitable business behind the wheel for a change.
I personally am not sure their buying up so much land in Hawaii is any different then when the Japanese were buying up much land there. is this so no one else will be able to ever be able to afford a home there on any island? I am curious as I love the islands and have been visiting since the early 80s. I cant afford to buy there but love to spend as much time as possible and so do many others. I hope the Hawaiian people are benefiting from the acquisition of so much land.
If most people do the research; they will find out that the super rich are only purchasing large tracts of land because the property tax is the least at 0.31% of all the 50 states. Also, most “charitable foundations” are a way that the super rich can avoid paying taxes, but still control the money, and appear like they are helping the public. Not to mention that there is no state income tax in Hawaii. It’s all a tax dodge by the 1%ers!!!
I totally agree
No state income! What planet did you fall from??!
They’re most certainly is state income tax here. Where did you get the idea that there isn’t?
There is in fact a state income tax in Hawaii
. At least one I’ve been paying.
Agree.
Aloha
HI taxes rank 41st worst of 50 states
4.44 % Sales Taxes
6.4 % Business Tax
11 % Income Tax
taxfoundation.org/state/hawaii/
Here’s what Iz had to say:
youtube.com/watch?v=qyQGn6E3Lcg
Note 3:33
As a Wailea resident I can say none of my neighbors are thrilled about Bezos buying up as much as he can. As stated before…only going to make prices even higher when billionaires come in and land grab. Unfortunately nothing can be done…it’s a free country. Don’t for one second believe the donations are anything more than write offs and trying to snow job residents into believing they care about them.
I have a friend who was a bookkeeper for Ellison. She said he often buys places and makes the communities better but the average person isn’t aware of it. She left her accounting firm prior to his acquiring Lanai but when she heard he’d bought it she shook her head yes and said he was going to take care of the place, that the people of Lanai would benefit from it.
Thanks TammyB for your comment. I’ve been a part of the Lanai community for 5 years and yes, Larry has and continues to support local non-profits, island children’s endeavors, land enrichments and several sustainable projects here that could benefit a much wider audience as they develop. Yes, he also has his own many projects (which employ many residents) which benefit others as well. In addition, as he envisions something new the community is pro-active to ensure their voices are heard.
Giving someone a job isn’t praiseworthy. When you’re a billionaire you have an opportunity to do more.
Larry E segregates the local Hawaiian people from the people that can go to the Four Seasons Hotels on Lana’i. There are only 3hotels on the island and he owns them. Local Hawaiian people and others that live in Lana’i are not allowed to dine in the restaurants even if a guest invites them.
:0(
Oprah sends millions of dollars to foreign countries and she can only provide a $100,000 grant to the Hawaii Women’s Foundation.
That falls short of showing appreciation for not only Hawaii, but her own country.
I completely agree with your comment! Really only 100,000 for your local community! Never really cared for her and this just shows why.
While their charitable donations can certainly benefit recipients, I’m not sensing much more of a benefit. The land they have purchased is clearly prime real estate which will likely become private property and closed off to others who would have enjoyed the beaches, etc. How does this land get back to the Hawaiians? Return 1/2 of the purchased land back to the Hawaiians. Now that would be something!
Oprah’s $100,000 LOL- that’s pocket change to her! They All could be Way more generous when you compare the price tags of their purchases & their extreme unfathomable wealth
Glad to see they donate penny’s on the dollar in relation to the wealth. What is not mentioned is their buying real estate at inflated prices forces everybody else out of the market because the prices then infkate…. Not that I want to buy anything over there anyway
All of the accolades showered on these multi billionaires for their ‘generous’ gifts gives me pause. The privately supported help should rather be left to decision-making by an entity like government where voters have a say rather than left to the selected giving by a few private individuals who receive lots of applause as they continue to hoard beyond anything responsible and equitable, some not even paying their taxes. This growing wealth for an already super rich elite is really an abominatio
why are you being duped by thes people, get real and follow the money…………..