
Bill Gates: America’s Top Farmland Owner
The cofounder of Microsoft ranks as America’s largest private farmland owner.

The cofounder of Microsoft ranks as America’s largest private farmland owner.

APRIL 12, 2012 UPDATE: Hall & Hall Auctions auctioned Waurika Farms,

An energetic Swede, Svante Swenson established a 680,000-acre ranching empire north of

By TODD WILKINSON During his storied career, Ted Turner has demonstrated an

To the nation’s largest landowner, one of the most valuable attributes

No. 21 Hughes Family 390,000 acres The Texas Parks & Wildlife

Each year, the Big Four – JBS, Cargill, National Beef, and

No. 37 Mike Smith 283,500 acres Based in Amarillo, Smith and

As the 20th century came to a close, one of the

When our inaugural issue (inset right) came off the press, this

Ted Turner Parts With His Beloved Island Ted Turner has spent

No. 32 Stefan Soloviev 323,700 acres (up 88,000 acres) The 42-year-old

Civic-minded Texans with a distinguished record of service regarding public lands

A $165 million gift, the largest in Nature Conservancy history, transforms

No. 27 Philip Anschutz 434,500 acres In 1982, the Kansas native

By Henry Chappell Photography by Gustav Schmiege III Russell Gordy has