What’s a billionaire technology titan to do when he’s looking to diversify his mega net worth?
Head to the farm.
The Land Report revealed that Bill and Melinda Gates are the largest private farmland owners in the United States. The couple owns 242,000 acres across 19 states with the largest stakes in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Arizona.
The backstory: The land portfolio has been pieced together over the past several decades by Gates’ personal wealth manager and director of holdings for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The goal was to diversify Gates’ investments away from tech holdings, a majority of his portfolio.
But when it comes to agriculture, it’s not Gates’ first rodeo.
Gates and his foundation have made headlines for investing +$100 million in international agriculture development programs. He’s also become a notable early-stage investor in a wide array of agrifood startups like AgBiome, Apeel Sciences, Stellapps, Pivot Bio, and more.
+ Also on the ‘Land Owners Leaderboard’? The ‘Wonderful Company’ owners, Stewart and Lynda Resnick. Known for their pomegranate and pistachio brand, the couple has racked up 190,000 acres.