Who owns hawaii island

The ranch remains an active cattle operation but also offers hunting and horseback riding tours, a museum and other attractions for visitors, such as this year's 50th annual Parker Ranch Rodeo and Horse Races on the Fourth of July.

When Parker's last direct descendant, Richard Smart, died in , he left a trust of , acres to benefit Waimea community and a plan that designated residential development of low-yield pasture lands. For an excellent review of how nearly all of the island passed from the hands of Hawaiian royalty to a rogue Mormon and later to pineapple king James Dole and ultimately Ellison, read Chronicle columnist's Kathleen Pender's account here.

Owned by a Singapore-based company, the ranch's 58, acres on Molokai's West End constitute nearly a third of the island, but in the ranch shut down its operations — including a lodge, beach bungalows, golf course and the town of Maunaloa's movie theater and gas station, as well as ranching — in face of local opposition to its plans to develop luxury homes at Laau Point. The ranch then fenced off a pool and beach access in one condo development and threatened to shut off water and sewer service to all West End residents, until county and state agencies intervened.

Although the state records list them separately, if you combined the Robinsons' holdings of nearly 51, acres on Kauai and some 46, acres on "the forbidden island" of Niihau, the family would be ahead of Ellison in this list.

The report lists Aylmer Robinson as the owner of Niihau, although he left it to his brother's family when he died in , and nephews Bruce and Keith assumed control several years before the death of their mother, Helen, in Helen Robinson had grown up in Berkeley and graduated from the University of California before she met Lester Robinson, a great-grandson of the Scottish widow who had made a deal with King Kamehameha IV to buy the island in One of those droughts prompted her to buy the huge slice of West Kauai, some of which went into sugar cane production.

The family is most renowned or notorious for severely restricting access to the island, which has helped preserve Hawaiian as the first language of its approximately residents. To supplement its income and offset the cost of a helicopter used for medical evacuation, the Robinsons allow visitors to take a helicopter tour from Kauai that lands on an uninhabited part of Niihau and to participate in hunting safaris.

Educated at UC Davis, Keith Robinson has also made a name for himself as an avid environmentalist and preserver of rare native plants. Top shopping picks. Ellison's personal favorite activity takes places high above the island however: sightseeing by plane.

Like this story? Skip Navigation. Jennifer Liu. Larry Ellison doesn't just own a home in Hawaii — he owns an entire island. Four Seasons Resort on Lanai, Hawaii. Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. But Senator English told the station that the population has fallen to about 1, At 89, Murdock says he will retain a solar farm and a home on the island, as he retires as Lana'i's benefactor of sorts - passing the baton to the Oracle billionaire. Residents have mixed feelings about the island changing hands, said Dorothy Lester, a pastor at Lana'i Union Church.

There are those who are very anxious because David Murdock is the only person they remember who has been in control. The island has another claim to fame -- and to IT money. Open Thread: What is your private island dream?