These are the 5 biggest landowners in the world (2024)

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2 min.

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Nature, Agriculture, Countryside, Outdoors, Space, Wealth, Freedom, Land, Landownership, Property, Hectare, World, Luxury

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Anne Jan Doorn, boerenbusiness.nl

Land is a sought-after property, and very important for farmers. However, there are also many actors outside the agricultural sector for whom land is important, but there are quite a few farmers in the list of largest landowners.

However, the list of largest landowners below is disproportionate to the Dutch areas. However, it is the poor comfort for farmers in the Netherlands that the land price is nowhere higher than in the Netherlands.

These are the 5 biggest landowners in the world (2)

1. Roman Catholic Church: 70 million hectares

The largest landowner in the world is not a major oil magnate or a real estate investor. No, it's the Roman Catholic Church. According to lovemoney.com, the church owns more than 70 million hectares. An area that is larger than France. It is not just about agricultural land, but also about land in the most expensive locations in London, Paris and New York.

2. Gina Rinehart: 12 million hectares

If we have to appoint 1 person who has the most land in the world, we will end up with Gina Rinehart. She is the richest woman in Australia, and in 2012 she was the richest woman in the world. As a mining magnate, she has a huge amount of land in Australia and the United States (US). The land in her possession is used, among other things, for keeping cattle of the Wagyu breed. Her agricultural land portfolio has expanded considerably in recent years.

These are the 5 biggest landowners in the world (3)

3. Chinese dairy farmer: 9 million hectares

The largest agricultural landowner is the Chinese dairy farm 'Mudanjiang City Mega Farm', which is owned by Russian and Chinese owners. More than 9 million hectares belong to the company. This is a piece of land that is larger than Portugal and 100,000 cows are kept on the farm and around 800 million liters of milk are produced annually.

4. Australian Agricultural Company: 7 million hectares

The Australian Agricultural Company, Australia's oldest agricultural company, owns no less than 7 million hectares of land. This mainly concerns cattle farming. The largest shareholder in this company is the British Joe Lewis, the number 12 in the list of the richest people in the UK.

These are the 5 biggest landowners in the world (4)

5. Jumbuck Pastoral Company: 5.75 million hectares

The last one in this top 5 of the largest landowners is once again a large Australian farmer. Jumbuck Pastoral Company is owned by the MacLachlan family. The company is the largest producer of wool in Australia. Landowners in the US also have a huge amount of land; think of media magnate John Malone, who owns nearly 1 million hectares. The largest arable farm would be the Brazilian 'El Tejar', where almost 1.1 million hectares of soy and maize are grown. They are numbers that are far from the Dutch farmer. The areas of the largest arable farms in the Netherlands do not exceed 2,000 hectares.

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These are the 5 biggest landowners in the world (2024)

FAQs

Who are the biggest landowners in the world? ›

1. The Family Of Queen Elizabeth II Of Great Britain
  • The Family Of Queen Elizabeth II Of Great Britain.
  • The Catholic Church.
  • The Inuit People In Nanuvut, Northern Canada.
  • Gina Rinehart.
  • Farmland In China.
  • Joe Lewis And His Shareholders.
  • MacLachlan Family.
  • The Handbury Group.
Jan 19, 2023

Who is the biggest landlord in the world? ›

By far the world's largest non-governmental landowner, Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the British Commonwealth and therefore legal owner of around 2.7 billion hectares of land, as estimated by The New Statesman.

Who are the five largest landowners in the United States? ›

TOP TEN LARGEST PRIVATE LANDOWNERS
  • Emmerson family 2.411 million acres.
  • John Malone 2.2 million acres.
  • Ted Turner 2 million acres.
  • Reed family 1.661 million acres.
  • Stan Kroenke 1.627 million acres.
  • Irving family 1.267 million acres.
  • Buck family 1.236 million acres.
  • Singleton family 1.1 million acres.
Jan 9, 2023

Is the Catholic Church the largest landowner in the world? ›

Conclusion: The Catholic Church owns the most land, far more than McDonald's and billionaire Bill Gates. If you are concerned about environmental change, global warming and climate change, this massive player has been flying under the radar.

Who is the largest landowner in the country? ›

Billionaire John Malone has the title of the largest private land owner in the United States. His fortune was made in the media space, where he still today owns many media assets we all consume today. Currently the chairman and largest shareholder of Liberty Media, he also owns 28% of Discover Communications.

What is the name of large landowners? ›

Complete answer:

Option A: Large landowners were known as Vellalar.

Who is the largest landlord in the United States? ›

Who Is the Largest Landowner in the U.S.? The largest landowners in the United States are the Emmerson family, with 2,330,000 acres of land. Red Emmerson, the patriarch of the family, founded Sierra Pacific Industries in Anderson, CA.

Who is the biggest home owner in USA? ›

John Malone is the largest private landowner in the United States.

Who is the largest owner of homes in the US? ›

Invitation Homes Inc., the country's largest rental-home owner, on Wednesday disclosed a joint venture with Boston property investor Rockpoint Group LLC that will result in more than $1 billion for the landlord's ongoing house hunt.

Why is Bill Gates buying land in North Dakota? ›

(AP) – The North Dakota attorney general has found the sale of a couple thousand acres of prime farmland to a group tied to Bill Gates complies with a Depression-era law meant to protect family farms because the land is being leased back to farmers.

Who owns the most public land in the US? ›

The federal government owns about 640 million acres (2.6 million km2) of land in the United States, about 28% of the total land area of 2.27 billion acres (9.2 million km2).

What is the largest family owned ranch in the United States? ›

King Ranch, largest ranch in the United States, composed of a group of four tracts of land in southeastern Texas, totaling approximately 825,000 acres (333,800 hectares). The King Ranch was established by Richard King, a steamboat captain born in 1825 in Orange county, New York.

Does McDonald's own more land than the Catholic Church? ›

Conclusion: The Catholic Church owns the most land, far more than McDonald's and billionaire Bill Gates.

Does the LDS church own the most land in the US? ›

Utah-based faith has at least 1.7M acres valued at $16B, making it the nation's fifth largest private landowner.

How much of the world's wealth does the Catholic Church own? ›

Financial statements from 2021 show that the Institute for the Works of Religion, also known as the Vatican Bank, earned a net profit of 18.1 million euros and had a total of roughly 2.8 billion euros in assets, which amounts to more than $3 billion after adjusting for inflation.

Who is the second biggest landowner in the US? ›

J.D. Irving is the largest landowner in Maine and is the only industrial landowner with roughly 1.25 million acres. John Malone, the second-largest landowner in the U.S., owns 980,000 acres throughout the state as well.

What government owns the most land? ›

Nevada is the #1 state with the most land owned by the federal government. (Stacker) - The federal government owns 27.1% of all land in the United States, or 615.3 million of 2.27 billion acres. Federal lands are managed mostly for preservation, recreation, and the development of natural resources.

How much land does Russia own in the United States? ›

Total Land Area (million sq. miles)Cropland *
(million acres)
Canada United States3.8 3.6103 448
north america USSR7.4 8.6551 566

How many landowners are in the US? ›

In sum, 60-77 million owners hold the 1.3 billion acres of private land in 84-99 million parcels.

What is a landowner called? ›

Synonyms: owner, proprietor, freeholder, lessor More Synonyms of landowner.

Who were the largest landowners in Colonial America? ›

One of the wealthiest social positions in colonial America was held by large landowners called planters. These powerful men lived predominantly in the southern colonies and were usually well educated. They owned huge farms called plantations.

How much does Trump own in real estate? ›

According to Forbes, there were 33 licensing projects under development including seven "condo hotels" (the seven Trump International Hotel and Tower developments). Trump has generated more than $74 million in real estate licensing deals and has $823.3 million worth of real estate in joint ventures.

Who has the highest rent increase in the United States? ›

Top 5 states with the highest rent increase
State2021–2022 Rent change (%)
Florida22.59%
Tennessee18.61%
South Dakota18.41%
New York18.23%
1 more row
Oct 20, 2022

Who owns the most land in Florida? ›

Combined, the 10 companies own more than 5,000 square miles of Florida — roughly a tenth of the state's total land area.
...
Profiles of Florida's Top 10 Private Landowners
1. Plum Creek Timber6. Deseret Ranches of Florida
2. St. Joe Co.7. Mosaic
3. Foley Timber8. Bascom Southern
2 more rows
Apr 1, 2011

What is the richest house in America? ›

The $295 million mega-mansion, dubbed "The One," was built by ex-movie producer Nile Niami as the nation's largest and most expensive private residence.

Who bought the most expensive house in the US? ›

Marc Andreesen just set a record in California after he paid $177 million for a compound in Malibu, while Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong paid $133 million for a modern mansion, located near “The One” in Bel Air.

What is the largest mansion in the US? ›

#1 Biltmore Estate (Asheville, North Carolina): 175,000 square feet. The Biltmore Estate isn't just the largest privately owned house in the United States — it blows the competition out of the water.

Who owns the most apartments in the US? ›

Starwood Capital Group, which was the largest owner in 2022 with 115,000 units, is a private investment firm headquartered in Miami, Florida.
...
Leading apartment owners in the United States in 2022, by units owned.
CharacteristicUnits owned
--
12 more rows
Aug 23, 2022

What is the biggest private house in the world? ›

1. Istana Nurul Iman Palace – Brunei – 2.15 million square feet. What could the largest house in the world be if not a huge luxurious palace? The official residence of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, Istana Nurul Iman Palace is by far the world's biggest home with its 2.15 million square feet of space.

Who has the most expensive house? ›

The most expensive house in the world and the world's biggest house is Buckingham Palace, owned by the King Charles III, in right of the British Crown with an estimated value of $4.9 billion. Check out our guide to the world's most expensive houses to see other fancy houses and luxury mansions.

How many acres did China buy in North Dakota? ›

(The Center Square) – Grand Forks, North Dakota, will deny building permits to a Chinese-based food manufacturer that purchased land near an Air Force base, the mayor said Tuesday. Chinese food manufacturer Fufeng Group announced the purchase of 370 acres of land for a wet corn milling plant in 2021.

Why is Jeff Bezos buying farmland? ›

Key Points. Billionaires like Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos are buying farmland. Farmland not only acts as an inflation hedge but also a portfolio diversifier.

How much did Bill Gates pay for farmland in North Dakota? ›

You're looking into Bill Gates' Red River Trust purchase of 2,100 acres of land in northeastern North Dakota, formerly Campbell farms. The trust purchased it for $13.5 million.

What countries own the most US property? ›

Five countries accounted for approximately 62% of all foreign-owned U.S. agricultural land in 2021. As a share of all foreign-owned acres, these were Canada (31%, mostly forestland), the Netherlands (12%), Italy (7%), the United Kingdom (6%), and Germany (6%).

What percentage of the US owns land? ›

Federal land by state
[hide]Federal land ownership by state (as of 2018)
California45,493,13345.4%
Colorado24,100,24736.2%
Connecticut9,1100.3%
Delaware29,9182.4%
50 more rows

Can you buy land from the US government? ›

A: The answer is yes. Lands identified as excess to the Federal Government's needs or more suited to private ownership are sometimes offered for sale. The Federal Government has two major property categories which it makes available for sale: real property and public land.

What is the most expensive ranch in the US? ›

#1 Sandow Lakes Ranch, Texas | $250,000,000

Sandow Lakes Ranch covers 33,800 acres and is for sale at $250 million.

What US ranch has the most cattle? ›

Deseret Ranches

Deseret Ranches is one of the largest cattle ranches in the United State.

Who owns 6666 ranch? ›

Taylor Sheridan Now Owns the Legendary Texas Ranch That Inspired Yellowstone Spin-Off, 6666.

Which is the richest church in the world? ›

List of wealthiest religious organizations
OrganizationWorth (billion USD)Religion
Greek Orthodox974 (€700 billion)Christianity
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints100Christian
Sree Venkateswara Swamy Temple30.0Hinduism
Catholic Church in Germany26.0Christianity (Catholicism)
10 more rows

What is the richest entity in the world? ›

Corporations vs governments revenues: 2015 data for the top 30
RankTypeName
1GovernmentUnited States
2GovernmentChina
3GovernmentGermany
4GovernmentJapan
26 more rows

What company owns the most real estate in the US? ›

Coldwell Banker Real Estate

The largest real estate company in the USA is Coldwell Banker. Founded in 1906, Coldwell Banker has over 100 years of experience buying and selling homes that they share with the people they work for.

How much of Florida does LDS own? ›

The faith is now Florida's biggest landowner, controlling well above 2% of its landmass, including an enormous collection of pasturelands outside resort-rich Orlando called Deseret Ranches and a recently acquired expanse of hundreds of thousands of forested acres in the Panhandle. Click here for the full story.

Does the Mormon church own co*ke? ›

No, the Mormon church does not own the Coca-cola company.

Over 1,400 different groups and individuals own 64% of the shares of Coca-cola company.

Does the LDS Church own stock in Pepsi? ›

The fund didn't own stock in soda makers PepsiCo or Keurig Dr Pepper, either. Caffeinated sodas are not part of the church's health code, known as the Word of Wisdom.

What is the name of the richest pastor in the world? ›

Without a doubt, Kenneth Copeland is the richest pastor in the world right now. The Kenneth Copeland Ministries was founded by him.

How much money does the Pope have? ›

Though he presides over coffers that conservatively are worth at least $8 billion, Francis seems uninterested in spending, a radically different approach from most of his predecessors. He isn't anti-capitalist, but he emphasizes mindfulness in spending, whether personal or corporate.

How is Catholic Church so rich? ›

The Holy See is the governing body of the nation and generates money through donations; it then invests a portion of that money in stocks, bonds, and real estate. Vatican City generates revenue through museum admissions and the sale of coins, stamps, and publications.

Who privately owns the most land? ›

Emmerson Family

How much land does the Mormon Church own? ›

Across America, subsidiaries of the church reportedly hold 1m acres of agricultural land. This is thought to include land in Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah and Texas. Church companies are also thought to hold land outside the US, including in Canada and Brazil.

Who owns largest ranch in US? ›

It was notable for being the largest ranch within one fence in the United States. It was originally established in 1852 near Vernon, Texas, by Daniel Waggoner under the name of Dan Waggoner & Son; his son being William Thomas Waggoner.
...
Waggoner Ranch.
W. T. Waggoner Estate
OwnerStan Kroenke
Grounds510,527 acres
4 more rows

Who owned Alaska before the US? ›

Russia controlled most of the area that is now Alaska from the late 1700s until the mid-1800s, when the fur trade began to fail for ecological and commercial reasons, and Russia decided to focus its efforts to the east.

Can Americans buy Russian land? ›

According to Russian law, foreigners are usually allowed to purchase or rent property in Russia, but certain exceptions apply. Also, in order to be allowed to buy a property, the foreign citizen must hold a valid Russian resident permit.

What land did Russia sell to us? ›

Introduction. On March 30, 1867, the United States reached an agreement to purchase Alaska from Russia for a price of $7.2 million. The Treaty with Russia was negotiated and signed by Secretary of State William Seward and Russian Minister to the United States Edouard de Stoeckl.

Who owns a lot of land in America? ›

The Emmerson Family – 2.33 million acres. John Malone – 2.2 million acres. Reed Family – 2.1 million acres. Ted Turner – 2.0 million acres.

Who owns all of the land in the US? ›

Private individuals and corporations own about 60 percent of U.S. land while Federal, State, and local governments own the rest.

How much of Florida do the Mormons own? ›

The faith is now Florida's biggest landowner, controlling well above 2% of its landmass, including an enormous collection of pasturelands outside resort-rich Orlando called Deseret Ranches and a recently acquired expanse of hundreds of thousands of forested acres in the Panhandle. Click here for the full story.

What is the richest church? ›

List of wealthiest religious organizations
OrganizationWorth (billion USD)Religion
Greek Orthodox974 (€700 billion)Christianity
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints100Christian
Sree Venkateswara Swamy Temple30.0Hinduism
Catholic Church in Germany26.0Christianity (Catholicism)
10 more rows

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