It’s not clear exactly how much land Gates privately owns, but it’s a lot. And it’s true that he’s now the top private farmland holder in the country. While it sounds alarming that one person could own nearly a quarter of a million acres of farmland, whatever acreage Gates holds is a fraction of the 911 million acres of farmland in the lower 48 states. Gates’ first acknowledgment of his farmland purchases came in a Reddit AMA in March 2021. Ultimately, Gates’ land purchases represent a solid way to grow his private holdings, as multiple investment experts told Yahoo in 2021.

Source: The Guardian April 21, 2022 15:30 UTC