· stories · 1 min read
Real Estate Billionaires Who Control the West
A new generation of billionaires is reshaping the American West through enormous land acquisitions. Two major articles map out who owns what.
The Map Is Not the Territory
When examining maps of the western United States, one often wonders about the stories behind them. How were such massive ranches assembled? What circumstances led to private properties surrounded by millions of acres of public land?
As noted by Farnam Street: “The map of reality is not reality. Even the best maps are imperfect. A map can also be a snapshot of a point in time, representing something that no longer exists.”
Real Estate Billionaires
Two major publications have explored this topic:
- The New York Times, “Who Gets to Control the West: A New Group of Billionaires Is Shaking Up the Landscape”
- Business Insider, “The 20 Biggest Landowners in America”
These articles detail how wealthy individuals are acquiring significant western land holdings and reshaping the landscape through their acquisitions.
