"Why are you buying up so much farmland, do you think this is a problem with billionaire wealth and how much you can disproportionally acquire?" The $13.5 million sale in November of roughly 2,100 acres in the northeast corner of the state was first sleuthed and reported by AgWeek's Mikkel Pates earlier this month. Who owns the most property in Detroit Michigan? By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider He also reportedly owns about 16,000. Hes also written about the need for more ways to produce meat without depleting environmental resources. During times of uncertainty, people often look for someone to blame, and peddlers of misinformation are quick to tell others at whom they should be pointing their fingers. There were 895.3 million acres of farmland in America in 2021, according to a 2022 reportfrom the Department of Agriculture. At about $6,000 per acre, the potato farm cost roughly half of what Gates reportedly spent on highly coveted soil closer to his home in Washington. While viral conspiracy theories baselessly conjecture that Gates is buying up farmland in order to starve Americans for some unknown reason, there's likely a simpler explanation: Gates makes money off this land. North Dakota officials have questions and residents are furious about a major land grab by a trust linked to billionaire and anti-meat zealot Bill Gates, the nation's biggest owner of farmland. Satellites are on balloons and not in space.. Merged from the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation quickly became the largest private foundation in history. Trump killed them., The Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl win has been put on hold as NFL plans to launch an investigation on possible (performance-enhancing drug) use by Patrick Mahomes during halftime.. Bill Gates does not own the majority of U.S. farmland. Distance from Michigan to Detroit The shortest route between Michigan and Detroit is, Michigan law is absolutely clear that an adult over the age of 21 shall not sell or furnish alcohol to a minor. But the fact remains, as the Daily Mail notes, Gates computer "nerd" and . The tide began to shift in the early 2000s, when institutional investors began to give farmland a closer look. The figure is far below the total area of U.S. farmland. A Grimmway Farms employee moves a water pipe at one of their carrot farms in the Antelope Valley. Donald Trump is back on Twitter, thanks to Elon Musk. It has been very fulfilling for me and is my full time job," Gates continued. Well, as with everything in life, there is always a trade-off especially in finance. Why doesnt everyone just invest in farmland then? Digital IDs were given to residents in East Palestine, Ohio, to track long term health problems like difficulty breathing before the Feb. 3 train derailment. In fact, in June of 2022 he secured an additional 2,100 acres of farmland in North Dakota for roughly $13.5 million. By divesting his personal wealth from his own thriving tech company, and diversifying into myriads of other non-tech based businesses, he was not only exceptionally protected against the tech crash of 2000, but made out like a bandit. Valuations of equities (stocks) are at all time highs, similar to the dot-com bubble. How old do you have to be to strip? One main benefit to alt assets especially for those whore heavily invested in the stock market is you can diversify your overall investment portfolio outside the NYSE/NASDAQ. Bill Gates owns a minimum of 242,000 acres of U.S. farmland in Washington, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, California and multiple other states. Table of Contents show Deals are highly vetted with around a 1% acceptance rate, You pick and choose what specific farms you want to invest in, Investors do not have access to a secondary market yet, so you should be familiar with the time horizon. Gates has a big vision for all that land, but unfortunately it doesn't involve organic, biodynamic or regenerative farming methods, which are needed to heal ecosystems and produce truly sustainable, nourishing food for future generations Bill Gates and conspiracy theories go together like peanut butter and jelly. According to lovemoney.com, the church owns more than 70 million hectares. Those people are upset, but there are others that are just livid about this.. 2022. RELATED: What Bill Gates has to do with livestock, lab-grown meat, RELATED: Eggflation? Thus, in Gates mind, its extremely important to help empower these developing peoples before that year comes to fruition. Either that or I had a screw loose. Some experts have pointed to Gatess well-known sustainability and green tech initiatives as a possible reason, but during an earlier Reddit AMA in 2021, Gates said, my investment group chose to do this. It is not connected to climate. This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Why Bill Gates Is Investing In Chicken-Less Eggs, Memphis Meats raised $161 million to grow meat from cells, Bill Gates and Richard Branson backed a food startup which grows meat in labs, How Beyond Meat became a $550 million brand, winning over meat-eaters with a vegan burger that bleeds', Bill Gates headlines an all-star list of investors pumping $75 million into meatless burgers, How Impossible Burgers simple vision won hundreds of millions in funding and backing from Bill Gates. Corn production is concentrated in the Lower Peninsula with Saginaw and Lenawee counties as Michigans largest producers. Accessed 28 Apr. Bill Gates is America's biggest farmer, his 269000 acres farmland grows potatoes and carrots Gates has farmlands in Louisiana, Nebraska, Georgia and other areas. It is not connected to climate. Thats because the old adage goes: Buy landthey arent making it anymore. (Which volcanologists know isnt exactly true, but you get the idea). Amazing, if truebut its extremely not. "I've gotten a big earful on this from clear across the state, it's not even from that neighborhood," Doug Goehring, the state's agricultural commissioner, told a local NBC affiliate this week. According to Mother Jones, the average price of farmland increased six times from 1940 to 2015, and the trend is likely to continue as the amount of arable land in the U.S. continues to shrink from climate-related pressures. Will Bill Gatess green tech initiatives ever intersect with his growing agricultural empire? Gates and his investment team own more than 240,000 acres, as reported by O'Keefe, including 2,167 acres in Michigan. Gates started purchasing farmland circa 2013 through his investment group, Cascade Investments. What Bill Gates has to do with livestock, lab-grown meat, Eggflation? Who knows. False. The Agriculture Department has said the avian flu outbreak in the U.S. is the main contributor to low inventory and high prices. Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda have amassed the largest portfolio of private farmland in the US, according to The Land Report. Where Does Bill Gates Own Farmland in the US. 54. The explanation offered by conspiracy theorists for this untrue claim was that these fires were being intentionally set in order to create a food crisis. Perhaps history is repeating itself? What Land Does Bill Gates Own In Michigan? An ingredient in some of Chick-fil-As dipping sauces can cause serious health problems. Gates does own a lot of farmland. Gates also owned up to the various failures in their initiatives, and admitted that they try their best to leverage the expertise and wisdom from the community leaders present in the areas they aid. The Land Report found in 2021 that the Gateses had 242,000 acres of farmland, 1,234 acres of recreational land, and 25,750 acres of land in transition from farmland to residential and commercial use (think suburban development). Also, because youre investing in the land itself, your investment not only is quite resistant to depreciation, but also provides some solid tax benefits due to be land ownership. 33701 Gates believes that subsistence farmers and impoverished peoples will be among the most affected by climate change. F' off Gates! The Consumer Price Index shows chicken prices, including fresh whole chicken and fresh or frozen chicken parts, have increased 11% over the last year. . The North Dakota purchase would put those total holdings at more than 270,000 acres, though it's not clear how the property is being divided following Gates and French Gates' divorce last year. While Gates has spent billions investing in agricultural properties to make them more productive, a growing number of retail investors are getting a piece of the real estate market with as little as $100 through companies backed by high-profile investors like Jeff Bezos. Returns from farmland have actually outpaced the stock market in recent years with significantly less volatility. 1 landowner in the U.S. is billionaire John Malone, the chairman of Liberty Media, who tops . Agriculture and the National Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, in the United States there are 362,315,055 hectares of farmland. In 2018, Michigan produced 297 million bushels of corn grain, worth $1 billion. Bill Gates reportedly owns more farmland than anyone else in the United States. Conservatives are vowing to never drink Heineken again after it was recently revealed that billionaire Bill Gates acquired a minority stake in the popular brewing company. Official govt docs expose Michelle Obamas 14 year history as a man., "Woody Harrelsons 60 seconds in the middle of his monologue was cut out of the edits released after the show., BREAKING Trump preps Marines to stop presidential coup.. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is focused partly on agricultural development to support farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. FPI is internally managed and the company owns farms in 16 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi,. In April 2022, researchers warned about the potential risk of a global food shortage, spurred on in part by Russia's ongoing attacks on Ukraine. In a March 2021 "Ask Me Anything" session on Reddit, Gates was asked why he had purchased so much farmland. Owning farmland is one of the most prudent financial investments to make now. Who owns the most farmland in the world? However, the Gates Foundation has been largely transparent at every level of their operations from their objectives, means, successes, and failures. What Returns Should You Expect From Farmland Investing? Which Billionaire Owns The Most Land In The U.S.? Climate Connection. So why does Bill Gates, and other billionaires like him, keep buying up so much farmland? Over time, Gates sold personal stock in Microsoft and reinvested it through Cascade Investment. What does Weyerhaeuser have to do with Michigan? It is unclear how cheap biofuels can be but if they are cheap it can solve the aviation and truck emissions.". Over the last decade, Bill Gates has invested in multiple companies, including Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, that develop plant-based meat alternatives. Social media post scrambles the facts on high egg prices," Jan. 13, 2023, Various searches on Google and Nexis, accessed Jan. 24, 2023, The Land Report, "Farmer Bill," Jan. 11, 2021, The Land Report, "Bill Gates is About to Change the Way America Farms," Winter 2020 magazine issue, The Land Report 100, Winter 2021 magazine issue, The Land Report 100, Winter 2022 magazine issue, Email exchange, Eric OKeefe, editor, The Land Report, Jan. 23, 2023, Email exchange, Gates Ventures, Jan. 24, 2023, GatesNotes, "Future of food," March 18, 2013, GatesNotes, "What the plow and lab-grown meat tell us about innovation," Feb. 27, 2019, GatesNotes, "Is there enough meat for everyone?," April 21, 2015, GatesNotes, "Why I would raise chickens," June 7, 2016, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Consumer Price Index," Jan. 12, 2023, U.S. Department of Agriculture, "Avian influenza outbreaks reduced egg production, driving prices to record highs in 2022," Jan. 11, 2023, U.S. Department of Agriculture, "2022-2023 Confirmations of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Commercial and Backyard Flocks," Jan. 18, 2023, U.S. Department of Agriculture, "Avian Influenza," Jan. 18, 2023, U.S. Department of Agriculture, "Farms and Land in Farms, 2021 Summary," February 2022, Reddit, Bill Gates Ask Me Anything, March 19, 2021, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, "Agricultural Development," accessed Jan. 24, 2023, Associated Press, "Bill Gates owns a lot of American farmland, but not the majority," May 2, 2022, Vox, "The controversy over Bill Gates becoming the largest private farmland owner in the US," June 11, 2021, NBC News, "McDonald's french fries, carrots, onions: all of the foods that come from Bill Gates farmland," June 8, 2021, Reuters, "Fact Check-Bill Gates doesnt own most U.S. farmland; BlackRock doesnt own most houses," May 5, 2022, CNBC, "Bill Gates and Richard Branson are betting lab-grown meat might be the food of the future," March 23, 2018, CNBC, "Bill Gates bets on growing demand for sustainable foods," May 14, 2015, Bloomberg News, "Lab-Grown Meat Backed by Gates, Tyson Foods Faces U.S. While private companies and corporations are increasing . In addition, the law places certain limitations on the ability of trusts to own farmland or ranchland, the letter said. Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates owns a majority of America's farmland. Though the Gates Foundation has spent so much time and resources on helping humanity more than any other private entity in history the sheer power their enterprise wields has drawn the attention and fear of many. The portion of land that isn't owned by farmers varies widely regionally; in some areas, almost 80 percent of agricultural land is held by non-operators. In addition to farmland, the Gates' portfolio includes numerous public investments, the Gates Foundation, a major stake in the Four Seasons Hotel, and much more. One of the most prevalent claims related to Gates and the potential for food shortages is that the billionaire owns a suspicious amount of farmland in the United States. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Gates' 242,000 acres amounts to about 0.03% of the total. Reuters traced the figure cited by social media posts as the number of acres owned by Bill Gates to The Land Report, which reports on major land ownership in the United States. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. In 2016, he wrote on his blog about the benefits of raising chickens, particularly for people living in poverty. By divesting his personal wealth from his own thriving tech company, and diversifying into myriads of other non-tech based businesses, Merged from the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation quickly became. While Gates is still the top farmland owner in the U.S., not all of the property he owns is farmland. Pregnancy tests include a hidden Plan B pill. Follow him on Twitter@LucasNolanor contact via secure email at the addresslucasnolan@protonmail.com, EconomyPoliticsTechBill GatesFarmersfarmlandNorth Dakota. According to The Land Report, the Microsoft co-founder owns farmland across 18 states, with the largest holdings being in Louisiana (69,071 acres), Arkansas (47,927 acres) and Nebraska (20,588. No one but Bill Gates knows that answer. The report states that Gates has 70,000 acres of land in North Louisiana where they grow soybeans, corn, cotton. Although Gates owns these farms, he isnt changing their practices. Toxic chemicals known as PFAS, or per- and, 2 hours, 2 minutes. Bill Gates purchase of a large patch of land in North Dakota has sparked fury and conspiracy theories on social media after the Microsoft billionaire secured legal approval to purchase the 2,100 acres of farmland in the state last week. Nancy Pelosi (purchased) 10,000 shares of Amgen, manufacturer of Nplate, a drug used to treat radiation sickness.. He has also written on his personal blog about the future of food, the increasing demand for meat as the global population rises and the environmental effects of livestock farming. Bill Gates Chicken nuggets and cream cheese grow in trays in a South Side lab. Why am I just learning about this NOW?. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Should we be worried about a tech giant like Bill Gates amassing this wild amount of land? Claims online that billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates owns the majority of U.S. farmland and that BlackRock, the worlds largest asset manager, owns the majority of U.S. single-family houses are factually inaccurate, according to industry data and spokespeople for Gates and BlackRock. Gates is not the only billionaire on The Land Report 's list of top private farmland owners. It has also funded myriad research facilities and humanitarian operations, focusing on overcoming diseases, climate change, agricultural research, and health and nutrition in underdeveloped areas. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops delivered daily to your inbox. His 242,000 acres of farmland stretch across 18 states from Washington to Florida,. Microsoft founder and billionaire turned philanthropist Bill Gates recently laid the long-time conspiracy theory that he owns some 80% of all U.S. farmland to rest in his 11th appearance in an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit. How long is it from Michigan to Detroit? Purchasing your own farm outright means that you are not diversified across many farms; just 1. Bill Gates is buying up the majority of American farmland and BlackRock is buying the majority of single-family houses but I'm supposed to believe the biggest threat to us is Elon Musk buying Twitter? one Twitter user wrote (here). What Asset Class Is Farmland Considered To Be? In his annual Reddit Ask Me Anything session on Wednesday, Gates was asked why he has made all of his farmland purchases. In their 2018 annual letter, the Gates Foundation answers the top ten questions they received, and they admitted that they didnt think it was fair that their family had so much global influence. KX News' Josh Meny sat down with Vogel who says the Attorney General's office is impeding her investigation into the purchase. With all of this recent farmland accumulation, one might think Gates is using this land to research these gene edited super seeds. Although nowhere near 80 percent of U.S. farmland, its still a little more than one-third of the state of Rhode Island, a surprising amount for one person and enough to make Gates the largest landowner in the U.S. Thetech billionaire owns69,071 acres inLouisiana,47,927 acres inArkansas, and 20,588 acres inNebraska. While private companies and corporations are increasing their ownership of U.S. homes, BlackRock, through its investments, does not own a majority of single-family homes.