A recent purchase of 2,100 acres of prime North Dakota farmland by a group tied to billionaire Bill Gates has some in the state concerned that they are being exploited by the ultra-wealthy.
Gates owns some 269,000 acres across dozens of states, according to last year’s edition of the Land Report 100, an annual survey of the nation’s largest landowners. The Microsoft co-founder is considered to be the largest private owner of farmland in U.S. He owns less than 1% of the nation’s total farmland.
In question is a Depression-era law meant to protect family farms.
North Dakota’s attorney general has asked the trust involved in the purchase to explain how it plans to use the land in order to meet rules outlined in the state’s anti-corporate farming law.
The law prohibits all corporations or limited liability companies from owning or leasing farmland or ranchland, with some exceptions.
“I don’t know that it’s quite as volatile a situation as some have depicted,” North Dakota Republican Attorney General Drew Wrigley told The Associated Press Thursday. “It’s taken off, it’s all over the planet, but it’s not me sticking a finger in the eye of Bill Gates. That’s not what this is.”
The state’s Agriculture Commissioner, Republican Doug Goehring, told a North Dakota TV station that some residents feel they are being exploited by the ultra-rich who buy land but do not necessarily share the state’s values.
“I’ve gotten a big earful on this from clear across the state, it’s not even from that neighborhood. Those people are upset, but there are others that are just livid about this,” Goehring told KFYR.
Goehring, who is currently on a state-sponsored trade mission to the United Kingdom, did not immediately respond to a list of questions emailed by the AP.
Charles V. Zehren, a spokesman for Gates’ investment firm, declined Thursday to comment to the AP.
It is standard for the attorney general’s office to send an inquiry when notified of farmland sales.
Original Article: Purchase of prime North Dakota farmland tied to Bill Gates sparks outrage
what the does this psycho pervert doing with all that land, trying to make sure we don’t have enough land for crops and grazing. He wants us to eat shoe leather and crickets. Please somebody find an island large enough to put these demented psychos on and leave them there to eat bugs and cocoanuts.
Warehouses are Chinese king which is financing the Republicans. I am not shocked.
Control the food, control the people! That’s including other suppliers in our country. We hire these people to run our AMERICA. Shame on us!!!!
Bill Gates can buy land just as the rest of us do. Whatever makes you think keeping it away from the rest of us. It is better he buy it then China. He is no longer big TECH he is just another citizen as we all are. Every time someone with money does something it is not always are business besides I do like what he is doing for others what are you doing?
Please research and find out WHY he is buying land! It is not for your benefit or our country. He is a traitor and wants to control what we eat.
You likely grew up on small farm locked in the outhouse
When not for business billionaires are largely spending hedonistically
You like what he was doing exploiting girls with and without Epstein?
Unlock out house and get some fresh air to clear your head
I do understand your intent but he is a mediocre example for your remarks
He would not hide many thousands of acres behind many walls of obscure legal entities if he was all Mr wonderful 100%
You likely grew up on small farm locked in the outhouse
When not for business billionaires are largely spending hedonistically
You like what he was doing exploiting girls with and without Epstein?
Unlock out house and get some fresh air to clear your head
I do understand your intent but he is a mediocre example for your remarks
He would not hide many thousands of acres behind many walls of obscure legal entities if he was all Mr wonderful 100%
Bill Gates has to have land to grow stuff for his fake meat he wants to shove down our throats.
A starting point would be for Federal and State laws to disqualify any ag land tied to billionaires from receiving any form of tax write off or subsidies or grants
Tax payers with $50,000 income and modest net worth should not pay taxes for billionaires to take ownership of USA and planet— this should be no brainer
Rich land owners should be obligated to pay carbon taxes to save world since they are too greedy to conserve anything unless forced
Gates should be barred from buying anything until Microsoft architecture radically improved to work as it could and not made to spy on pc owners as well
He brilliant for leaving Microsoft
Ex wife brilliant for leaving Bill
If there is a law forbidding purchasing farmland by corporate Byers, how was this sale authorized??Doesnt the realtor know the law???