Half a billion? That's all? Any owner financing?

the whole island to be bought by one person in the first place? Seems like a bad idea for Hawaii. Is Molokai next?

in the monarchic era.

The district of Wai'anae, comprising most of the west side of O'ahu, was under single ownership into the 1950s. And much of the interior of Hawai'i island (Big Island) is still privately owned, as the Parker Ranch.

that's the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, (the acronym 'oha means the shoot of the taro plant), which is funded by the lease money from all the ceded lands throughout the state.

Hell, Kamehameha Schools (please don't call it Bishop Estate) keeps that much in checking, too.

And would definitely protect the residents' livelihoods and not ruin the vistas.

But, alas, I don't have $500,000.

If I wrote something else, it was a typo.

then DONATE IT to the people of Hawaii.

and throw the bum out.

And whats so bad about wind turbines?

Seems like a win-win, free power and not all that
stinking oil being burned for power.

people have a damn good right to be nimbys.

That West Texas oil desert, not so much.

Can't let those tourists who flew a few thousand miles and are now prowling around the island in 15 mpg land rovers see a wind turbine, now can we? That'd just be tragic.

By the way did you know that most of Lanai is, in fact, very similar to the West Texas desert?




Comes from being an eroded volcanic massif where the only source of water is rainfall.

and the power is to be exported to O'ahu.

http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/la-fi-ellison-buying-lanai-20120622,0,3027419.story

What goes around, comes around...

Seriously? This is a no-brainer. The Federal Government ought to buy it in an extremely "hostile takeover" action and create a national park of all undeveloped land.

Hmmm. May need to hit an ATM, first.

I can't believe that 98 percent of it is privately owned.

apparently he was under the impression that it was 100% privately owned. Imagine his surprise when paparazzi showed up along the state highways, etc.

Tech billionaire Larry Ellison, already well-known for his extravagance, will soon own another exotic trophy — a Hawaiian island.

Ellison, the founder of Oracle Corp., has agreed to buy 98% of the island of Lanai from David Murdock, a Los Angeles billionaire who controls Dole Food Co. and many other businesses under Castle & Cooke Inc.

Lanai, the sixth-largest Hawaiian island at 141 square miles, was once a pineapple plantation and is still sparsely inhabited. According to documents filed with Hawaii's Public Utilities Commission, the purchase will include two resort hotels and two golf courses with clubhouses.

The sale price has not been disclosed, but local observers value the deal at more than $500 million. That's a large real estate transaction by any standard, though not earth-shattering in the realm of trades among wealthy investors.

Read the rest at: http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/la-fi-ellison-buying-lanai-20120622,0,3027419.story

I gotta check him out.
Is he a greenie?
Be cool if he was.