this post was submitted on 28 Feb 2024

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United States | News & Politics

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A tech billionaire is quietly buying up land in Hawaii. No one knows why (www.npr.org)

submitted 10 months ago by FirstCircle@lemmy.ml to c/usa@lemmy.ml

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Marc Benioff

He's the CEO and co-founder of San Francisco-based Salesforce, one of the world's largest software companies, which owns the popular messaging service Slack and is worth nearly $300 billion. He also owns Time magazine.

When I ask Benioff about the properties in the anonymous LLCs, things seem to take a turn. He starts speaking more quickly and fidgets with a piece of paper in his hand. He's reluctant to go through the holdings, and his adviser on the Zoom call jumps in to say we can discuss later.

A couple of days before the interview, Benioff texted the same NPR colleague again, asking for intel on my story. Then he called me and demanded to know the title of this piece. During that call, he also mentioned he knew the exact area where I was staying. Unnerved, I asked how he knew, and he said, "It's my job. You have a job and I have a job." During the interview, he brings up more personal details about me and my family.

I leave the meeting disconcerted and still unclear about what exactly is happening with his land in Waimea.

The following day, I drive around with a photographer to take pictures of the town and Benioff's projects. We go to the property he described as a community center and are confronted by one of his employees. The photographer explains we're there to take photos of the outside of the building. Shortly afterward, I get a text from Benioff. His employee seemed to think we were "snooping," and he says he's escalating the incident to NPR CEO John Lansing. Lansing confirmed he spoke with Benioff, without going into detail — the NPR newsroom operates independently, and the CEO is not involved in editorial decision-making. Benioff didn't respond to my question about the purpose of this call.

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[–] SinningStromgald@lemmy.world 143 points 10 months ago (81 children)

There Is No Such Thing As A Good Billionaire. Every billionaire is a cancerous tumor that needs to be removed from society.

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[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 120 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The real story is the stupid shit he pulled by trying to bully and intimidate a reporter and a news organization.

[–] MonsiuerPatEBrown@reddthat.com 39 points 10 months ago

that's called staying a billionaire

[+] the_post_of_tom_joad@sh.itjust.works 82 points 10 months ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (5 children)

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[–] TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee 45 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I think it's kinda crazy that him and zuck chose Hawaii for their doomsday bunker, especially considering they chose the same small island.

Hawaii may be defensible now, but climate change is going to make it a whole lot harder. Microenvironments like small islands are prone to systemic collapse when exposed to rapid changes.

I just don't really see how the benefits of isolation really overcome the negative effects of climate change will surely bring.

[–] MonsiuerPatEBrown@reddthat.com 10 points 10 months ago

Maybe he is a straw purchaser for Zuck.

[–] Illuminostro@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It's not safe from drones, bombers, and naval bombardment.

[–] DessertStorms@kbin.social 10 points 10 months ago (1 children)

What makes you think they don't/won't have anti-aircraft and anti missile defences? I'm pretty sure they don't plan on going down peacefully..

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[–] davel@lemmy.ml 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

One day Hawaii might become the next Taiwan.

Edit to add: By the lack of downvotes, I must not have been clear. I meant that, after the revolution, the surviving capitalist class would retreat to a “USA” consisting of only Hawaii. Much like the Republic of China now consists of only Taiwan.

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[–] Gork@lemm.ee 80 points 10 months ago (1 children)

During that call, he also mentioned he knew the exact area where I was staying. Unnerved, I asked how he knew, and he said, "It's my job. You have a job and I have a job."

So the tech CEO's job is... checks notes ...spying on journalists?

[–] Deceptichum@kbin.social 23 points 10 months ago

His job is trying to sound all tough and intimidating yet achieving nothing except making himself look even more pathetic.

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 56 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Are all of the properties connected? When Bill Gates built his house he used a bunch of shell companies to buy up all the lots that became his estate, so that the owners didn't realize there was a big project planned there by the richest man in the world and demand higher prices.

[–] Raiderkev@lemmy.world 17 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Zuck did the same on Kauai

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 23 points 10 months ago (8 children)

Unlimited money and still pulling shenanigans so that they don't have to pay it to other people.

[–] Raiderkev@lemmy.world 24 points 10 months ago (1 children)

What's worse is he bought the land that native Hawaiians got as their birthright, but said native Hawaiians were poor and desperate, so they sold it to him. They didn't know that they were selling to one of the richest people on the planet who could afford to pay them more. I don't think Zuck is well liked by the locals out there.

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 15 points 10 months ago

Fuckerberg isn't liked by anyone.

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[–] MrFappy@lemmy.world 48 points 10 months ago (1 children)

So this guy is going full Bond villain and no one but this reporter is calling him on it, got it.

[–] Rookwood@lemmy.world 46 points 10 months ago

And he's trying to intimidate the reporter by threatening her family and her job.

[–] gibmiser@lemmy.world 42 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Gee, way to not act suspicious. Guess he is all in on intimidation as a means of control.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 28 points 10 months ago (1 children)

You act like this wouldn't work on literally every other major media outlet besides NPR...

The billionaire club is a small club, we're not in it and they don't give a single fuck about all of us out together.

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[–] pingveno@lemmy.ml 36 points 10 months ago

Just what the people of Hawaii need, another rich person snatching up precious land on an island that already has a high cost of living.

CEO is not involved in editorial decision-making

Heh, I love it when a rich idiot gets shut down by some good ol' journalistic ethics. "No, you are not special, Mr. Benioff."

[–] Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social 28 points 10 months ago

Shout out to that NPR reporter for not being intimidated

[–] Red_October@lemmy.world 23 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Volcano lair, obviously.

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[–] Madison420@lemmy.world 21 points 10 months ago

Isn't this super obvious, he's going to try to buy the island wholesale make it private and declare tacit sovereignity like he's a dole or some shit.

[–] UraniumBlazer@lemm.ee 21 points 10 months ago

New special sex island?

[–] tempest@lemmy.ca 17 points 10 months ago (3 children)

He is probably just jealous of Larry Ellison

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[–] ehrik@lemmy.world 14 points 10 months ago

Man is he the reason Salesforce has a weird "Hawaiian" theme in their offices.

[–] CableMonster@lemmy.ml 12 points 10 months ago (5 children)

Might be worried about domestic conflict, I am, and I think everyone should be pretty concerned about the end of this year.

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[–] athos77@kbin.social 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Doomsday bunker, there, I solved it!

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[–] Blackout@kbin.social 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Rich people just doing what they always done. Kick indigenous peoples off their land and give them STDs.

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