Since 2000, Marc Benioff and his wife bought 600 plus acres in Hawaii, only to donate 440 acres

Benioff had been buying property in Hawaii for years, but his focus changed after the pandemic began (Bloomberg photo) Since 2000, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and his wife, Lynne Benioff, have bought more than 600 acres of land in Hawaii worth nearly $100 million. Much of the land is in and around Waimea, a rural agricultural town on Hawaii’s Big IslandThe land buying increased after 2020, when the couple began purchasing residential, commercial and agricultural properties in Waimea. KQED found that Benioff had bought at least 38 parcels through six anonymous limited liability companies, or LLCs, and one nonprofit. The properties included more than 580 acres in Waimea and about 25 acres at beach resorts.The purchases attracted attention because Waimea has a close-knit community and a large Native Hawaiian population. Residents worried that wealthy buyers purchasing large amounts of land could increase competition for property and make it harder for local people to afford homes.The uncertainty also led to speculation about Benioff’s plans. Some residents believed he could be preparing a Salesforce facility or bringing engineers to the area, while others thought the purchases were co...