this post was submitted on 28 Feb 2024

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

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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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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[–] [email protected] 143 points 8 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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[–] [email protected] 126 points 8 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.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 8 months ago

that's called staying a billionaire

[–] [email protected] 82 points 8 months ago (5 children)

He's buying farmland. Billionares are preparing to profit from the coming climate apocalypse by buying land and water. Marc Benioff isnt the only one. Hawaii is a great idea, niiiice and defensible. the future is gonna be fucking exciting folks, i cannot begin to tell you how terrified i am that we wont kill these fucking punks in time to save ourselves

[–] [email protected] 45 points 8 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.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago

Maybe he is a straw purchaser for Zuck.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 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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[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 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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[–] [email protected] 80 points 8 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?

[–] [email protected] 23 points 8 months ago

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

[–] [email protected] 56 points 8 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.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Zuck did the same on Kauai

[–] [email protected] 23 points 8 months ago (8 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 24 points 8 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.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago

Fuckerberg isn't liked by anyone.

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[–] [email protected] 48 points 8 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.

[–] [email protected] 46 points 8 months ago

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

[–] [email protected] 42 points 8 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 28 points 8 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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[–] [email protected] 38 points 8 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."

[–] [email protected] 28 points 8 months ago

Shout out to that NPR reporter for not being intimidated

[–] [email protected] 23 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Volcano lair, obviously.

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 8 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.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 8 months ago

New special sex island?

[–] [email protected] 17 points 8 months ago (3 children)

He is probably just jealous of Larry Ellison

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 8 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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[–] [email protected] 14 points 8 months ago

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

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago (1 children)

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