Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has come under fire for his latest project, a £212million fortress-like compound he is building on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The 39-year-old tech billionaire’s venture, dubbed “Koolau Ranch,” has been met with backlash from local residents, who accuse him of colonizing their island and trampling over ancient indigenous property rights.
The sprawling compound, which is already under construction, will include two mansions, more than a dozen guesthouses, and even an entire village of treehouses connected by rope bridges. But perhaps the most controversial aspect of the project is the massive underground bunker, complete with blast-proof doors and a concrete-filled metal entrance, which has raised concerns about Zuckerberg’s obsession with privacy and survivalist mentality.
The billionaire’s spokesperson has refused to comment on the project’s size or its similarities to a disaster-survival bunker. However, according to plans submitted to Hawaiian planning authorities, the compound will also feature a state-of-the-art surveillance system and multiple interior doors operated by keypads.
The construction of such a massive and heavily secured estate has sparked outrage among locals, who say it has destroyed their idyllic views and disrupted the once-laidback atmosphere of the island. Visitors to the beach near Zuckerberg’s property now have to contend with being watched from “guard huts” dotted along the edge of his land, leading some to say it feels like a prison camp.
But the building project hasn’t just angered residents, it has also caused divisions within the community. The land for Zuckerberg’s compound was purchased from several small parcels that had been passed down through generations of islanders, and some say the billionaire’s arrival has sparked a new wave of land-grabbing and lawsuits.
According to the Zuckerbergs, their decision to buy a home on Kauai was inspired by their love for the island and its community. However, the couple’s actions have been called into question after they sued hundreds of Hawaiians who may have a claim to parts of the estate. The lawsuits were eventually dropped, but the damage was done, and many in the community no longer view the couple’s generous donations as genuine gestures of goodwill.
Critics also point out the irony of the Facebook boss’s fiercely guarded privacy, given that his company’s primary source of revenue is through exploiting users’ personal information. And while Zuckerberg insists the project is for his family’s home, it is just one of ten properties the couple reportedly own, raising further questions about the size and secrecy surrounding the compound.
Other tech billionaires have also been acquiring property on the island, with Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, AI guru Sam Altman, and Oracle’s Larry Ellison all owning multi-million dollar homes. But for those who call Kauai home, this influx of Silicon Valley billionaires seeking refuge in their secluded paradise raises concerns about the impact on their way of life.
Zuckerberg’s efforts to turn a remote corner of Hawaii into his personal fortress may have come at the cost of destroying the very thing that drew him to the island in the first place. And as locals continue to fight against the billionaire’s project, it remains to be seen how the battle between tech wealth and traditional island life will unfold.
