Mark Zuckerberg is taking over Hawaii: This is the huge complex he’s building and what the reasons behind it might be
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been hoovering up large tracks of land on the Hawaiian island of Kauai and building a massive compound there.
Mark Zuckerberg, the 41-year-old CEO of Meta and one of the wealthiest men on the planet, is quietly reshaping a corner of Hawaii. With an estimated net worth topping $125 billion, according to Forbes, Zuckerberg already controls Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Now, he’s turning his attention to the island of Kauai — and what he’s building there is raising eyebrows.
Reports confirm that Zuckerberg is constructing an expansive compound that includes a fortified underground bunker. The project, cloaked in secrecy, has fueled speculation among locals, many of whom feel that the tech mogul is effectively “taking over” the island.
What Zuckerberg is building on Kauai
The site reportedly includes 12 separate structures, among them two massive mansions featuring more than 30 bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as office spaces and conference rooms. Connecting these buildings are underground tunnels, one of which leads to a 5,000-square-foot shelter reinforced with concrete and steel.
Luxury, of course, is part of the plan. The compound will also feature swimming pools, gyms, jacuzzis, saunas, and even sports courts — amenities befitting one of the world’s richest men.
Why the secrecy?
To keep details under wraps, Zuckerberg’s team has required workers to sign strict non-disclosure agreements. Still, some information has surfaced thanks to an investigation by Wired.
One Kauai County Council member told the magazine that Zuckerberg has donated nearly $20 million to local organizations — a move critics suggest is designed to ease resistance to his ambitious project.
@wired With the new buildings and new land, Mark Zuckerberg’s total investment in his compound now exceeds the entirety of the $311 million Fiscal Year 2024 Kauai operating expenses budget. This dramatic influx of wealth leads to inevitable changes to the community. On one hand, Zuckerberg has given millions to local nonprofits, including recent donations to build a charter school near his compound and an affordable housing non-profit. His construction projects provide good-paying jobs. But there remains a lot of skepticism toward the recent trend of billionaires buying up Hawaiian lands. As more of the defunct sugarcane plantations that own huge slices of Hawaiian land begin offloading their assets, more new money billionaires have been buying in. In 2012, then Oracle CEO Larry Ellison bought almost the entirety of the smaller island of Lanai for $300 million, which he has been developing into a luxury resort destination. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former TV presenter and businesswoman Oprah Winfrey both have outposts on Maui. And Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has been secretly buying up large swaths of the Big Island for unclear purposes. Billionaires pay top dollar, driving up property values. Driven partially by an influx of wealthy mainlanders during the Covid-19 pandemic, Hawaii housing prices have skyrocketed even more recently, leaving home ownership out of reach for local renters. “If our island has any hope of remaining Hawaii this kind of activity has got to stop,” professor of Native Hawaiian studies at the Kauai Community College Puali‘i Rossi tells WIRED, when we mention the new Zuckerberg land buy. “Eventually Hawaii isn’t going to look like Hawaii anymore—it’s going to be a resort community. Are we really thinking about 100 years from now, what this island is going to look like?” In a statement to WIRED, Zuckerberg representative Brandi Hoffine Barr said: “Mark and Priscilla continue to make a home for their family and grow their ranching, farming, and conservation efforts at Ko'olau Ranch.”
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Why locals are uneasy
Kauai, with a population of just 73,000, is known for its natural beauty and tight-knit communities. Residents worry that Zuckerberg’s massive development could alter the island’s culture and landscape. Some see the billionaire’s project as a show of unchecked power, a private fortress built in paradise while locals struggle with rising housing costs and limited resources.
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