The Land Report

History

Land Report 100

The Land Report 100 is an annual ranking of America's leading landowners and the magazine's signature study. It is regularly cited by U.S. and international media in articles that cover leading American landowners. The inaugural Land Report 100 was published in April 2007. More recently, the Land Report 100 has been published in the magazine's winter issue.

In the 2020 Land Report 100, Eric O’Keefe broke the story of Bill Gates's ownership of 242,000 acres of farmland, an amount that ranked first in the United States among private landowners. Overall, Gates ranked No. 43 on the 2025 Land Report 100.

The 2021 Land Report 100 featured an in-depth interview with Red Emmerson, the founder and chairman emeritus of Sierra Pacific Industries. Thanks to the Emmersons' 2.4 million acres of timberland holdings in California, Oregon, and Washington, the family ranks as America's leading private landowners ahead of John Malone's 2.2 million acres and Ted Turner's 2 million acres.

Deals of the Year

Each year in its spring issue, The Land Report recognizes a single landmark transaction as the Land Report Deal of the Year. Additional transactions highlighting farmland, ranchland, timberland, and other land types are also featured. Examples of Deals of the Year include Florida's Bluffs of Saint Teresa, Utah's Wasatch Peak Ranch, California's Dangermond Preserve, and Texas's Waggoner Ranch.

Best Brokerages

The Land Report annually surveys US land brokerages to ascertain the total value of self-reported domestic land sales through traditional brokerage. The totals exclude commercial, industrial, and residential assets, unless those assets were a component of a more valuable land asset. The magazine’s Top Auction Houses survey, which also runs annually in the spring issue, features summaries of the total value of self-reported domestic land sales by leading US auction houses.

References

References

1. (May 2007). "Tom Brokaw: The Land Report Interview".
2. (15 September 2019). "Clint Eastwood".
3. (15 February 2022). "Red Emmerson Becomes America's Largest Landowner".
4. (11 January 2021). "Bill Gates: America's Top Farmland Owner".
5. (2 January 2024). "Drew Bledsoe Vintner Extraordinaire".
6. (30 March 2011). "Joe Montana: The Land Report Interview".
7. "Jake Paul Scores a Knockout Land Deal". The Land Report.
8. (October 2008). "Pickens Plan to develop wind energy a win for Landowners".
9. (25 October 2010). "Nolan Ryan Pitches the Perfect Investing Game".
10. (15 June 2022). "Taylor Sheridan Takes the Reins at the Four Sixes".
11. "Stefan Soloviev Goes Against the Grain". The Land Report.
12. (22 November 2017). "Land Report 2017 Legacy Landowner: Ted Turner".
13. (22 July 2019). "Land Report Case Study: Hearst Ranch".
14. (April 2014). "The Donation of Virginia's Natural Bridge Named the Land Report's 2013 Deal of the Year".
15. (15 April 2022). "King Ranch Art".
16. (12 July 2016). "Land Report Deal of the Century: Waggoner Ranch".
17. (31 March 2021). "Salute to the Sixes".
18. (13 July 2017). "American Landowner: The Cabin Bluff Story".
19. (25 April 2007). "'It's the Only Thing That Lasts'". Wall Street Journal.
20. (2021-11-24). "American land barons: 100 wealthy families now own nearly as much land as that of New England". [[The Washington Post]].
21. "Who Owns the Most Land in America?". Bloomberg.com.
22. (29 March 2021). "Bill Gates' farmland buying spree highlights investment appeal". Financial Times.
23. (March 2022). "Investments der Superreichen: US-Milliardäre setzen auf Acker statt Hightech".
24. (11 January 2021). "Farmer Bill".
25. (27 February 2021). "The real reason why Bill Gates is now the US' biggest farmland owner".
26. (15 June 2021). "2020 Deal of the Year: Bluffs of Saint Teresa".
27. (28 September 2019). "Land Report 2018 Deal of the Year: Wasatch Peaks Ranch".
28. (13 June 2018). "Land Report 2017 Deal of the Year: The Dangermond Preserve".
29. (12 July 2016). "Land Report Deal of the Century: Waggoner Ranch".
30. (8 July 2025). "America's Best Brokerages".
31. (8 July 2025). "America's Top Auction Houses".