Stanley Kroenke, owner of the Los Angeles Rams, has become America’s largest private landowner with nearly 2.7 million acres, according to The Land Report. His recent acquisition of over 937,000 deeded acres in New Mexico from the heirs of Teledyne founder Henry Singleton vaulted him from fourth to first on the annual ranking of the nation’s top 100 private landowners.
Kroenke’s holdings now exceed Yellowstone National Park and are equivalent to roughly two million football fields. The purchase—the largest single land transaction in the U.S. in over a decade—solidified his position as America’s leading landowner, surpassing Red Emmerson and his family, who control an estimated 2.44 million acres through Sierra Pacific Industries, and billionaire media figures like Ted Turner.
Most top landowners are not household names. The Emmersons rank second with timber holdings across California, Oregon, and Washington, while Kroenke’s portfolio spans ranchland in New Mexico and other regions. Farmland investments have surged among the ultra-wealthy as a hedge against inflation and market volatility, with U.S. farmland values rising 5.8% annually from 2019 to 2024.
Bill Gates remains America’s largest private owner of U.S. farmland—managing 275,000 acres for crops like soybeans and potatoes—though Kroenke now holds the broader title of nation’s largest landowner. The Land Report analyzes transactions and records to identify these owners, with Kroenke’s recent deal marking a significant shift in U.S. land ownership dynamics.