American billionaire and sports mogul Stan Kroenke has dramatically expanded his already vast property portfolio, securing the title of the largest private landowner in the United States. The 78-year-old owner of the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Nuggets completed a monumental purchase of a 937,000-acre ranch in New Mexico this December, a deal that propels him to the top of the rankings.
A Colossal Acquisition in the American West
This single, noncontiguous land purchase is the largest of its kind in the country since 2011, according to reports from The New York Times. The sprawling ranch, which spans four separate counties in New Mexico, represents approximately 1.2 percent of the state's total land area. The precise price tag for this vast expanse has not been publicly disclosed.
The acquisition sees Kroenke leapfrog from the position of fourth-largest landowner to claim the number one spot, displacing California's Emmerson family, known as the Lumber Dynasty. The property was previously held by the heirs to the technology firm Teledyne.
Building a Property and Sports Empire
Stan Kroenke's land holdings in North America now stand at a staggering roughly 2.7 million acres, complemented by an additional 60 million square feet of commercial real estate space. His strategy for these extensive acreages includes cattle ranching, hunting preserves, wildlife conservation, and investments in renewable energy projects.
This is not the first time Kroenke has made headlines with a massive ranch purchase. In 2016, he acquired the historic Waggoner Ranch in Texas for over $500 million. That 535,000-acre property, the largest ranch within Texas, had not changed hands since 1849. His portfolio also includes significant ranch lands in Montana, Wyoming, and Nevada.
From Real Estate to Global Sports Dominance
Kroenke's commercial and sporting interests are equally formidable. His property assets include major sports facilities in Inglewood, California, and Denver. Beyond his US sports teams—the Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and Colorado Rapids—his influence extends across the Atlantic.
He is the owner of the Premier League's Arsenal Football Club, encompassing both the men's and women's teams, giving him a prominent footprint in British sport. His other notable real estate holdings feature a $25 million Malibu mansion once owned by Dodi Fayed, the late companion of Princess Diana.
With an estimated net worth of $26.8 billion, largely built through shrewd real estate and business ventures, Kroenke ranks 47th on the Forbes 400 list of the world's wealthiest people. He is also recognised as the ninth-richest sports team owner in the United States. His land ownership now far surpasses that of other high-profile billionaires; for comparison, Jeff Bezos holds about 462,000 acres, while Bill Gates owns 275,000 acres.
