Mark Zuckerberg’s $270M ‘Doomsday’ Compound in Hawaii Sparks Outrage

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is reportedly building one of the largest and most secretive homes in US history: a $270 million compound in Kauai, Hawaii, that will include its own village, multiple mansions, and a 5,000 square foot underground bunker.

The project, which has been dubbed as Zuckerberg’s ‘doomsday’ compound, has sparked outrage among local residents, environmental activists, and native Hawaiians, who accuse the billionaire of displacing the community, destroying the natural beauty, and violating the cultural heritage of the island.

Zuckerberg acquired more than 1,500 acres of land on Kauai’s north shore in 2014 and 2020, through multiple purchases that totaled over $150 million. His property extends from the beach to the mountains, covering a former sugarcane plantation, a public beach, a working cattle ranch, and several streams and waterfalls.

However, his land also contains more than a dozen smaller parcels of what are called Kuleana lands, which are ancestral lands that were awarded to native Hawaiians during the 1850s and have been passed down for generations by local families.

In 2017, Zuckerberg filed lawsuits against hundreds of Hawaiians who may own an interest in these lands, in an attempt to force them to sell their shares to him. The move sparked a public backlash, and Zuckerberg eventually dropped the suits, saying that he wanted to “make this right, talk with the community, and find a better approach”.

But according to recent reports, Zuckerberg has not given up on his quest to acquire the Kuleana lands. In March 2021, four of these properties were auctioned off on the courthouse steps, after a legal process called a quiet title action, which allows a landowner to claim ownership of a disputed land by paying off the other claimants.

Zuckerberg’s representatives bid on the properties, and won three of them for a total of $1.7 million. The fourth property was bought by a local Hawaiian family for $700,000, after a crowdfunding campaign raised enough money to outbid Zuckerberg.

The auction was attended by dozens of protesters, who held signs that read “Zuckerberg: Stop Colonizing Kauai” and “Hawaiian Land for Hawaiians”. Some of them also performed a traditional Hawaiian chant and dance, known as a hula, to express their opposition to Zuckerberg’s land grab.

Zuckerberg’s spokesperson, Ben Labolt, defended the auction, saying that it was “a fair and transparent process” and that Zuckerberg was “committed to honoring the local culture and history”.

However, many Hawaiians and Kauai residents are not convinced by Zuckerberg’s words, and fear that his massive compound will ruin the island’s environment, economy, and way of life.

One of the main concerns is the impact of Zuckerberg’s construction on the natural resources and wildlife of the area. According to planning documents obtained by Wired, Zuckerberg plans to build a 5,000 square foot underground bunker, which will require digging deep into the ground and potentially affecting the water table and the soil.

Zuckerberg also plans to build a village on his property, which will include a general store, a post office, a library, a school, a health center, and a community center. The village will be powered by solar panels and batteries, and will have its own water and sewage systems.

While Zuckerberg claims that the village will be open to the public and will serve the local community, some critics argue that it is a way for him to create his own private enclave, where he can control who enters and who leaves.

Another concern is the effect of Zuckerberg’s wall, which he started building in 2016, on the access and view of the beach. The wall, which is made of lava rocks and is six feet high, stretches for nearly a mile along Zuckerberg’s property, blocking the view of the ocean from the road.

Zuckerberg said that he built the wall to reduce the noise from the highway and to protect his privacy, but many locals complained that it was an eyesore and a symbol of his arrogance and disregard for the island’s culture and beauty.

Some of them also accused Zuckerberg of restricting the access to the public beach, which is known as Pila’a Beach, by locking the gate and posting security guards. Zuckerberg denied these allegations, saying that he respects the public’s right to access the beach and that he has improved the access road and the parking lot.

Zuckerberg’s compound has also raised questions about his motives and intentions. Some speculate that he is preparing for a possible apocalypse, as he has expressed his fears of a global catastrophe in the past.

Others suggest that he is trying to escape from the scrutiny and criticism that he faces as the head of one of the most powerful and controversial companies in the world.

Whatever his reasons, Zuckerberg’s presence on Kauai has stirred up a lot of emotions and conflicts, and has exposed the deep-rooted issues of land ownership, colonialism, and inequality that have plagued Hawaii for centuries.

As one of the protesters at the auction, Keoni Kealoha, said: “This is not just about Mark Zuckerberg. This is about the rich and powerful taking what they want from the people who have less. This is about justice and fairness for the Hawaiian people”.