Michael Dell buys $400 million Hawaii land beneath Four Seasons resort he already owns

Michael Dell has completed a $400 million purchase of nearly 500 acres on Hawaii Island, acquiring the land beneath the Four Seasons Hualalai Resort and its accompanying golf course. The deal expands the tech billionaire’s already substantial footprint on the island, where he owns the resort on the island’s west coast and now holds the land that surrounds it.

Until now, the land had been leased to Dell for about two decades from Kamehameha Schools, the private school system founded by the estate of Hawaiian royalty. Kamehameha Schools is the largest private landowner in Hawaii, with roughly 370,000 acres under its stewardship, and its endowment has an estimated $4.7 billion in Hawaii real estate holdings. The arrangement has long tied the resort to the land beneath it, a dynamic that is now changing with the deed transfer.

Dell’s latest acquisition adds to his portfolio on Hawaii’s Big Island, where he also maintains a $75 million oceanfront home and the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. The Hualalai property change comes after Dell’s 2006 purchase of the Hualalai Resort from Kajima Corporation for more than $285 million, a deal executed through his family investment firm.

The move underscores Hawaii as a magnet for technology leaders seeking high-end real estate. In recent months, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman listed a 12,500-square-foot estate on Hawaii Island for about $49 million, highlighting the state’s appeal to ultrawealthy buyers. Other tech titans with Hawaii holdings include Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, while Larry Ellison bought 98 percent of Lanai in 2012 for $300 million to reshape it as his primary residence. Analysts say the land transfer signals a broader trend of long-term ownership of coveted coastal property in Hawaii by ultrawealthy individuals and investment vehicles.

While the implications for land use and local communities remain a subject of discussion among residents and policymakers, the transaction is depicted in local media as part of a wave of luxury real estate activity tied to a handful of tech magnates. Dell’s consolidation of both the resort and the underlying land could influence development timelines and management approaches on the property, though no formal plans have been disclosed.

The Hawaii real estate market for high-end properties has drawn increased attention as buyers look to secure long-term holdings in premium locations. Dell’s purchase adds to a growing narrative about how a cluster of technology entrepreneurs is shaping the ownership and control of iconic luxury assets across the islands.