Meet the top private landowner in the US, who owns more than 2.7 million acres and is married to a Walmart heiress

Stanley Kroenke is the largest private landowner in the US. Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images 2026-03-03T13:53:01.251Z Share Copy link Email Facebook WhatsApp X LinkedIn Bluesky Threads lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Impact Link Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in. Stanley Kroenke, the US' largest landowner, owns 2.7 million acres, surpassing previous records. Kroenke purchased 937,000 acres in New Mexico, marking the largest US land deal in a decade. His holdings include 60 million square feet of commercial real estate and multiple sports teams. One man in the US owns enough land to cover the entire state of Delaware nearly twice over — or New York City 14 times over.

Billionaire Stanley Kroenke is the largest landowner in America, owning 2.7 million acres, according to the 2026 Land Report 100, which tracks individual landowners across the US.Kroenke's holdings beat the record previously held by California's Emmerson family, which owns 2.44 million acres of timberland across California, Oregon, and Washington. Kroenke, 78, has an estimated net worth of $22.2 billion as of March 2, Forbes reported.His fortune is largely tied to his investments in sports franchises and commercial and ranching real estate. Every time Kristine publishes a story, you'll get an alert straight to your inbox! Stay connected to Kristine and get more of their work as it publishes. Sign up By clicking "Sign up", you agree to receive emails from Business Insider. In addition, you accept Insider's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. A growing portfolioIn 2016, Kroenke acquired the historic Waggoner Ranch in Texas, a 535,000-acre landmark founded in 1849 by Dan Waggoner.At the time, it was Kroenke's largest holding, and the Waggoner was widely described as one of the largest ranches in the United States under a single fence, as reported by American Cowboy magazine. Then, in December 2025, the land magnate bought over 937,000 deeded acres in New Mexico, the single-largest land purchase in the US in over a decade.This ranchland purchase put Kroenke at the top of the landowner list after years in the top five. He also owns extensive land outside the US. In 2003, he bought Douglas Lake Ranch, Canada's largest working cattle ranch, which spans more than 500,000 acres in British Columbia. Kroenke also owns Douglas Lake Ranch, Canada's largest working cattle ranch. Jon Spalding/Shutterstock Aside from owning millions of acres in Western ranchlands, Kroenke also owns about 60 million square feet of commercial real estate, The New York Times reported. Much of that portfolio consists of shopping centers anchored by Walmart stores, a strategy Kroenke began building decades ago that helped fund his expansion into sports and large-scale land acquisitions.A valuable sports empireSome of the billionaire's real estate holdings include sports venues in Denver and outside Los Angeles, both cities where Kroenke-owned sports teams play. Kroenke's sports holdings, which are responsible for a large portion of his fortune, include the Los Angeles Rams, the Colorado Avalanche, the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Mammoth, the Colorado Rapids, and Britain's Arsenal soccer club. Kroenke, right, receives the NFC Championship trophy in 2019 after the Los Angeles Rams beat the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship game. Chris Graythen/Getty Images The soaring valuations of his NFL and global soccer franchises have significantly boosted the value of Kroenke's portfolio, as media rights deals and international fan bases push teams' worth into the billions. Last year, Forbes ranked Kroenke as the ninth richest NFL team owner.Half of a power coupleKroenke's connection to Walmart isn't just a business one — he's married to Walmart heiress Ann Walton, the daughter of its cofounder James "Bud" Walton. Ann Walton herself is worth an estimated $14.6 billion, per Forbes.They married in 1974 and have two children together, Josh and Whitney Ann.

Ann Walton Kroenke with her son, Josh Kroenke. John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images Despite marrying a Walmart heiress, Kroenke's fortune has been largely self-made in the real-estate sector.From nearly a million acres of Western ranchland to NFL stadiums packed with fans, Kroenke's empire now spans more territory than some US states and more than any other person in the country.