Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving recently used his Twitch stream to comment on Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, claiming he owns a majority of the land and water in the United States. Irving, who has been actively streaming during his injury recovery, has previously used the platform to discuss his NBA career and other public figures.
“I still think that it’s weird that the Gates family, Bill Gates, owns a lot of the land in North Dakota,” Irving stated during the broadcast. “He owns majority of the water in the United States, I think that’s weird… when you go to the grocery store and you see some products that are on there that they spray with a bunch of [expletive].”
While Irving’s claim of Gates owning a “majority” of U.S. land is inaccurate, Gates is the largest private owner of farmland in the country. As of 2024, he holds approximately 275,000 acres across more than a dozen states. This portfolio is used for growing crops such as potatoes, carrots, soybeans, and corn.
Part of Irving’s statement references a controversial 2022 deal where Red River Trust, a company linked to Gates, received legal approval to purchase 2,100 acres of North Dakota farmland for $13.5 million.
However, Gates’s extensive holdings represent a small fraction of the nation’s total agricultural land. His 275,000 acres account for just 0.03% of the nearly 877 million acres of total farmland in the United States. Gates has previously addressed his acquisitions, stating, “I have invested in these farms to make them more productive and create more jobs. There isn’t some grand scheme involved—in fact, all these decisions are made by a professional investment team.”
The claim regarding water ownership may stem from the fact that land purchases often include rights to the water beneath the ground. Author Seamus Bruner noted in 2023 that by acquiring tens of thousands of acres, Gates also secures significant water rights, a critical component in controlling the agricultural industry.
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