Who owns the most land in Colorado in 2026? He owns 270,000 acres
Who owns the most land in Colorado in 2026? He owns 270,000 acres
Nate Trela, Fort Collins ColoradoanWed, September 23, 2026 at 7:45 PM UTC
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In a state that loves its open spaces, nobody owns more of it than John Malone.
John Malone, the longtime cable and telecom executive, owns 270,000 acres in Colorado, making him the state’s largest landholder according to both World Population Review and The Land Report. The “Cable Cowboy” has dedicated much of his land to conservation, refusing to allow development. His holdings are one of the big reasons why there is a large stretch of I-25 between Denver and Colorado Springs that remains undeveloped.
World Population Review says Malone is the second largest private landholder in the U.S., with 2.2 million acres, trailing Sierra Pacific Industries, controlled by Red Emmerson and his family, which has at least 2.475 million acres, according to WPR. But The Land Report, a website dedicated to tracking land holdings, places Malone third, behind the Emersons/Sierra Pacific, and sports and real estate mogul Stan Kroenke.
Other major landowners in Colorado
Kroenke, owner of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Rams, Colorado Rapids and owner-in-waiting of the Anaheim Angels, climbed to the top spot in the U.S. by acquiring more than 900,000 acres in New Mexico in December, according to Land Report.
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The December transaction essentially accounts for the difference in the WPR and Land Report numbers. Kroenke — whose Colorado holdings include areas near Ball Arena, has the vast majority of his 2.7 million acres outside of Colorado.
Cable TV pioneer Ted Turner owned 2 million acres before his death, according to Land Report. That includes a 558,000-acre ranch largely in Northern New Mexico that stretches into Southern Colorado.
Stefan Soloviev, who owns short line railroads and WESKAN GRAIN, sits No. 14 in the U.S. with 629,000 acres. His companies primarily work with farmers to get agriculture products to new markets, according to the Land Report. It did not state the size of his Colorado holdings.
Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network, with an emphasis on consumer finance, legal issues and state laws.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Who owns the most land in Colorado in 2026? He owns 270,000 acres
Source: “AOL Money”
