The third-richest man on the planet, Bill Gates, is also one of the largest private owners of farmland in the US. He is known for supporting environmental innovation, but his farming plans have been secretive until now.

In January, US magazine The Land Report — which tracks land transactions and produces an annual list of the 100 biggest US landowners — revealed that Bill and Melinda Gates have one of the largest portfolios of private farmland in the US, with assets totaling more than $690 million (€590 million). 



Follow the money

Most things Gates gets involved with have been appropriated by one conspiracy theory or another, and this is no different. Some argue that Gates is buying up land to indulge in futuristic experiments in urban dwelling or the creation of new food.

But the reason for the move may in fact be more prosaic: It’s a good investment, with low volatility, not closely tied to the stock market and can be deployed as an inflationary hedge.




https://m.dw.com/en/bill-gates-buys-big-on-a-farmland-shopping-spree/a-57134690