An entity linked to billionaire Bill Gates has reportedly purchased 2,100 acres of potato farmland in northern North Dakota angering local residents. The state is investigating the purchase of potato farmland by the Gates-linked trust, with the state’s Attorney General writing in a letter that it was “prohibited from owning or leasing farmland or ranchland in the state of North Dakota.”

The New York Post reports that public records recently cited by AgWeek reveal that an entity called Red River Trust with links to billionaire Bill Gates recently purchased 2,100 acres of potato farmland in northern North Dakota, prompting state officials to intervene after complaints from local residents.

The land was purchased from the owners of Campbell Farms, a potato farming group headquartered in Grafton, North Dakota, approximately 50 miles from the Canadian border. North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring spoke with KFYR, stating that the public reaction to the purchase has been negative.

“I’ve gotten a big earful on this from clear across the state, it’s not even from that neighborhood,” said Goehring. “Those people are upset, but there are others that are just livid about this.”

https://nypost.com/2022/06/23/bill-gates-purchase-of-north-dakota-farmland-has-locals-livid-official/