Salesforce CEO and co-founder Marc Benioff has pledged a generous donation of $150 million to several medical organizations in Hawaii, marking one of the largest private contributions in the state’s history.
The donation encompasses $50 million allocated to the Hilo Medical Center and $100 million to Hawaii Pacific Health, a prominent nonprofit healthcare entity in the state. The Hilo Medical Center intends to utilize the funds for various initiatives, including the establishment of an intensive care unit and a neurosurgical program. Meanwhile, Hawaii Pacific Health plans to collaborate with the University of California, San Francisco Health to develop a new campus in Honolulu.
Marc Benioff and his spouse Lynne, who also possess ownership of Time magazine, have collectively donated over $250 million to philanthropic causes in Hawaii, as stated in a joint announcement regarding the recent contributions.
Expressing gratitude for their connection to the Hawaiian community, the Benioffs emphasized the significance of prioritizing community health and ensuring accessible care for all individuals in need.
The announcement of the donation follows heightened media attention on Benioff’s extensive land acquisitions throughout Hawaii in the past week. A report by NPR shed light on Benioff’s acquisitions, particularly in Waimea, a small town in the state. Benioff resides in a beachside mansion worth $24.5 million, situated near Waimea, which he acquired approximately two decades ago.
Since the year 2000, Benioff has acquired at least 38 parcels of land through six anonymous limited liability companies, totaling over 600 acres of land, NPR reported. The majority of these acquisitions, amounting to almost 75%, have been donated to charitable causes, with more than 90% of the land purchased since 2020 being dedicated to philanthropy. Notably, Benioff has contributed 282 acres of land to a nonprofit organization focused on constructing affordable housing on the Big Island and an additional 158 acres to another nonprofit entity.
The disclosure of Benioff’s land acquisitions reignited concerns about the transformation of the state, with native Hawaiians facing challenges such as the soaring cost of living and a shortage of affordable housing. Median home prices have surged by at least 22% since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, driven partly by the influx of affluent individuals into the region, according to data from Redfin.
Forbes reports that thirty-seven billionaires, including prominent figures like Oprah Winfrey, Meta co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, and Malaysian businessman Quek Leng Chan, collectively own 5.3% of Hawaii’s land. Ellison stands out for his ownership of nearly the entire Lana’i island, a 90,000-acre expanse he is transforming into what he envisions as “the first economically viable, 100% green community.”
