Who Owns America

The United States of America is the fourth-largest country in the world. Its total landmass is 3.7 million square miles, stretching from Alaska to Florida and everything in between.

However, it is just as important to understand that, in the US, the concept of land ownership takes various forms.

For example, there are private residential buildings and properties owned by citizens, lands and buildings owned by the federal government, and various other public-access real estate such as parks, farmland, etc.

In addition, a lot of land in the US is privately owned. Some landowners own and operate huge ranches and chunks of land that are commercially used to harvest and distribute timber or are used for agricultural purposes.

In light of this, we’re going to explore who owns America and look at some interesting details revolving around whether it is one or multiple entities that you can assume owns the country. So, without further ado, let’s dive straight into it.

Table of Contents

Is It Really Accurate To Say That the Native Indians Have Always Been the Rightful Owners of Land in America?

Looking at it from the perspective of homesteading, is it safe to say that the American Indians were the rightful owners of the entire nation before the white man came? Well, the answer is, no, it is statistically impossible to make that claim.

You see, the total population of the United States of America now exceeds 330 million. In addition, it is also vital to realize that there are, even today, vast regions of land that are uninhabited and have yet to be accessed by humans, let alone be utilized for building homes, farming, homesteading, factories, etc.

Before the arrival of the white man in America, it can be safely said that the average number of native Indians was only 2 million or, at most, 3 million. Of course, there are high and low estimates, and people suggest that there could have been as few as one million or as many as 18 million.

But our point is that even if 18 million Indians were inhabiting America at the time, the number is still too low for anyone to say that those individuals or families owned the entire landmass of the country.

Understanding the Who Owns America: US Families/Individuals That Own the Largest Amount of Land in the Nation

At number one, it is the Emmerson family that owns and controls the largest amount of privately held land in the US. To date, the family owns more than 2.3 million acres of land. The head of the family, Red Emmerson, is the founder of Sierra Pacific Industries in California.

The Emmerson family is one of the nation’s top timber and lumber producers and owns several sawmills in California and throughout the country.

Closely following the Emmerson family, the second larger landowning individual is none other than John Malone. The philanthropist and billionaire entrepreneur owns more than 2 million acres. Malone has been the president of Tele-Communications for more than two decades.

In addition, he is also the CEO of Liberty Media, which has major stakes in multiple other business avenues such as SiriusXM and Formula One. Plus, Liberty Media also owns the Atlanta Braves (MLB team). However, Malone has committed his land to conservation.

Ranked number three is the Reed Family. There is a historical context to the family that is equally interesting to know. You see, Mark Edward Reed was employed by a company called the Simpson Logging Company in 1897. Reed’s responsibility was to manage the day-to-day operations of the corporation.

However, eventually, Reed took over the company by marrying the love of his life, the daughter of the president of Simpson Logging.

Today, thanks to generational wealth and inheritance, the Reed family owns just about 2 million acres of land primarily used for harvesting lumber. However, the family has also committed several thousands of acres of land to conservation.

Image credit: Jakob Owens

What is the Biggest Ranch in America and Who Owns It?

The largest ranch in the country is King Ranch. The property is located in Texas and is owned by the King Family. The total landmass of the ranch is more than 820,000 acres. The King family is considered one of the top 10 landowners in the nation.

What Type of Land is Typically Used for Commercial Purposes?

A big chunk of the land privately owned by wealthy families in the US is essentially utilized for harvesting lumber and timber. The wood milled at these sites is processed and sold to companies that create paper-based products. However, ranches are also commonly used for commercial purposes where companies raise and breed cattle, chicken, sheep, etc.

Image credit: Paul Weaver

The Amount of Land Owned by The Federal Government of the United States of America

When it comes to knowing who owns America, you can’t neglect the amount of land owned by the government. The federal government is the largest landowner in the nation, owning 28% of the total landmass.

Out of other parts of the US, the government owns much of the land in Nevada. Nevada has more than 70 million acres of land out of which the government owns and controls 80%.

The US Military Industrial Complex and Land Ownership

Now, let’s talk about the largest owner in the USA—the military-industrial complex. This faction of the US government, which also comprises the US Armed Forces, Air Force, Navy, military research and development, CIA, etc., together own more than 80% of the country’s total land.

It is a rather sensible and profitable investment for them, too. You see, the entire military-industrial complex is entitled to receive yearly royalties from the federal government, which is just about 62%- 65% of the discretionary budget. But what’s even more surprising is that the royalties they receive are not tax deductible.

The finances generated by their landownership are essentially used for enhanced research and development, launching overseas security operations, stabilizing international relations, upholding democratic reform, and other activities vital to the state’s sovereignty.

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