Zuckerberg sues Hawaiians in pursuit of privacy

Scroll through this gallery for a glimpse of Mark Zuckerberg's Palo Alto home. It's not on a private island, but it still cost a cool $7 million. Scroll through this gallery for a glimpse of Mark Zuckerberg's Palo Alto home. It's not on a private island, but it still cost a cool $7 million. Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Zuckerberg sues Hawaiians in pursuit of privacy 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

Facebook CEO Zuckerberg paid $100 million for a slice of seclusion on Kauai, but the promised peace and serenity failed to materialize, reports the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Two years ago, the tech titan purchased the 700 acres of beachfront land to create a secluded family sanctuary, according to Forbes.

Within Zuckerberg's island oasis are a few dozen parcels of land owned by locals, who have the right to cross through Zuckerberg's private domain.

To circumvent the alleged affront to his family's privacy, Zuckerberg has filed a series of lawsuits through multiple companies with the intention of forcing his neighbors to sell their land at a public court auction to the highest bidder.

Zuckerberg reportedly filed lawsuits against a few hundred people – some living and some dead, but many of whom have owned the land for generations.

The move, which is referred to as "quiet title and partition," is not uncommon in Hawaii, where land ownership is sometimes foggy.

Much of the land involved in the Zuckerberg lawsuits is "kuleana," defined as "parcels granted to native Hawaiian tenant farmers between 1850 and 1855," according to Harvard Law. Frequently, these lands were passed down through generations, often without documentation.



According to the Star-Advertiser, quiet title sales often result in below-market prices. Considering Zuckerberg had an estimated net worth of $44.6 billion last year, if the properties do go to auction, he certainly has the means to become the highest bidder.