Big Island, Hawaiʻi — A silent land grab is underway across the Hawaiian Islands, and it’s not just about luxury homes or private jets. It’s about transforming Hawaiʻi into a billionaire-owned state — where the middle class is locked out, the poor are kept in place, and the future is dictated by the ultra-wealthy.

From political donations to backdoor deals, billionaires are buying influence to make it harder for everyday Americans — especially locals — to own homes in Hawaiʻi. Zoning laws, tax incentives, and housing policies are being reshaped in favor of massive wealth, while families are priced out of the market they've lived in for generations.

The vision? A high-tech “smart” Hawaiʻi where the wealthy live in private luxury, and everyone else serves them — unable to own land or build generational wealth.

Smart Cities or Digital Castles?

Marketed as green and efficient, "smart cities" are popping up across proposals and development plans in Hawaiʻi. But critics warn these aren’t about sustainability — they’re about control.

Just like in the past, when kings ruled from castles and peasants toiled in tightly watched villages, these smart cities create a system where every step, payment, and movement is tracked. You don’t own your home. You rent it. You don’t grow your food. You buy it — at a premium. You don’t build a future. You survive paycheck to paycheck.

Welcome to modern-day feudalism — powered by Wi-Fi and ruled by wealth.

Locals Pushed Out. Tourists Moved In.

From Lahaina to Hilo, working-class people are being priced out of paradise. Locals now compete not just with wealthy newcomers, but with corporate entities turning homes into short-term rentals or private compounds. Home prices and rents have skyrocketed. Wages have not.

Meanwhile, billionaire-funded politicians push policies that look progressive on paper but favor elite developers behind the scenes.

The result? A two-class Hawaiʻi:

• The rich, who live above the system.

• And everyone else, who works to keep it running.

• The Call to Action

• This isn’t just about real estate. It’s about the soul of Hawaiʻi.

• If this trajectory continues, the islands will become nothing more than a corporate-controlled archipelago — a theme park for the elite, a cage for everyone else.

• It’s time to speak out.
  It’s time to organize.
  It’s time to defend the idea that Hawaiʻi is for all who call it home — not just those who can afford to buy it.

• Ohana Big Island will continue investigating and reporting on land ownership trends, political influence, and the future of housing across Hawaiʻi. Stay tuned. Stay aware. Stay grounded.

Written by Ohana Team - Edited By Artificial Intelligence