Final week, it was revealed that Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff had been shopping for up numerous land in Hawaii at an accelerating clip. Benioff, who’s worth billions and billions of dollars, has procured roughly $100 million in land parcels all through the Massive Island through a sequence of nondescript LLCs. He’s been fairly cagey about what most of this land is for and was greater than a bit of bit hostile with the NPR journalist who broke the story about it. Now, in what actually looks like an effort to avoid wasting face, Benioff has announced he’ll be donating $150 million to regional hospitals.
On Tuesday, Benioff said that he can be donating tens of millions to Hawaii’s healthcare system. The cash will go to the Hilo Medical Heart in addition to Hawaii Pacific Well being. Further funds will go to UCSF Well being in San Francisco. Whereas the press launch related to the donation claims that Benioff’s present was “developed over greater than a yr of collaboration,” it’s definitely handy timing given the truth that Benioff simply had some actually dangerous press final week.
“We really feel lucky to have been a part of the Hawaii group for a lot of a long time and to have the ability to help our ohana on this method,” the Benioffs stated of their assertion shared with the press. “Nothing is extra necessary than the well being of our group and entry to look after all who want it.”
NPR’s story about Benioff’s land acquisitions triggered fairly a stir, partially due to Benioff’s bizarre conduct with the journalist who reported the story. Dara Kerr, who interviewed Benioff at certainly one of his island residences, says that the billionaire knew an odd quantity about her and her household and later referred to as her boss, the pinnacle government at NPR, to complain after she and a photographer have been seen taking footage at certainly one of his properties.
Whereas Kerr wrote in her report that “nearly all of Benioff’s land buys haven’t been about Salesforce or his philanthropy — however moderately for private use,” a spokesperson for Benioff now appears to be disputing that. The spokesperson told Quartz that “nearly 75% of the land bought” since Benioff started shopping for in Hawaii some 25 years in the past “has been donated to philanthropic causes, together with greater than 90% of the land purchased since 2020.” The spokesperson added that Benioff has “gifted 282 acres of land to a nonprofit constructing reasonably priced housing on the Massive Island and 158 acres to a separate nonprofit entity.”
Gizmodo reached out to Salesforce for extra remark from Benioff and can replace this story after we obtain a response.
Whereas I’m positive Hawaii’s hospitals will respect Benioff’s cash, it’s sort of unlucky that wealthy individuals suppose they will justify something by simply throwing more cash round. We don’t actually know what Benioff is doing with all of his properties however the backside line is that this: One particular person actually doesn’t want that a lot land.
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