John Malone: America's biggest land baron

John Malone denies competing with fellow media mogul Ted Turner for bragging rights. So what drove Malone to become the biggest landowner in America?

If, as the German philosopher Hegel once posited, "property is the first embodiment of freedom", John Malone is "one liberated individual", says Fortune. According to the latest Land Report Survey, the media billionaire is now the biggest private landowner in America, having overtaken his old pal and sparring partner, Ted Turner. What pushed him ahead was his purchase last year of a huge tract of woodland in Maine, taking his total land holding to 2.2 million acres.

Malone, 71, denies staging a "mano a mano" contest with Turner over land bragging rights. "We are not having a race," he says. "We share very common goals" (see below). But given his reputation for competitiveness, it would be surprising if the Liberty Media founder and chairman wasn't bent on maintaining his lead.

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