Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg went to court to sue for ownership of isolated pockets of land dotted around his Kauai estate. These parcels of land could be split between hundreds of owners due to a unique situation that’s specific to the island of Kauai.
Located on the north shore of the island, the 14 parcels of land were awarded to Native Hawaiians during the mid-19th century, when private property was established on Kauai.
Documents say hundreds of Hawaiians could own parcels of land - but some may not even know it. Many of the owners died without a will and courts never determined who inherited the land, according to court documents filed by Zuckerberg's attorneys.
In a Facebook post, Mark Zuckerberg explained that the court case was so he could find the owners and pay fair compensation for their land. He wrote the post because some media outlets were incorrectly reporting that he was forcing Native Hawaiians off the land.