A 937,000 acre ranch acquisition positions the billionaire sports mogul as America’s largest private landowner.
Billionaire sports mogul (owner of the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Nuggets) and real estate investor Stan Kroenke has made national headlines with one of the most significant land transactions in modern U.S. history: the purchase of more than 937,000 acres of ranchland in New Mexico.
The acquisition, completed in December 2025, and reported by several media outlets, not only marks the largest single U.S. land deal in over a decade, but also elevates Kroenke to the position of America’s largest private landowner, with holdings totaling approximately 2.7 million acres across the U.S. and Canada.
A Historic Purchase Across Multiple Counties
According to deed filings and multiple land industry reports, Kroenke acquired six major cattle ranches across eastern New Mexico from the heirs of Teledyne Technologies founder Henry Singleton. These include:
- Lobo Ranch (near Vaughn)
- Pecos Ranch (near Santa Rosa)
- Conchas Ranch (near Santa Rosa)
- Agua Verde Ranch (near Clines Corners)
- Trigg Ranch (near Logan)
- Bojax Ranch (near Elida)
The combined 937,000 acres span several counties—Guadalupe, San Miguel, and Chaves—representing approximately 1.2% of the entire land area of New Mexico.
This vast, detached portfolio of land makes the purchase the largest since 2011, when John Malone acquired one million acres of timberland in Maine and New Hampshire.
Billionaires Turning to Ranchland
Kroenke’s purchase aligns with a broader shift among ultra high net worth investors who increasingly see large scale ranchland as a long term inflation hedge and a stable store of wealth.
Luxury and financial outlets have reported that wealthy buyers—often tech founders, financiers, and heirs—view expansive acreage as a “solid, long term store of value,” particularly during economic volatility.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that farmland values grew 5.8% annually from 2019 to 2024, further driving investment interest among large capital players.
A Strategic Expansion of a Western Empire
Kroenke, 78, is no newcomer to major land deals. His New Mexico purchase nearly doubles his previous largest acquisition—the 535,000 acre Waggoner Ranch in Texas, purchased in 2016.
His expanded ranch portfolio includes:
- Q Creek Ranch, Wyoming – 560,000+ acres, the largest ranch in the Rocky Mountains
- Broken O Ranch, Montana – 124,000 acres, notable for extensive water rights
- Winecup Gamble Ranch, Nevada – 247,500 deeded acres plus federal leases
- Douglas Lake Ranch, British Columbia – one of Canada’s largest cattle operations
Combined with holdings in Texas and Nevada, Kroenke now controls ranchland from the northern Rockies to the American Southwest, reflecting a strategic emphasis on working cattle operations, wildlife habitat, and renewable energy potential.
Unlike passive land investments, the Singleton Ranches—now under Kroenke’s ownership—have long been active cattle operations. CNBC reports that they are among the largest integrated cattle and horse breeding enterprises in the country, with decades old management infrastructure.
Financial terms of the transaction remain undisclosed, consistent with Kroenke’s long standing preference for private, off market deals. Spokespersons for The Kroenke Group have declined comment, and neither the buyer’s nor the seller’s brokers have released valuation details.
Kroenke’s acquisition vaulted him past some of America’s most prominent landowning families and individuals, including:
- The Emmerson family (2.44 million acres)
- John Malone (2.2 million acres)
- Ted Turner (2 million acres)
As the West continues to face drought mitigation challenges, energy transition opportunities, and shifting beef market economics, the role of large private landowners like Kroenke will likely shape the agricultural landscape for decades.
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