It has been privately owned since 1864, when Elizabeth Sinclair bought it from King Kamehameha V. Her descendants, the Robinsons (brothers Bruce and Keith), continue to own it. The 72-square-mile Niihau is everything the major Hawaiian islands — Oahu, Maui, the Big Island and its neighbor Kauai — are not.

Does the Robinson family still own Niihau?

Helen Matthew Robinson, Lester’s wife, inherited 87 ½ percent interest in Niihau when Lester died in 1969. Their sons, Keith and Bruce Robinson, inherited the remainder, and have been sole owners of Niihau since their mother passed away in 2002.

Why did Kamehameha sell Niihau?

A Promise To Preserve In 1864, King Kamehameha V sold the island of Niihau to the Robinsons’ ancestors, the Sinclair family, for $10,000 worth of gold and, according to some accounts, a requirement that the family would promise to preserve the Native Hawaiian language and Niihau’s unique way of life.

Is Niihau island privately owned?

Niihau, about 18 miles northwest of Kauai, is the “Forbidden Island.” It has been privately owned by the same family since 1864, when Elizabeth Sinclair purchased it from King Kamehameha V for $10,000. … We maintain the island for the people and continue to work it as he had.”

Can Hawaiians move to Niihau?

Niihau is also knows as “The Forbidden Island” because non-native Hawaiians are restricted to go there. … The only job available on Niihau is at the Robinson family ranch, where the majority of the population works raising cattle. They get food from the ranch as well.

Does Bill Gates own a Hawaiian island?

RankOwner nameIslands1State of HawaiiMaui2Pulama LanaiLanai3Alexander & Baldwin Inc.Maui4Molokai RanchMolokai

How much did the Robinsons buy Niihau for?

Elizabeth Sinclair purchased Niʻihau in 1864 for US$10,000 (equivalent to about $170,000 in 2020) from the Kingdom of Hawaii. The island’s private ownership passed on to her descendants, the Robinsons.

Who is the largest landowner in Hawaii?

The Robinson Family has 101,000 acres on Niihau and Kauai, but most of that is on the Garden Isle. Parker Ranch, on Hawaii Island, is a working cattle ranch that is now run by a charitable trust. It has 106,000 acres. And Kamehameha Schools is the single largest land owner with 363,000 acres.

Who lives on Niihau island?

Only natives are allowed to live on this tiny, arid outpost of the Hawaiian Islands, about 150 miles from Honolulu. Access to Niihau is tightly restricted by its owners, brothers Bruce and Keith Robinson, whose ancestor paid a Hawaiian king $10,000 for it in 1864.

Who is the Robinson family of Hawaii?

Today, Keith and Bruce Robinson, descendants of the Sinclairs, are the sole owners of the island and are committed to its preservation and its proud Hawaiian heritage.

Article first time published on

How did the Robinson family buy Niihau?

Sinclair in 1864. She came to Hawaii from New Zealand with her family, which included two sons and a grand son, Aubrey Robinson, who lived until 1936. Mrs. Sinclair bought Niihau for $10,000 from the Polynesian kings who then ruled these islands.

Does Niihau have Internet?

For most of the state’s residents, that’s the only way to see the island of Niihau. … The island has no roads (dirt trails navigate its arid, bushy terrain), no cars, no stores, and no Internet.

Why does Kauai have many chickens?

According to National Geographic, genetic tests, and at least one biologist, Kauai’s wild chicken population has grown as a result of domesticated birds inadvertently let loose, and thereby breeding with each other as well as wild fowl. Today – with no natural predators – the wild chicken population continues growing.

Are there any pure Hawaiians left?

There are fewer than 5,000 pure native Hawaiians left on earth.

Who owns most of Lanai?

Ellison owns 98% of Lanai, including a third of the housing, the water utility and the twin luxury resorts that employ the majority of working residents. Now he also owns Lanai Today, the paper of record on this tiny island with no traffic lights and only 30 miles of paved road.

Are there really no snakes in Hawaii?

Hawaii has several species of protected and endangered birds. Hawaii has no native snakes, and it’s illegal to own the animals in the islands.

How rich is the Robinson family?

Phil Robertson Net Worth: Phil Robertson is an American hunting enthusiast, businessman, and reality television star who has a net worth of $10 million. Phil Robertson is the patriarch of the Robertson family which owns and operates a multi-million dollar hunting accessory company called Duck Commander.

Why are Niihau shells so expensive?

What makes a Niihau shell lei so valuable? While the physical state of each shell is the biggest contribution to the price, the tedious work put into making the lei is a priceless process.

How much land did Mark Zuckerberg buy in Hawaii?

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan recently bought 110 more acres on the island of Kauai. This is an addition to the 700 acres he bought in 2014 for nearly $100 million and the 600 acres he bought in April for $53 million.

Does Mark Zuckerberg own an island?

Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan now own just over two square miles of pristine land on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. In March, the couple spent $53 million on 600 acres of land, according to Mansion Global. They bought around 700 acres of land on the island in 2014 for more than $100 million.

Why did Dole leave Lanai?

In 1985, Lanai passed into the control of David H. Murdock as a result of his purchase of Castle & Cooke, which was then the owner of Dole. High labor- and land costs led to a decline in Hawaii pineapple production in the 1980s, and Dole phased out its pineapple operations on Lanai in 1992.

Is there a school on Niihau?

Coordinates:21.90170°N 160.20095°W Ni’ihau High & Elementary School or Niihau Island School is a public K-12 school in Niihau, Hawaii. It is operated by the Hawaii Department of Education.

Who owns most of Kauai?

Who owns Kauai? After the State of Hawaii, who owns over 155,000 acres on Kauai, the Robinson Family is the second-largest landowner at over 55,000 acres (excluding their Niihau acres), and then Grove Farm is the third-largest landowner at over 30,000 acres.

Are beaches on Niihau public?

With a few limited exceptions carved out to accommodate the federal government, all beaches in Hawaii are open to the public: “they belong to no one and everyone.” County governments and private developers are required to provide public access and parking in areas where the shoreline is dominated by residential …

Does Mark Zuckerberg own land in Hawaii?

Pricilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg bought nearly 600 acres of land on the Hawaiian island of Kauai for $53 million. … The acreage is located in the northeastern part of the Garden Island and was owned by a local conservation organization, the Waioli Corp.

Who is the richest person in Hawaii?

Ellison is the world’s 11th richest person worth about $75 billion and now he’s Hawaii’s richest person, by far.

Who owns the Parker Ranch in Hawaii?

After marrying the granddaughter of King Kamehameha I, Kipikane, he purchased their first two acres of land for $10. Six generations of the Parkers owned and operated the Ranch until the passing of Richard Palmer Parker in 1992. The Ranch is now owned by the Parker Ranch Foundation Trust.

Do lepers still live on Molokai?

A tiny number of Hansen’s disease patients still remain at Kalaupapa, a leprosarium established in 1866 on a remote, but breathtakingly beautiful spit of land on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. Thousands lived and died there in the intervening years, including a later-canonized saint.

What Hawaiian island is off limits?

Niihau, also known as the Forbidden Isle, is a beautiful small island in Hawaii spread across 180 sq km. The island is off-limits to outsiders and only the Robinson family, their relatives, invited guests, government officials and US Navy personnel are allowed here.

Is Niihau a part of the United States?

Niihau, Hawaiian Ni’ihau, volcanic island, Kauai county, Hawaii, U.S. Niihau lies 17 miles (27 km) southwest of Kauai island. The smallest of the populated Hawaiian Islands, Niihau has an area of 70 square miles (180 square km).

What families live on Niihau?

Niihau is currently owned by the Robinson family, descendants of the Sinclairs who originally obtained ownership from King Kamehameha V in 1864 for $10,000 worth of gold (a huge sum of money for the time).