The CEO of Salesforce, the very wealthy Marc Benioff, said he’s giving $150 million to hospitals in Hawaii. This comes right after people got worried about him buying a lot of land in Waimea, Hawaii.
Source: BusinessInsider/Pinterest
He’s giving $50 million to Hilo Medical Center and $100 million to a healthcare group called Hawaii Pacific Health. They want to use the money to make a fancy healthcare place at Straub Medical Center in Honolulu.
“We’re grateful to be part of Hawaii’s community for many decades. That’s why we want to help our “Ohana” in this way,” said Benioff and his wife, Lynne. “Ohana” is a native Hawaiian term that means family.” In a press release covered by Gizmodo, the Benioffs said, “Nothing matters more than keeping our community healthy. And also ensuring everyone can access healthcare when needed.”
However, some locals are concerned about the impact of the 59-year-old tech billionaire’s numerous activities. They are worried about his multiple land purchases in Hawaii. Hawaiians fear it could raise housing prices and erode the unique culture of the community.
The announcement on Tuesday mentioned the purpose of the donation. Marc Benioff’s money will help strengthen ties between hospitals in Hawaii and UCSF Health in San Francisco. This same place is where Salesforce, a prominent software company that owns the popular app Slack, is based.
The press release says that Benioff’s donation was planned over more than a year of working together. However, some people are questioning why it’s happening now.
NPR reported last week that Benioff has been buying acres of land. Since 2000, he has been buying more than thirty parcels of land in Waimea. Waimea is a small cowboy town with less than 10,000 people. Marc Benioff has been purchasing these lands through a nonprofit and at least six anonymous companies. All these money sources are with addresses in the San Francisco Bay area.
Marc Benioff and his family have about 165 acres of land set aside for themselves, according to NPR. The rest of the land is being used to build a community center and affordable homes. It is also being used for other charitable projects, NPR added.
Benioff told NPR’s Dara Kerr that Salesforce doesn’t own anything in Hawaii and won’t ever. However, when asked about the properties he bought through anonymous LLCs, he seemed hesitant. He started speaking faster and nervously, playing with a piece of paper.
Marc Benioffs’ spokesperson spoke about the land the Benioffs bought in an interview. The spokesperson said Marc and Lynne have given away nearly 75% of the land they purchased in Hawaii in the last 25 years. They have also given out more than 90% of the land they bought since 2020. Marc Benioff and his wife donated 282 acres to the Hawaii Island Community Development Corporation (HICDC) for affordable housing. They also donated 158 acres to another non-profit. San Francisco is Benioff’s primary residence, where he owns a multimillion-dollar mansion in one of the city’s upscale neighborhoods. However, the full details of Benioff’s home are not precise; according to Forbes, a neighboring house with a waterfront in Sea Cliff recently sold for $25 million.