Excluding the federal government—which owns nearly 45% of the state—the title for the largest private landowner in California belongs to the Emmerson family, owners of Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI). As of 2026, the Emmersons own approximately 2 million acres of California land, primarily consisting of timberlands in the northern and central regions of the state. They surpassed the historically dominant Tejon Ranch Company, which owns about 270,000 acres in the Tehachapi Mountains. Sierra Pacific Industries is a third-generation family business that manages these vast forests for sustainable logging and wood products. Other significant private landowners include the Hearst Corporation, which maintains large holdings around San Simeon, and various agricultural dynasties in the Central Valley like the Resnick family (The Wonderful Company). While many tech billionaires have purchased large estates in recent years, their holdings pales in comparison to the massive, resource-rich acreage held by the Emmerson family, making them the defining private "land barons" of the Golden State for the modern era.