Who Owns The World? Literally? These Are The 10 Largest Individual Landowners On The Planet

From the dusty cattle stations of Australia to the lush forests of Maine, land is still the most tangible form of wealth and power on Earth. And while corporations and governments may hold the lion’s share, a surprisingly small number of individuals—monarchs, moguls, and magnates—control vast swaths of the planet. In fact, more than 20% of Earth’s inhabitable land is legally owned or controlled by just a handful of people.

Many of these landowners hold their power by birthright, others through shrewd business moves. Some rule their nations and thus legally “own” all the land within their borders. Others have spent decades acquiring ranches, timberlands, or farmland as strategic assets. Their holdings span continents, ecosystems, and economic sectors—but they all have one thing in common: they’ve carved out private kingdoms across the globe.

Here are the 10 largest individual landowners on the planet, ranked by total acreage controlled.

#10. King Letsie III – Lesotho (~7.5 million acres)

As the ceremonial monarch of Lesotho, King Letsie III holds legal title to the entire country—a mountainous landlocked nation in southern Africa. Lesotho covers about 11,720 square miles (roughly 7.5 million acres), and under traditional land laws, the king is its sole legal landowner. Though his role is mostly symbolic today, his historic land claim remains intact.

#9. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck – Bhutan (~9.6 million acres)

Known as the “Dragon King,” Jigme Khesar holds constitutional authority over Bhutan’s 15,000 square miles of forested Himalayan terrain. His monarchy dates back centuries, and although Bhutan is now a democracy, the king still retains legal ownership of the entire country’s landmass—around 9.6 million acres.

#8. King Abdullah II – Jordan (~22 million acres)

Jordan spans over 35,000 square miles (~22 million acres), and under Jordanian law, the monarch has ultimate authority and ownership of the land. King Abdullah II, a Western-educated former soldier and sci-fi fan, has ruled the Hashemite Kingdom since 1999. Though his title is largely constitutional, he holds legal claim over Jordan’s entire territory.

#7. Gina Rinehart – Australia & U.S. (~24 million acres)

Australia’s richest woman, mining tycoon Gina Rinehart, is the world’s largest private (non-royal) landowner. Through cattle stations and acquisitions like the legendary S. Kidman & Co., she controls about 24 million acres—mostly in Australia’s Outback, with some holdings in the U.S. Her land empire rivals the size of South Korea.

#6. Sultan Haitham bin Tariq – Oman (~76 million acres)

Ruling Oman since 2020, Sultan Haitham inherited his cousin Sultan Qaboos’s legacy—and all 76 million acres of Oman’s deserts, ports, and mountains. As an absolute monarch, he legally owns the entirety of Oman’s land, maintaining the tradition of royal landholding in the Arabian Peninsula.

#5. King Maha Vajiralongkorn – Thailand (~128 million acres)

King Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, owns all land in Thailand by royal right. Since taking the throne in 2016, he has ruled over 513,000 square kilometers (128 million acres). Despite constitutional reforms, land in Thailand is held in the name of the king, giving him vast legal control over the nation’s territory.

#4. King Mohammed VI – Morocco (~175 million acres)

King Mohammed VI presides over both Morocco and the disputed Western Sahara. Combined, these lands total roughly 175 million acres. As absolute monarch, he holds legal title to the land—ranging from bustling cities like Casablanca to the vast Sahara. His dynasty dates back to the 11th century.

#3. Pope Francis – Global (~177 million acres)

As the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis is considered the sovereign of Vatican City and the ultimate authority over all Church properties worldwide. The Catholic Church owns an estimated 177 million acres of land—farms, schools, churches, monasteries, and more—making the Pope one of the largest individual landowners on Earth, in trust for 1.3 billion Catholics.

#2. King Salman – Saudi Arabia (~531 million acres)

King Salman controls virtually all of Saudi Arabia’s 830,000 square miles (over 531 million acres). As ruler of one of the world’s wealthiest oil-producing nations, his land includes deserts, cities, religious sites, and vast energy resources. In Saudi Arabia’s monarchy, the king is both head of state and landowner-in-chief.

#1. King Charles III – U.K. & Commonwealth (~6.6 billion acres)

By far the world’s largest landowner, King Charles III holds legal ownership over roughly one-sixth of the Earth’s surface: the entire United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This staggering 6.6 billion acres includes some of the most developed and resource-rich land on Earth. Though much of it is symbolic or held in trust, the legal structure of monarchy means that no single individual owns more than the British king.