Mark Zuckerberg is stirring the pot of controversy- and conspiracy- after purchasing nearly another 1,000 acres for his $300 million compound on the Hawaii island of Kauai. The compound, which some have characterized as a “doomsday shelter” already spanned 1,400 acres. Zuckerberg has previously claimed that the expansive land will be for “world-class” beef that will live off macadamia nuts and beer. The additional acreage cost the social media mogul a pretty $65 million. The current compound already features two mansions, with plans to build three more large properties.

Zuckerberg’s representative, Brandi Hoffine Barr, characterized the compound as short-term guest housing. “Mark and Priscilla continue to make a home for their family and grow their ranching, farming, and conservation efforts at Koʻolau Ranch. The vast majority of the land is dedicated to agriculture — including cattle ranching, organic ginger, macadamia nut, and turmeric farming, native plant restoration, and endangered species protection,” Hoffine Barr told Wired. “After purchasing the ranch, they canceled the previous owner’s plans for 80 luxury homes.”

The compound is not without its detractors. Julian Ako, a Hawaiian cultural practitioner, has a great-grandmother and her brother buried in Kauai near Pilaa Beach. Zuckerberg’s purchase of the land has blocked the free access to the burial sites of his family. Ako also states that the land has been changed since Zuckerberg originally purchased the site. “That was sad because the place doesn’t look the way it looked when I was a kid and I would visit my great-grandfather there. It looks very, very different,” he said. Despite state laws that require workers to notify of any remains that are found, Ako is doubtful. “So it’s basically, you know, we’re operating on trust that they will do what the law actually requires them to do, but there’s no guarantee.”

Social media has been abuzz with conspiracy theories as to why Zuckerberg would need such an expansive, self-sustaining compound. “Mark Zuckerberg knows something we don’t. In 2023, he spent $270M on this remote Hawaiian ranch. He claims it’s a “holiday resort.” But what he’s actually building suggests something serious is coming,” wrote one user on X. The user noted that 50% of silicone valley has “apocalypse insurance.” He also listed a number of features of the compound, included a 5,000 square foot underground bunker that Zuckerberg characterized as a “basement.” He noted that other CEOs invested in bunkers, particularly after 2020. Locals, too, worry about the impact Zuckerberg will have on their native land. ““If our island has any hope of remaining Hawaii, this kind of activity has got to stop,” Puali‘i Rossi, a professor of Native Hawaiian studies at Kauai Community College, said. “Eventually Hawaii isn’t going to look like Hawaii anymore — it’s going to be a resort community. Are we really thinking about 100 years from now, what this island is going to look like?”