The costliest house at the moment on the market in america is not in Beverly Hills or Manhattan — it is tucked into the mountains simply exterior Aspen. Often called “Little Lake Lodge,” the 74-acre property consists of 18 bedrooms, a non-public six-acre lake, and views that stretch for miles throughout Colorado wilderness. The asking value? A staggering $300 million. Here’s a video tour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdv7QlOm4Tw
The property’s sellers are simply as notable as the value tag. Stewart and Lynda Resnick, the billionaire couple behind FIJI Water, Fantastic Pistachios, and POM Fantastic, have quietly amassed one of many largest privately owned farming empires in America. They personal over 175,000 acres of farmland, a lot of it in California’s drought-prone Central Valley, and constructed The Fantastic Firm into an agricultural and client product powerhouse that reaches greater than half of U.S. households.
The Resnicks share a mixed internet price of $8 billion. They personal houses in Beverly Hills, Aspen, and Hawaii. In recent times, the Resnicks’ management of key water assets has sparked outrage from environmental advocates, particularly throughout California’s more and more extreme droughts. And earlier this 12 months, as wildfires raged throughout Los Angeles, false viral claims unfold accusing them of “hoarding” water — a conspiracy concept shortly debunked by state officers.
Who Are Stewart and Lynda Resnick?
Stewart and Lynda Resnick are two of essentially the most profitable — and least public — billionaires in America. Their story begins in Los Angeles, the place Stewart, a educated lawyer, and Lynda, a former promoting government, met within the Seventies. After marrying in 1973, they started buying small companies and farmland, constructing a diversified portfolio that included a janitorial companies firm, a house safety agency, and later, the floral supply large Teleflora.
However their most transformative resolution got here once they began shopping for agricultural land in California’s Central Valley — initially as a hedge towards inflation. Over the a long time, they turned that farmland right into a vertically built-in empire of orchards, processing crops, packaging amenities, and international distribution networks. Right this moment, they’re among the many largest producers of almonds, pistachios, citrus fruits, and pomegranates on the planet.
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The Fantastic Empire
The Resnicks’ privately held conglomerate, The Fantastic Firm, owns and operates a few of the most recognizable client manufacturers within the nation:
- FIJI Water – imported bottled water from the South Pacific
- POM Fantastic – antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice
- Fantastic Pistachios and Almonds – the world’s largest grower and processor of tree nuts
- Halos Mandarins – a dominant model in U.S. citrus
- JUSTIN and Landmark Vineyards – California-based premium wineries
- Teleflora – one of many largest floral supply networks within the U.S.
The enterprise generates greater than $6 billion in annual income, with most operations vertically built-in — from rising and harvesting to bottling, packaging, and advertising. Stewart handles logistics and acquisitions, whereas Lynda leads the branding. She additionally printed a 2009 memoir titled “Rubies within the Orchard” about constructing the manufacturers behind their fortune.
The couple owns over 130,000 acres of farmland in California alone and declare to produce a couple of quarter of the nation’s wholesome snack produce. Regardless of their attain, they preserve a low profile — hardly ever chatting with press or showing in public.
Peter Seligmann, Lynda Resnick, Stewart Resnick
(Picture by Jason Kempin/Getty Photographs)
California Water Controversy
Whereas the Resnicks are broadly credited for his or her advertising genius and farming innovation, their entry to California’s water provide has made them a magnet for criticism. Their orchards — particularly pistachios and almonds — are notoriously water-intensive. And on the middle of the controversy is their 57% controlling stake within the Kern Water Financial institution, an enormous underground reservoir with the capability to carry practically 500 billion gallons of water.
Critics argue that the Resnicks’ water entry provides them a drought-proof farming benefit whereas smaller farmers and close by communities face dry wells and hovering costs. The water financial institution was initially developed utilizing public funds however was transferred to non-public management within the Nineteen Nineties underneath a little-known coverage change referred to as the Monterey Modification — a transfer that is still extremely controversial.
The controversy turned ugly in the course of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, when conspiracy theories circulated on-line falsely accusing the Resnicks of “hoarding” water wanted to combat the flames. Consultants from the California Division of Water Assets and UC Davis shortly debunked the claims, noting that Los Angeles depends on native water infrastructure and had adequate provide; the difficulty was not quantity, however water strain. The Resnicks additionally introduced a $10 million donation to wildfire reduction efforts in the course of the disaster. Nonetheless, the episode highlighted the strain between non-public wealth and public assets in a climate-stressed state.
Charley Gallay/Getty Photographs
Philanthropy, Energy, and Legacy
Regardless of the criticism, the Resnicks have change into two of essentially the most beneficiant philanthropists in California. In 2019, they made a historic $750 million donation to Caltech to fund local weather analysis — one of many largest single presents ever made to a U.S. college. They’ve additionally given $50 million to UC Davis, contributed main funding to UCLA, CSU Fresno, and have invested in colleges, wellness facilities, and housing within the Central Valley.
Politically, they wield quiet affect. The couple has donated hundreds of thousands to each Democratic and Republican candidates over time, and had been main backers of Governor Gavin Newsom, contributing over $430,000 to his campaigns and recall protection. They’ve been lively in poll measures, water coverage initiatives, and regional improvement efforts.
From Orchards to Aspen
The Resnicks’ empire started with a hedge towards inflation and grew right into a vertically built-in machine that dominates grocery store cabinets throughout the nation. However as local weather change tightens its grip on the American West, their legacy — and their management of water — will stay a lightning rod for public debate.
Within the meantime, they might be making ready to dump a jewel of their portfolio. With its $300 million price ticket, their Aspen property may break information — identical to the corporate that made it doable.
