Hogansville resident and timber magnate Holland Ware has once again been named one of the country’s largest landowners, ranking at No. 21 on The Land Report 100’s Winter 2018 issue, the same position he held in the Winter 2017 issue. The Land Report 100 is a ranking of the top private landowners in the United States, showcasing those individuals who have amassed vast quantities of land. 

In the Winter 2018 issue, Ware is listed as owning 534,900 acres of land spread across multiple Southern states, up slightly from his 2017 total of 534,000. 

“A descendant of pioneering Georgians, the 81-year-old has accumulated substantial interests in Southern timberland spread across several states,” the magazine reads. “Ware has transferred a considerable portion of his ownership interests to the Holland M. Ware Charitable Foundation, which supports cancer research and the humane treatment of animals.” 

Ware and his wife, Faye, contributed approximately $2 million to establish the Holland M. Ware and Faye-Hendrix Ware Advanced Care Unit at the Piedmont Newnan Hospital, which opened its doors in December 2018. In addition, they have contributed approximately $1.5 million to cancer research at Emory and $500,000 to Piedmont’s Breast Health Center. 

Elsewhere on The Land Report 100’s list is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who falls behind Ware at No. 28 with 420,000 acres. 

The Ford family is listed at No. 18 with 580,000 acres of land, while Atlanta-area business magnate Ted Turner comes in at No. 2 on the list. 

Turner, who per the magazine owns the largest private herd of bison on earth — more than 50,000 — owns 2,000,000 acres of land. 

No. 1 on the list is John Malone, billionaire businessman and philanthropist who served as the CEO of Tele-Communications Inc. for 24 years. 

Malone owns 2,200,000 acres of land, primarily in the western part of the United States. 

Holland and Faye Ware both graduated from Hogansville High School in 1955.