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equally luxurious Lodge at Koele having been built where the Lana'i Ranch headquarters
once stood. Suddenly, with the introduction of the resorts and the addition of more than
1,000 resort employees and personnel the island's population nearly doubled from around
1,700 people to close to 3,000 residents. Today, with the resort having also developed some
private homes on the point around Hulopo'e Bay, the island's population now rests around
3,300.
In addition to more jobs and a cleaned-up face, the resorts brought about a different way
of life to once homey little Lana'i. The island during the plantation days offered a family-
oriented, simple way of life. Many of the island's old-timers long for those times that
now exist solely in memories. Despite the infusion of multisource capitalism, however, the
community remains tight-knit and is the type of place where everyone knows each other's
business and waves warmly as they pass in the streets. Lana'i City is still the island's only
town, although the change is evident in refurbished homes and residential developments
built to accommodate the swelling population.
THE LARRY ELLISON ERA
Just as soon as Lana'i residents had adjusted to life under Murdock, however, the Castle
& Cooke CEO sold his stake in the island to Larry Ellison in June 2012 for upward of
$500 million. Once again, the fate of the island hangs in the balance. Ellison received 98
percent of the island of Lana'i in the deal (the other 2 percent is comprised of federal and
state property such as the boat harbors and personal plots of land owned by residents). At
the time of publication rumors and speculation abound as to the future of the former pine-
apple plantation. While all official releases have pointed to Lana'i becoming a “model of
sustainability,” other rumblings have included a third hotel being built along the shoreline
in Kahalepalaoa (of which construction is currently underway), the airport being expanded
to accommodate direct flights from the mainland (Ellison also recently purchased Island
Air, one of the lone carriers to fly to Lana'i), and there was once even talk of making the
island a winter training ground for the Oracle fleet of racing sailboats. In the first phases of
his ownership, Ellison has done much to spruce up the island including repaving the park-
ing lot at Hulopo'e Beach Park, renovating the restrooms, reopening the public swimming
pool in Lana'i City, and replacing all of the Asian decor in the resorts with more traditional
Hawaiian handiwork. There is also talk that the resorts will soon only be able to accom-
modate ultra-elite A-listers due to their prices. Only time will tell.
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