None of the previous owners have figured out how to make any money off of it.
From NPR:
"It would be nice if Ellison, known for being a visionary, can find a way for Lanai to sustain itself in a way that honors its roots, Maly said. But he shouldn't expect to turn a profit.
"The history of Lanai since western contact is littered with the graves of unsuccessful western business interests," he said. "I can't believe someone buying the island today would be able to get richer off of it."
Current billionaire owner David Murdock, who led a shift from the island's pineapple industry to luxury resort and home development, had been losing $20 million to $30 million a year, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser previously reported.
Ellison has yet to fully reveal his plans for Lanai but his representatives have assured the state senator who represents the island that the high-tech CEO and world-renowned sailor has no plans for radical changes and will be sensitive to the culture of the island.
Still the reality, Maly noted, "is clearly someone has to earn some money. How do we do that?"
And Ellison didn't become the world's sixth richest billionaire without some shrewd business sense"
Losing 20-30 million a year doesn't sound like too good an investment.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...ryId=155632411
Originally Posted by hokiebob01
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