Highlights
- Oprah Winfrey owns a significant amount of land on Maui, with plots in three different areas, including one next to Mount Haleakala.
- Despite having the means to build a new home, Oprah fell in love with the renovated house on her 100-acre property and decided to continue living in it.
- Oprah has a private road leading to her residence on Maui, which she also opened up to help evacuate those affected by nearby brush fires.
In the summer of 2023, the island of Maui was ravished by wildfires. This disaster affected many homes, businesses, and lives. A significant number of the residents there have lived the majority of their life on the island. However, just as many love Maui and own vacation homes or residential property for part-time residency.
Oprah Winfrey has never been hesitant to expand her property portfolio. Because of that, she moved to buy 100 acres of property in 2003. The beautiful land came with a house that the star quickly renovated to become her own. Winfrey is one of many celebrities who call Maui their second home. But what became of her abode and the surrounding neighborhoods as the wildfires came through the area?
Oprah Owns Thousands Of Acres On Maui
With an incredible level of wealth, Oprah is free to purchase whatever her heart desires. Initially, the star purchased a 100-acre lot at the suggestion of her former fitness trainer and current property manager, Bob Greene.
While the land came with a house, the original plan was presumably to renovate it to live in while building a new homestead.
As luck would have it, after the process was completed, Oprah fell in love with the newly refurbished two-story home. She decided to continue living in it while staying on the Hawaiian island instead of building new.
In 2023, she added to her property portfolio, expanding the acreage number to 1,000. While she owns a large amount of land, she still doesn't come in as the top property owner on the island.
Where Is Oprah's House on Maui?
While the exact location of Oprah's home on Maui isn't known, the star owns plots of land in three distinct island areas. Her first purchase, and the property in which her home is located, is next to Mount Haleakala.
The active volcano has not had an eruption since sometime in the years between A.D. 1480 and 1600.
Winfrey also owns hundreds of acres in Kula, a central location for the fires, and in Hana, which is further removed from the area. The land is home to many native Hawaiian species of animals and plants.
While there was some anxiety that Winfrey would further develop the property into commercial property or residential condominiums, she has allowed most of the land to remain in its natural state.
It is said that Oprah's primary Maui residence is an hour's drive from the most impacted areas of the wildfires.
While Winfrey has primarily downplayed the effects of the fires on her property in favor of turning the attention to those who need aid, at least some of her land in Kula likely underwent damage due to the Hurricane Dora fallout.
Does Oprah Have a Private Road on Maui?
With the significant amount of acreage surrounding and leading up to her home, Oprah Winfrey had a private road put in to provide a direct path to her residence and ensure appropriate security levels. However, the celebrity doesn't only use this gated route for her own benefit.
Although Oprah decided against having children, she has found many other ways to care for others, including using this particular road. Several years before the wildfires entered the area, a large brush fire started in a neighborhood close to Winfrey's home.
To help those affected by the tragedy evacuate as soon as possible, Winfrey quickly opened up her private road so that those needing to flee could do so more efficiently.
Local officials obtained the necessary code from Winfrey and her team and provided direction and assistance to those who needed to leave their homes.
Inside Oprah's $6.6 Million Maui Mansion
When Oprah first saw the house that resided on her newly purchased Maui property in 2003, she immediately felt that the right path would be to fix it up to stay in temporarily while her dream Hawaiian homestead was developed elsewhere on the land.
While many people would perform the necessary repairs and call it acceptable, Oprah wanted the old farmhouse to have a complete renovation.
After hiring an architect and interior designer, Winfrey began seeing incredible changes. The master bedroom was moved to take advantage of the beautiful ocean view, ceilings were raised to provide the home with space for more oversized windows for taking in the gorgeous Maui landscape, and a large wraparound porch was added to enjoy the tranquility of the space.
Once everything was completed, Winfrey marveled at the transformation. While she had gone into the situation expecting to only stay for a short while, she immediately decided to forego those plans and remain in the original home.
While Maui has its fair share of celebrity homeowners who appreciate the privacy they receive when staying on the island, the destruction of the 2023 wildfires also impacted celebrities like Mick Fleetwood (and his restaurant).
Having over 1,000 acres on the island, Oprah Winfrey has a vested interest in the well-being of the area and its inhabitants, and has been seen helping distribute supplies to people on Maui.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGibopxdpL2zrcdmo6irlWK1pr6MppiuoV2lv7C8xKursmWUqr%2BqusZmnaKqlah8