The state of California filed a lawsuit against billionaire tech investor Vinod Khosla over access to a public beach connected to his property south of San Francisco, reviving a decade-long legal battle. Khosla purchased land surrounding Martins Beach in San Mateo County, California, in 2008 and has fought a series of lawsuits from groups alleging he has restricted public access to the beach by locking gates and posting “No Trespassing” signs. CNBC reports that California’s Constitution guarantees public access to all coastal beaches below the mean high tide line. California’s attorney general has now filed a lawsuit on behalf of the California Coastal Commission and the States Lands Commission, alleging that Khosla has been “improperly and illegally” restricting access to the beach. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Khosla’s appeal on a lawsuit in 2018, seemingly bringing an end to the suits, but Khosla has refused to back down. He told The New York Times last year that he wished he’d never bought the property and that he has continued the legal battle because of his principles.
