A $13.5 million land purchase seemingly tied to Bill Gates agitated North Dakotans earlier this month, a controversy that swelled further when the state’s attorney general demanded more information about the deal. Now the AG’s office has signed off on the transaction—which closed last year but only recently came to light—saying it complied with state laws. The approval may not mollify aggrieved locals, some of whom felt the 2,100-acre deal quietly went for below market price and prevented state residents from making bids of their own. Gates is the largest farmland owner in America, with more than 240,000 acres to his name, according to Land Report.
