The Secretive Billionaires Behind FIJI Water And Wonderful Pistachios Just Listed A $300 Million Aspen Estate

The most expensive home currently for sale in the United States isn't in Beverly Hills or Manhattan — it's tucked into the mountains just outside Aspen. Known as "Little Lake Lodge," the 74-acre estate includes 18 bedrooms, a private six-acre lake, and views that stretch for miles across Colorado wilderness. The asking price? A staggering $300 million. Here is a video tour:

The property's sellers are just as notable as the price tag. Stewart and Lynda Resnick, the billionaire couple behind FIJI Water, Wonderful Pistachios, and POM Wonderful, have quietly amassed one of the largest privately owned farming empires in America. They own over 175,000 acres of farmland, much of it in California's drought-prone Central Valley, and built The Wonderful Company into an agricultural and consumer product powerhouse that reaches more than half of U.S. households.

The Resnicks share a combined net worth of $8 billion. They own homes in Beverly Hills, Aspen, and Hawaii. In recent years, the Resnicks' control of key water resources has sparked outrage from environmental advocates, especially during California's increasingly severe droughts. And earlier this year, as wildfires raged across Los Angeles, false viral claims spread accusing them of "hoarding" water — a conspiracy theory quickly debunked by state officials.

Who Are Stewart and Lynda Resnick?

Stewart and Lynda Resnick are two of the most successful — and least public — billionaires in America. Their story begins in Los Angeles, where Stewart, a trained lawyer, and Lynda, a former advertising executive, met in the 1970s. After marrying in 1973, they began acquiring small businesses and farmland, building a diversified portfolio that included a janitorial services company, a home security firm, and later, the floral delivery giant Teleflora.

But their most transformative decision came when they started buying agricultural land in California's Central Valley — initially as a hedge against inflation. Over the decades, they turned that farmland into a vertically integrated empire of orchards, processing plants, packaging facilities, and global distribution networks. Today, they are among the largest producers of almonds, pistachios, citrus fruits, and pomegranates in the world.

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The Wonderful Empire

The Resnicks' privately held conglomerate, The Wonderful Company, owns and operates some of the most recognizable consumer brands in the country:

• FIJI Water – imported bottled water from the South Pacific
• POM Wonderful – antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice
• Wonderful Pistachios and Almonds – the world's largest grower and processor of tree nuts
• Halos Mandarins – a dominant brand in U.S. citrus
• JUSTIN and Landmark Vineyards – California-based premium wineries
• Teleflora – one of the largest floral delivery networks in the U.S.

The business generates more than $6 billion in annual revenue, with most operations vertically integrated — from growing and harvesting to bottling, packaging, and marketing. Stewart handles logistics and acquisitions, while Lynda leads the branding. She also published a 2009 memoir titled "Rubies in the Orchard" about building the brands behind their fortune.

The couple owns over 130,000 acres of farmland in California alone and claim to supply about a quarter of the nation's healthy snack produce. Despite their reach, they maintain a low profile — rarely speaking to press or appearing in public.

Peter Seligmann, Lynda Resnick, Stewart Resnick

(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

California Water Controversy

While the Resnicks are widely credited for their marketing genius and farming innovation, their access to California's water supply has made them a magnet for criticism. Their orchards — especially pistachios and almonds — are notoriously water-intensive. And at the center of the controversy is their 57% controlling stake in the Kern Water Bank, a massive underground reservoir with the capacity to hold nearly 500 billion gallons of water.

Critics argue that the Resnicks' water access gives them a drought-proof farming advantage while smaller farmers and nearby communities face dry wells and soaring prices. The water bank was originally developed using public funds but was transferred to private control in the 1990s under a little-known policy change known as the Monterey Amendment — a move that remains highly controversial.

The debate turned ugly during the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, when conspiracy theories circulated online falsely accusing the Resnicks of "hoarding" water needed to fight the flames. Experts from the California Department of Water Resources and UC Davis quickly debunked the claims, noting that Los Angeles relies on local water infrastructure and had sufficient supply; the issue was not volume, but water pressure. The Resnicks also announced a $10 million donation to wildfire relief efforts during the crisis. Nonetheless, the episode highlighted the tension between private wealth and public resources in a climate-stressed state.

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Philanthropy, Power, and Legacy

Despite the criticism, the Resnicks have become two of the most generous philanthropists in California. In 2019, they made a historic $750 million donation to Caltech to fund climate research — one of the largest single gifts ever made to a U.S. university. They've also given $50 million to UC Davis, contributed major funding to UCLA, CSU Fresno, and have invested in schools, wellness centers, and housing in the Central Valley.

Politically, they wield quiet influence. The couple has donated millions to both Democratic and Republican candidates over the years, and were major backers of Governor Gavin Newsom, contributing over $430,000 to his campaigns and recall defense. They have been active in ballot measures, water policy initiatives, and regional development efforts.

From Orchards to Aspen

The Resnicks' empire began with a hedge against inflation and grew into a vertically integrated machine that dominates supermarket shelves across the country. But as climate change tightens its grip on the American West, their legacy — and their control of water — will remain a lightning rod for public debate.

In the meantime, they may be preparing to offload a jewel of their portfolio. With its $300 million price tag, their Aspen estate could break records — just like the company that made it possible.