Tim Sweeney, creator of Fortnite video game buys over 20,000 hectares of forests to save them from concrete

©Emily Wade via Unsplash

While millions of players chop down virtual trees on Fortnite, Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney does exactly the opposite in real life. For over fifteen years, he has been buying up land in the United States with a clear objective: to prevent real estate development and preserve ecosystems.

His 'collection' of natural areas has now exceeded 20,000 hectares of forest, mainly concentrated in North Carolina, spread over several counties and considered to be one of the largest private estates dedicated to conservation. These are not lands left fallow, but areas subject to environmental protection obligations, often rendered untouchable thanks to permanent legal agreements.

Donations to protect nature

Tim Sweeney's strategy is not limited to purchases. In many cases, land is donated to public bodies or environmental associations, or sold at a reduced price to be turned into nature reserves. Some have been entrusted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, helping to protect habitats rich in biodiversity.

An emblematic example? The donation of several thousand hectares in the Roan Highlands, one of the most ecologically valuable areas in the Appalachians. In other cases, the land remains officially private but is subject to permanent easements, clauses that prohibit any future construction, regardless of who owns it.

Emerging controversies

Despite the positive impact on the environment, Sweeney's choices have sparked debate. On the one hand, some see it as a rare example of sustainability-oriented capitalism, far removed from yachts and luxury villas. On the other, observers believe that these operations could offer significant tax advantages, making conservation an economically very advantageous strategy.

The truth, as is often the case, probably lies somewhere in between. The operations are managed via a dedicated company and are part of long-term planning, evoking a structured project rather than a simple impulsive move. Sweeney himself has explained that his aim is to make the protection of these areas permanent, against a backdrop of rising land costs. The focus has shifted from acquisition to the permanent preservation of already purchased blocks of land.

Whatever the motivations, the result is concrete: thousands of hectares withdrawn from real estate speculation and returned to nature. At a time when land is becoming increasingly artificial, even a controversial operation can have tangible effects.

(©GreenMe.it 2026/Managing editor: Selma Keshkire - The Press Junction/Picture: Emily Wade via Unsplash)