The billionaire land grab
South African billionaire Koos Bekker, the chair of tech giant Naspers, has been on a massive spending spree in Somerset. Through his company, Emily Estate (UK) Limited, he’s snapped up over 2,700 acres of land, including luxury hotels, historic farmhouses, local pubs, and even high street shops. For those keeping count, that includes the high-end hotel The Newt in Somerset, which is a major flex for celebrities like Charli xcx and Kate Moss.
Why the vibes are off
While the billionaire’s arrival initially felt like a win for the local economy, the honeymoon phase is officially over. Locals are lowkey spiraling as Bekker’s influence bleeds into the heart of their villages. The train station at Castle Cary has been rebranded to feature his hotel, a move local food writer Hugh Thomas called “arrogant and brazen.”
The long list of drama
It’s not just the branding—the environmental impact has locals stressed. There are concerns that the estate’s road-building and paving have fueled severe flash flooding in nearby valleys. Meanwhile, the estate is facing heat over its pesticide use on farmland and allegations that its new boreholes might be drying out the local River Brue.
To make matters more ironic, a neighbor reported that the very newts the estate is named after have vanished from his land. There’s also the “performative” nature of their red squirrel conservation project, which rewilding expert Derek Gow described as unviable. Residents are worried the area is losing its soul, with one local, John Sykes, noting: “I don’t want to live somewhere that’s just one man’s estate.”
The Newt’s response
A spokesperson for the estate says they are “committed to our local community” and point to the 650 jobs they’ve created, along with their reliance on various specialists to manage the land.
Why it matters
This is a classic tale of wealth vs. local community. When a billionaire buys up a town, the tension between economic growth and preserving a community’s actual history and environment is highkey inevitable. For Somerset, the plot thickens as residents fight to keep their home from becoming a curated, high-priced playground.
