Vinod Khosla—Khosla blocked public access to Martins Beach for over a decade, fought through U.S. Supreme Court
After purchasing an 89-acre beachfront property in Half Moon Bay for $32.5 million in 2008, Khosla locked gates and hired security to block public access to Martins Beach, which had been open to the public for over 100 years. He fought the Surfrider Foundation through California courts and petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court twice (2018, 2023), losing both times. He reportedly preferred spending $10 million on litigation rather than $200 on a coastal development permit. Mississippi described his stance as prioritizing property rights over established public access.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Protection | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Environmental Sustainability | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.745 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.66)
Evidence (2 signals)
Surfrider Foundation won beach access case against Khosla at all court levels including U.S. Supreme Court denial
The Surfrider Foundation sued Khosla in 2013 for blocking access to Martins Beach. Courts ruled that blocking the historically public beach constituted 'development' under the California Coastal Act. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Khosla's appeal in October 2018, and denied certiorari again in March 2023. Khosla's attorneys called the Coastal Act 'Orwellian.'
Khosla preferred spending $10 million on litigation over $200 coastal permit to maintain beach access block
High Country News reported that Khosla was willing to pay $10 million to take his case to the U.S. Supreme Court rather than spend $200 on a coastal development permit application. He locked gates and hired security guards to block access to a beach that had been publicly accessible for over 100 years.