Mr. Murdock's combined companies make up one of the largest privately-held companies in America, with approximately 63,000 employees operating in more than 90 countries around the world.  Castle & Cooke, founded in Hawai‘i in 1851, is primarily involved in real estate development and ownership, transportation equipment leasing, trucking, brick and building materials manufacturing and other investments. The company also owns two award-winning Four Seasons resorts and ninety-eight percent of the island of Lana‘i, making it the largest privately held island in America.

 

Among Castle & Cooke's greatest assets are its plentiful land and real estate holdings, much of which can be traced back more than 157 years to when Samuel Northrup Castle and Amos Starr Cooke began their business partnership by operating a general store in Hawai‘i. The entrepreneurial spirit, vision, integrity and perseverance of these two men sparked the creation of a company that grew to global proportions over the years and continues its tradition of innovation.