Cryptocurrency mogul seeks to bar locals from area surrounding his Maui estate citing underage drinking; Hawaiians fight back : “Mr. Yantis is weaponizing environmentalism against indigenous gathering rights.”

There's a new Zuck in town.

The Hawaiian island chain, floating glorious in the very center of the Ocean Pacific, has long been a hot real estate opportunity for wealthy mainlanders looking for paradise. Swaying palms, coconut wirelesses, mai tai fun though land grabs often leave the local population bereft.

Take, for example, Facebook founder and world’s fifth richest man Mark Zuckerberg’s foil playground on Kauai cryptocurrency mogul Jonathan Yantis’ massive Maui spread.

Regarding the latter, Yanis, The Daily Beast is reporting, has become furious by noise made from locals congregating near his land and has attempted to put a stop to it by erecting official looking signs reading that the area was restricted to “natural sounds only” as there are precious seabirds nesting nearby along with a security guard.

The property, worth some $24 million and purchased in 2020, is one of ten estates Yanis owns around the world.

The move infuriated activists who staged a protest last weekend with lifelong Hawaii resident Summer Starr declaring, “It’s one of the last local spaces. I believe Mr. Yantis is weaponizing environmentalism against indigenous gathering rights.”

For his part, Yanis declares all the noise is coming due “underage drinking,” something he is beneficently trying to stop and that he is yet another victim of “cancel culture.” He told The Beast that the security guard is “Joe Aloha” and that “A lot of the local people really liked [the interventions]. They were grateful because it wasn’t like a gang of kids that were controlling the space anymore.”

Activist Kai Nishiki, who organized the protest, various much disagrees, saying the whole business started when Yanis’ people “accosted” her Native Hawaiian son, who was cliff diving, telling him that “Hawaiians aren’t special.”

He then removed a ladder that locals used to access the ocean.

Nishiki, anyhow, said the protest was completely peaceful and enjoyable for all.

Yanis countered, saying people “showed their asses on the camera and took shits on the front lawn.”

Big trouble on the Valley Isle.

More as the story develops.