David Murdock’s oceanfront house in the Mānele neighborhood of Lāna‘i is back up for grabs with a $17 million price tag, and a lot more than square footage is on the line. The 8,495-square-foot, seven-bedroom estate sits on about 1.03 acres above Hulopo‘e Bay and has been listed and pulled more than once in recent years. Murdock, who died in June 2025 at 102, held on to the Mānele home after selling most of the island to Larry Ellison in 2012, which left this property as one of his last remaining ties to Lāna‘i.
Listing and property details
The three-story stucco house, which has nine bathrooms, custom koa millwork, a crescent-shaped pool and direct access to the Fisherman’s Trail, is being marketed by Paul Stukin of Deep Blue HI and is listed at $17,000,000, according to Redfin. Public listing records put the home at roughly 8,495 square feet on about 1.03 acres overlooking Hulopo‘e Bay. The listing highlights multiple private lanais, broad ocean views and furnishings that include custom koa pieces.
Local reaction
For many residents, the sale feels less like a luxury listing and more like another chapter in Lāna‘i’s slow shift from plantation roots to resort identity. “There are a lot of people who appreciate what Murdock did for this island,” said Lāna‘i native Butch Gima, while local historian Alberta de Jetley noted that some remember Murdock’s heavy-handed management even as they acknowledged the jobs and housing his developments created, as reported by Maui Now.
Where this fits in Murdock’s story
Murdock sold roughly 98 percent of Lāna‘i to Oracle founder Larry Ellison in 2012 but kept this Mānele parcel and a few nearby holdings, according to longform profiles and obituaries. The resorts he developed, the Lodge at Kō‘ele and the Mānele Bay hotel, opened in the early 1990s and still sit at the core of the island’s visitor economy, as detailed by the Los Angeles Times.
Listing history and taxes
The property has been on a bit of a merry-go-round in recent years, cycling on and off public marketplaces. It first appeared at roughly $20 million in 2022, then reemerged at $17 million in late 2024, and it returned to MLS listings in 2025, according to Redfin. Maui County property-tax records cited by Maui Now show assessments in the roughly $11–11.7 million range, with taxes levied near $167,260 for 2025.
Who’s looking and what’s next
Listing materials from the brokerage say upgrades were completed before the most recent relisting and that most interest so far has come from off-island buyers, even as the agent works to find a local buyer too. With oceanfront parcels on Lāna‘i in short supply and most land held privately, any sale could stretch out while brokers hunt for a buyer willing to pay for privacy and a sense of legacy, according to the listing presentation on Deep Blue HI.
Whether the Mānele home ends up as a secluded personal retreat, a resort-corridor investment or a long-term legacy holding for a deep-pocketed buyer is still an open question. What is clear is that the listing is likely to draw eyes far beyond Lāna‘i as long as it stays on the market.
