Santa Catalina Island in California isn’t owned by a single person; it’s split mainly between a conservation nonprofit and a family-owned company descended from the Wrigley chewing-gum family.

Who owns Catalina Island today?

  • About 90% of the island is owned and managed by the nonprofit Catalina Island Conservancy , which was created in the 1970s.
  • The land for the Conservancy came from Philip Wrigley , who deeded more than 42,000 acres from the Santa Catalina Island Company to the Conservancy in 1975.
  • The remaining developed resort areas, major tourist facilities, and many commercial operations (especially in Avalon and a few other pockets) are owned and run by the Santa Catalina Island Company , which is still controlled by descendants of William Wrigley Jr.

In other words, most of the open space and wild interior is Conservancy land, while most hotels, attractions, and key visitor areas are under the Catalina Island Company.

Quick history in one glance

  • 1800s: The entire island passes through private owners, including James Lick , once one of the richest men in California.
  • 1890s: The Banning brothers buy the island and form the Santa Catalina Island Company to develop it as a resort.
  • 1919: William Wrigley Jr. , the chewing-gum magnate, buys controlling interest in the Santa Catalina Island Company and effectively controls the island’s development.
  • 1972–1975: The Catalina Island Conservancy is created, and in 1975 Philip Wrigley deeds roughly 90% of the island to it for long‑term conservation.

So if you’re wondering “who owns Catalina Island?”

You can think of it like this:

  • Legal/landside:
    • Majority owner: Catalina Island Conservancy (nonprofit, preserves most of the land and interior).
* Major private owner: **Santa Catalina Island Company** , still Wrigley-family–controlled, runs many resorts and attractions.
  • Practical experience as a visitor:
    • When you hike, see bison, or explore wild backcountry, you’re mostly on Conservancy land.
* When you stay in a hotel, play golf, visit the Casino Ballroom, or hang out at Descanso Beach, you’re often on or using property run by the Catalina Island Company.

TL;DR: Catalina Island is mostly owned by the Catalina Island Conservancy , with major developed areas owned and operated by the Wrigley-family‑controlled Santa Catalina Island Company.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.