A former eBay CEO bought a 1,530-acre California fishing ranch for $12.6 million; seven years later, she sold it for $17.9 million

Meg Whitman, the former chief executive of eBay, has sold her vast California fishing ranch for $17.9 million, marking the latest chapter in the history of a property that she and her husband bought seven years earlier for about $12.6 million. The 1,530-acre ‘Spring Creek Ranch’ sits in the Fall River Valley, roughly 230 miles north of Sacramento, combining extensive open land with private access to renowned fishing waters. Whitman and her husband, neurosurgeon Dr Griff Harsh, acquired the property in 2019 before moving to Telluride, Colorado. According to Realtor, the ranch went on the market in April 2026 at $18.5 million and found a buyer within around two months. The sale brings an end to Whitman’s ownership of one of Northern California’s distinctive recreational estates and places the property in the hands of a new owner with a strong personal connection to fly fishing.Meg Whitman’s 1,530-acre California fishing ranch finds a new ownerSpring Creek Ranch is known for combining substantial acreage with access to the Fall River and its surrounding waters. According to Realtor, the estate includes private fishing opportunities, a main residence, a barn and several outbuildings. Spring Creek, one of the important headwaters connected to the Fall River system, runs through the property. The ranch is located in the rural Fall River Valley, where the landscape and waterways have long been central to the area's appeal. Another distinctive feature is a custom ‘Airstream fishing camp,’ added by a previous owner. These features helped set the property apart from a conventional country estate, offering a combination of residential accommodation and outdoor recreation. The buyer was California investor ‘Kelly J. Barlow,’ who purchased the ranch through a limited liability company, according to Realtor.The sale ends a seven-year chapter for Whitman and her husbandWhitman and her husband, Dr Griff Harsh, purchased Spring Creek Ranch for approximately $12.6 million in 2019. According to Realtor, the couple later expanded their connection to the area. In 2023, they paid a further $3 million for 57 acres of nearby land. By that point, however, they had already moved to Telluride, Colorado, where they relocated in 2020. Spring Creek Ranch was listed for sale in April 2026 at $18.5 million. According to Realtor, the property sold about two months later for $17.9 million. The transaction closed a period of ownership that had begun with the couple's purchase of the original property seven years earlier.Why was the ranch’s private fishing access so valuableWhile the size of the property was significant, its access to private fishing was one of its strongest attractions. According to Realtor, Todd Renfrew, who represented the buyer, said that the ranch's private fishing opportunities made it particularly appealing. For buyers interested in recreational land, direct access to fishing waters can be a defining feature. That appeal also appears to align closely with the interests of the new owner. Barlow is an avid fly fisherman and serves as the board chair of ‘California Trout,’ a conservation nonprofit. The buyer's background gives the sale an especially fitting outcome. Rather than simply acquiring a large rural estate, Barlow purchased a property whose defining features include the outdoor activity in which he is personally involved.California’s high-value ranch market continues to attract buyersThe Spring Creek Ranch sale also reflects the continued demand for distinctive recreational properties in California. According to Realtor, interest in ranch properties increased during the Covid-19 pandemic as some buyers looked for more space away from major cities. Renfrew said the market had remained ‘pretty steady,’ with properties continuing to change hands. Ranches such as Spring Creek occupy a specialised part of the property market. Their value can depend on a combination of location, land size, natural features and recreational opportunities rather than on the house alone. This sale underlines the lasting appeal of rare rural properties that offer a combination of privacy, extensive land and direct access to natural features. Spring Creek Ranch may have changed hands, but the qualities that made it distinctive remain central to its value.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.