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Billionaire asks for $30M for access to public beach

A San Francisco Bay-area billionaire who closed an access road to a beloved beach is asking the state of California for $30 million in exchange for public access to Martins Beach at Half Moon Bay.

<p>Venture capitalist and founder of Khosla Ventures and Sun Microsystems Vinod Khosla addresses a plenary session of the 2008 Washington International Renewable Energy Conference March 4, 2008 in Washington, DC. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</p>

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) - A San Francisco Bay-area billionaire who closed an access road to a beloved beach is asking the state of California for $30 million in exchange for public access to Martins Beach at Half Moon Bay.

The San Jose Mercury News reports Vinod Khosla's attorney Dori Yob quoted that number in a Feb. 3 letter to Jennifer Lucchesi, executive director of the State Lands Commission, which has been negotiating with Khosla to purchase a public right of way.

Lucchesi says her staff does not agree with Khosla's price.

Yob did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Khosla bought a $32.5 million beachfront property there in 2008 and two years later closed access to the beach.A state law passed in 2014 directs officials to consider taking the right of way by eminent domain if negotiations fail.

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