Area man says he will not sell his land to the AI companies just so they can build a Data Center. When this reporter asked why he would not grab at the offer of twenty-six million dollars for land that is worth one tenth of that Albin Murtenson responded. “Two-six million? And you say my land is worth one tenth of twenty-six million? How much money is that, anyways?”
When the reporter told Mr. Murtenson that a local realtor estimated his land as presently being worth about 2.6 million dollars, Mr. Murtenson stood up from his coffee thermos and let out a yell. “Whooo. Weeee! Price like 
that I should move to town. But a man be a damn fool to pay twenty-six million. I’d be afraid he might give me a check that might bounce as soon as take it to the bank and try to cash it in.”
Grand daddy rolling in his grave.
Albin went on after doing a little jig in the freshly tilled field. “Can you imagine that? 2.6 million dollars for this low land? My grand daddy must be rolling over in his grave. Probably jabbing grandma in the ribs, making sure she heard that.”
The reporter then reiterated that the AI companies were offering him ten times that or twenty-six million. Mr. Murtenson paused for a bit, looked down at the ground then kicked a bit of the dirt with his foot. “What’s that AI anyway. If they wanna give a man 26 million dollars for land only worth 2.6 million, I’m thinking it might mean Anti-Intelligent! And they say they wanna make a data center out here in the middle of nowhere, out here in the country? What’s an data center do? They keep the county tax records in there? I don’t know about this stuff but I think it might be like the Publishers Clearing House. You ever know anyone to get that money?”
This reporter must report that he has never met a man quite like Albin Murtenson. Even though it appears he had little idea how much his land was worth, what AI is or even what a Data Center houses, he appears to have a good grasp on what is most important to him. As we talked for awhile, and I told him I needed to get back to the city and file this report he smiled at me, shook my hand and then gestured to his land. “I got this from my pa, and he got it from his, and we appreciate hearing the birds and occasionally a fox, down by the stream. Say that check for twenty-six million dollars don’t bounce at the bank in town… Then what I got?”
