Appeals court orders billionaire to open beach access

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) — A California appeals court says a San Francisco Bay-area billionaire needs to open an access road to a beloved beach, upholding a lower court ruling against a co-founder of a giant tech company.

The First District Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled 3-0 that Vinod Khosla violated state law when he bought a $32.5 million beachfront property surrounding Martins Beach, south of Half Moon Bay, and blocked the public from accessing it.

The appeals court judges in a ruling released Thursday ordered Khosla to open the gates immediately.

The State Lands Commission has been in negotiations with Khosla, a venture capitalist who co-founded the tech company Sun Microsystems, to purchase a public right of way.

Khosla’s attorney Dori Yob did not immediately respond to email and phone messages seeking comment.