He noted that during his childhood he had spent time at a cabin with his father and said he looked forward to growing his own vegetables at Southlands.

The plantation, which is populated with wild quail and trophy white-tail deer, came on the market in October for $42.5 million, and Paul closed on the deal at the end of April, according to Jon Kohler, who co-listed it with colleague Walter Hatchett of Jon Kohler & Associates.

The seller, Brian Philpot, the CEO and principal owner of AgAmerica Lending, which makes agricultural loans, bought the property in 2023 in a private deal for an undisclosed price, Kohler said.

Paul’s purchase “is one of the largest recreational land sales in Georgia history,” said Kohler, who noted that the property had not been offered for public sale for nearly 90 years. “Southlands is an institution; it’s like owning your own professional football team. You get history, culture and traditions, and you’re a land steward dictating its future.”

The property, in Decatur County, is 8 miles from Bainbridge.