Latest news with #Howery
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Billionaires dream of building utopian techno-city in Greenland
A handful of wealthy, politically connected Silicon Valley investors are reportedly eyeing Greenland's icy shores as the site for a techno-utopian 'freedom city.' That's according to a report from Reuters, which details a proposed effort to establish a new, libertarian-minded municipality characterized by minimal corporate regulation and a focus on accelerating emerging technologies like AI and mini nuclear reactors. Supporters of increased economic development in Greenland argue its frigid climate could naturally cool massive, energy intensive AI data centers. Large deposits of critical and rare earth minerals buried beneath the island's ice sheets could also potentially be used to manufacture consumer electronics. The so-called 'start-up city'—which bears similarities to another ongoing venture in California's Solano County—reportedly already has the backing of PayPal founder Peter Thiel and Ken Howery, President Donald Trump's pick for Denmark ambassador. If confirmed by the Senate, Howery would lead US discussions to acquire Greenland. In that role, Howery could potentially act as a bridge linking the audacious freedom city investors with the US government. All of that, it's worth noting, will also almost certainly face fierce backlash from Danish officials who have repeatedly pushed back on the Trump's administration's proposals to take over the Arctic island. Proposals to create billionaire-funded stateless societies around the world have been attempted over the years, but none have evolved past much more than a proof of concept. The Reuters report cites claims Howery, Thiel, and prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalist Marc Andreesen are amongst the most prominent names backing the Greenland effort. Howery, who still needs the US Senate to confirm his position as ambassador to Denmark, is reportedly a long-time friend of billionaire Elon Musk and formerly founded a venture capital firm with Thiel. Thiel, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the loudest supporters, both vocally and financially, of the 'Seasteading' movement, which is trying to build floating, stateless utopia cities in the ocean. Andressen, notably, is also part of a tech-investor consortium California Forever looking to build the city in Solano County. Each of these efforts—along with others like the already existing city Próspera in Honduras—are united by libertarian political ideals, a focus on technological development, and lots of money. Rumors around the proposed Greenland city date back at least to November 2024 when Praxis co-founder Dryden Brown fired off a series of tweets explaining how he had tried to purchase land in Greenland. Praxis is a self-described 'internet-native nation' crypto startup with a stated goal of 'restor[ing] Western civilization,' and has reportedly received over $525 million in funding to start building out new cities. Brown told Reuters he has since been approached by several companies to explore establishing a new city on Greenland. Related: [Silicon Valley's wealthiest want to build their own city outside of San Francisco] The idea of the U.S. acquiring Greenland, once widely regarded as a joke during the first Trump administration, has evolved into a serious U.S. foreign policy objective. The president campaigned on the issue during the 2024 election and has since doubled down, despite repeated assertions from Danish officials that the island isn't for sale. Nevertheless, Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, visited a U.S. military installation on the island in March 2024 and delivered a speech urging Greenlanders to voluntarily cut ties with Denmark. (Recent polling shows that an overwhelming majority of Greenland residents oppose the idea of possible annexation by the U.S.) President Trump, meanwhile, has not ruled out the possibility of taking the territory by force. So why all the obsession with a mostly uninhabitable island with a population of around 57,000? Supporters of Greenland development laid out their arguments during a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing earlier this year. During the hearing, Texas Mineral Resources Board Chairman Anthony Marchese claimed Greenland's coastline holds what is 'indisputably' one of the greatest collections of minerals found in a single jurisdiction. That includes rare earth minerals, which are crucial to powering a plethora of modern consumer electronics devices. 'Throw a dart at any part of the coastline and you will surely hit a world class [mineral] target,' Marchese said during the hearing. Most of those minerals are currently buried beneath thick sheets of previously impenetrable ice. But supporters of investment in Greenland argue that new mining techniques, combined with the melting of some ice due to a warming climate, could make those once-inaccessible minerals within reach. Others, like US Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) say Greenland's cool temperatures and proximity to geothermal vents could make it an ideal location to power the massive data centers needed for AI. In theory, that combination of cool temperatures and access to energy could be attractive for tech companies looking to rapidly ramp up computing capacity without relying on fossil fuels. Brown, the Praxis founder, also told Reuters he believes Greenland's harsh topography could make it an ideal site for experiments aimed at replicating the surface of Mars.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Greenland ‘Freedom City'? Rich donors push Trump for a tech hub up north
By Rachael Levy and Alexandra Ulmer (Reuters) - As the Trump administration intensifies efforts to acquire Greenland from Denmark — or take it by force — some Silicon Valley tech investors are promoting the frozen island as a site for a so-called freedom city, a libertarian utopia with minimal corporate regulation, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The discussions are in early stages, but the idea has been taken seriously by Trump's pick for Denmark ambassador, Ken Howery, who is expected to be confirmed by Congress in the coming months and lead Greenland-acquisition negotiations, the people said. Howery, whose involvement with the idea hasn't been previously reported, once co-founded a venture-capital firm with tech billionaire Peter Thiel, a leading advocate for such low-regulation cities. Howery is also a longtime friend of Elon Musk, a top Trump advisor. Howery declined to comment. The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Sources who spoke to Reuters requested anonymity to discuss private conversations. The vision for Greenland, one of the people said, could include a hub for artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, space launches, micro nuclear reactors and high-speed rail. The discussions reflect a longstanding Silicon Valley movement to establish low-regulation cities globally, including in the United States, which Trump himself promised to do in a 2023 campaign video. Proponents use different names for variations on the idea, including startup cities or charter cities, with the common goal of spurring innovation through sweeping regulatory exemptions. The administration's consideration of such a quixotic quest underscores the growing clout of tech magnates and Trump's increasingly expansionist foreign policy. After campaigning on a largely isolationist platform, Trump has since his November election suggested taking back the Panama Canal, annexing Canada and redeveloping the war-torn Gaza Strip after seizing the beachfront land from displaced Palestinians. Greenland is about three times the size of Texas with a population of only 57,000. But the island is strategically important to the U.S. military, which has a base there, and contains substantial deposits of minerals, including rare-earths. Trump has refused to rule out taking Greenland by military force if Denmark won't sell it. 'We have to have Greenland,' Trump said late last month as his Vice President, J.D. Vance, visited a U.S. military base on the island. Vance toured Greenland with his wife Usha Vance, a visit that ignited protests from Greenlanders, who overwhelmingly oppose becoming part of America, polls show. The island is owned by Denmark but governs itself. Greenland's new prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said the U.S. visit signalled a "lack of respect." Speaking to troops at the U.S. military base, Vance accused Denmark of failing to protect Greenland from 'very aggressive incursions from Russia, and from China and other nations,' without detailing the alleged aggression. The government of Denmark declined to comment on the idea of U.S. tech investors founding a city there. Greenland didn't respond. 'NEW MANIFEST DESTINY' The freedom-city movement reflects a fascination with settling new American frontiers, rooted in nostalgia for the nation's 1800s western expansion. Expanding to Greenland 'can be the dawn of a new Manifest Destiny,' said tech investor Shervin Pishevar, referring to the 19th-century philosophy that America was an exceptional nation with a God-given mission to conquer territory. Thiel, a libertarian and early Trump supporter, wrote in 2009 that he no longer considered democracy compatible with freedom and has advocated escaping politics by colonizing outer space or seasteading — building communities in ungoverned oceans. Fellow venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, an informal advisor to Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is part of a tech-investor consortium seeking to build a city on grazing land outside San Francisco. Another venture capitalist and informal DOGE advisor, Joe Lonsdale, also promotes low-regulation cities. In a statement to Reuters, Lonsdale celebrated 'expanding our country to Greenland' but did not comment on plans for a city there. Thiel and Andreessen, leading proponents and financiers of the startup-city movement, are among those supportive of a Greenland outpost, two of the sources said. Reuters could not determine whether the two billionaires are actively lobbying the Trump administration for a Greenland city. Andreessen declined to comment. Thiel spokesman Jeremiah Hall said: 'Peter isn't involved in any plans or discussions regarding Greenland." Musk did not respond to comment requests. Thiel has invested along with Andreessen and Pishevar in Pronomos Capital, a venture-capital firm that has launched a half dozen charter-city projects globally, according to Pronomos founder Patri Friedman, the grandson of famous free-market economist Milton Friedman. Most Pronomos projects are in development and negotiations with various governments, Friedman said, but it has helped finance one existing startup community in Honduras called Próspera. Pronomos also invested in Praxis, a city-building venture that in October announced $525 million in financing for a new city. Praxis' investors include Lonsdale, a fund launched by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his brothers, and Pishevar, who co-founded Hyperloop One, a defunct venture once championed by Musk. Praxis co-founder Dryden Brown told Reuters other companies have approached Praxis about helping to establish a Greenland city. Brown flew to Greenland last year. He advocates for building a city there in part because its harsh environment could provide a test site for colonizing Mars - one of Musk's highest ambitions. "We must build a prototype of Terminus on Earth before departing for Mars,' Brown posted on X in November, using Musk's term for a red-planet settlement. 'I believe Greenland is the place, @elonmusk.'
Reuters
10-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Exclusive: Greenland ‘Freedom City'? Rich donors push Trump for a tech hub up north
Summary Silicon Valley investors propose Greenland as a libertarian 'freedom city' Trump's expansionist policy includes potential military acquisition of Greenland Greenland's strategic importance due to U.S. military base and mineral deposits April 10 (Reuters) - As the Trump administration intensifies efforts to acquire Greenland from Denmark — or take it by force — some Silicon Valley tech investors are promoting the frozen island as a site for a so-called freedom city, a libertarian utopia with minimal corporate regulation, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The discussions are in early stages, but the idea has been taken seriously by Trump's pick for Denmark ambassador, Ken Howery, who is expected to be confirmed by Congress in the coming months and lead Greenland-acquisition negotiations, the people said. Howery, whose involvement with the idea hasn't been previously reported, once co-founded a venture-capital firm with tech billionaire Peter Thiel, a leading advocate for such low-regulation cities. Howery is also a longtime friend of Elon Musk, a top Trump advisor. Howery declined to comment. The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Sources who spoke to Reuters requested anonymity to discuss private conversations. The vision for Greenland, one of the people said, could include a hub for artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, space launches, micro nuclear reactors and high-speed rail. The discussions reflect a longstanding Silicon Valley movement to establish low-regulation cities globally, including in the United States, which Trump himself promised to do in a 2023 campaign video. Proponents use different names for variations on the idea, including startup cities or charter cities, with the common goal of spurring innovation through sweeping regulatory exemptions. The administration's consideration of such a quixotic quest underscores the growing clout of tech magnates and Trump's increasingly expansionist foreign policy. After campaigning on a largely isolationist platform, Trump has since his November election suggested taking back the Panama Canal, annexing Canada and redeveloping the war-torn Gaza Strip after seizing the beachfront land from displaced Palestinians. Greenland is about three times the size of Texas with a population of only 57,000. But the island is strategically important to the U.S. military, which has a base there, and contains substantial deposits of minerals, including rare-earths. Trump has refused to rule out taking Greenland by military force if Denmark won't sell it. 'We have to have Greenland,' Trump said late last month as his Vice President, J.D. Vance, visited a U.S. military base on the island. Vance toured Greenland with his wife Usha Vance, a visit that ignited protests from Greenlanders, who overwhelmingly oppose becoming part of America, polls show. The island is owned by Denmark but governs itself. Greenland's new prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said the U.S. visit signalled a "lack of respect." Speaking to troops at the U.S. military base, Vance accused Denmark of failing to protect Greenland from 'very aggressive incursions from Russia, and from China and other nations,' without detailing the alleged aggression. The government of Denmark declined to comment on the idea of U.S. tech investors founding a city there. Greenland didn't respond. 'NEW MANIFEST DESTINY' The freedom-city movement reflects a fascination with settling new American frontiers, rooted in nostalgia for the nation's 1800s western expansion. Expanding to Greenland 'can be the dawn of a new Manifest Destiny,' said tech investor Shervin Pishevar, referring to the 19th-century philosophy that America was an exceptional nation with a God-given mission to conquer territory. Thiel, a libertarian and early Trump supporter, wrote in 2009 that he no longer considered democracy compatible with freedom and has advocated escaping politics by colonizing outer space or seasteading — building communities in ungoverned oceans. Fellow venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, an informal advisor to Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is part of a tech-investor consortium seeking to build a city on grazing land outside San Francisco. Another venture capitalist and informal DOGE advisor, Joe Lonsdale, also promotes low-regulation cities. In a statement to Reuters, Lonsdale celebrated 'expanding our country to Greenland' but did not comment on plans for a city there. Thiel and Andreessen, leading proponents and financiers of the startup-city movement, are among those supportive of a Greenland outpost, two of the sources said. Reuters could not determine whether the two billionaires are actively lobbying the Trump administration for a Greenland city. Andreessen declined to comment. Thiel spokesman Jeremiah Hall said: 'Peter isn't involved in any plans or discussions regarding Greenland." Musk did not respond to comment requests. Thiel has invested along with Andreessen and Pishevar in Pronomos Capital, a venture-capital firm that has launched a half dozen charter-city projects globally, according to Pronomos founder Patri Friedman, the grandson of famous free-market economist Milton Friedman. Most Pronomos projects are in development and negotiations with various governments, Friedman said, but it has helped finance one existing startup community in Honduras called Próspera. Pronomos also invested in Praxis, a city-building venture that in October announced $525 million in financing for a new city. Praxis' investors include Lonsdale, a fund launched by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his brothers, and Pishevar, who co-founded Hyperloop One, a defunct venture once championed by Musk. Praxis co-founder Dryden Brown told Reuters other companies have approached Praxis about helping to establish a Greenland city. Brown flew to Greenland last year. He advocates for building a city there in part because its harsh environment could provide a test site for colonizing Mars - one of Musk's highest ambitions. "We must build a prototype of Terminus on Earth before departing for Mars,' Brown posted on X in November, using Musk's term for a red-planet settlement. 'I believe Greenland is the place, @elonmusk.'
