The good news is that the world’s first floating city could really be coming to French Polynesia.
The bad news is that the Martin Shkreli of the tech world, Peter Thiel, will likely be a resident.
Founded in 2008 by Thiel and Google engineer turned “startup country” creator Patri Friedman, The Seasteading Institute has reached a deal with the French Polynesian government to create an “innovative special economic zone” to house what’s being called The Floating Island Project.
An ideal location because of its sheltered waters, French Polynesia could approve construction of the first pilot island by as soon as 2019 if the government determines it will help the economy.
Construction of the island will be pricey and it’s possible land will cost more than $504 per square foot, but Seasteading’s executive director Randolph Hencken is still optimistic about the project’s chances for success.
“The first islands are going to be a pilot project and there will just be many dozens [of people] to get started with,” he told ABC.net. “As we grow and are more successful, we will hopefully see hundreds and thousands of people living there.”
This all sounds hunky-dory, but we’ll wait for the island to prove its buoyancy before moving in.
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