Peter Thiel funds Bioshock-esque project to construct floating sovereign nations

August 16, 2011 By Jeff Hughes

Billionaire Peter Thiel's hunt for the eccentric finds him funding a Bioshock-esque project aiming to construct floating island nations.

In a move eerily reminiscent of Bioshock’s Rapture building business tycoon Andrew Ryan, Billionaire PayPal founder and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel has donated $1.25 million to a project to design laissez-faire floating city-states.

According to a Details magazine profile, Thiel is looking for the new frontier. He believes he has found that frontier in the Seasteading Institute, an initiative headed by former Google engineer Patri Friedman in 2008. The idea is to establish (manufacture) small city-states built on platforms similar to oil-rigs which would be stationed in international waters; there they would be autonomous blank-slates, ready to be inscribed with fresh governing ideas.

“The ultimate goal,” Friedman says, “is to open a frontier for experimenting with new ideas for government.”’

Details points out, with Thiel and Friedman both being Libertarians, the project is an alternative to the indifference their party has faced in polls. With Seasteading they would have their chance to implement policies in a sort of “floating petri dish” filled with no minimum wage, looser building codes, no welfare and less restrictions on weapons.

Thiel posited that one possible model for government be based on a corporation which ‘starts a country as a business’; he calls it Appletopia. It would be tantamount to a benevolent dictatorship where “citizenship is a free agency”. Thiel and his partners envision a sort of cartel of governments forcing a competition between governments in desirability to attract the choicest citizens onto their barge.

Seasteading’s Friedman believes that the city-states will start off small but aims to have millions of residents by the year 2050. The prototype plan is a 12,000-ton structure which will be able to house 270 residents and have the ability to interlock with similar structures. The project aims to take off from the coast of San Francisco next year, and within 7 years be recognized by the United Nations.

Showing 15 comments

Blueseed at 5:16am 19th August 2011 http://www.digitaltrends.com/international/paypal-founder-peter-thiel-funds-bioshock-esque-project-to-construct-floating-sovereign-nations/It is unfortunate when the press misrepresents projects like this, and the audience starts drawing fantastic associations (Bioshock) or presenting silly objections (warring with neighboring countries). For the record, The Seasteading Institute has an FAQ addressing all these objections at http://www.seasteading.org/about-seasteading/frequently-asked-questionsSeasteading is a peaceful attempt to improve governments, by allowing like-minded people the opportunity to experiment with new social and political systems. It doesn't encourage one type of government or another.It's also much more realistic than the Details article portrays it to be. Seasteading is starting with a barge anchored 24.1 miles off the coast of California, in close proximity to Silicon Valley, and right outside the US territorial waters. The ship will sail under a flag of convenience just like cruise ships, and will allow professionals without a US work visa to legally work very close to Silicon Valley. That is a huge advantage for startups, or any high-tech company that wants to thrive off the innovative climate in Silicon Valley.More at http://blueseed.co
Frederic Ditan at 9:03pm 18th August 2011 If you want to build your own country 'artificially' you have to build strict policies and establish proper communication w/ a country that you can call as your major ally
Frederic Ditan at 8:55pm 18th August 2011 you'reright @DANG206......can anyone help you once your neighbor declare war... that's one of the major thing to consider..... 'security' against terrorism and villains
Stephanie Hampton Jean at 5:38pm 17th August 2011 Until we find another planet to run things here from perhaps?
Stephanie Hampton Jean at 5:38pm 17th August 2011 Until we find another planet to run things here from perhaps?
Tim Bledsoe at 5:16pm 17th August 2011 This won't end badly or anything.
Tim Bledsoe at 5:16pm 17th August 2011 This won't end badly or anything.
Scott Aron Bloom at 3:58pm 17th August 2011 DIdnt he see Waterworld?? It didnt turn out so well
Scott Aron Bloom at 3:58pm 17th August 2011 DIdnt he see Waterworld?? It didnt turn out so well
Cassandra Mantis at 3:56pm 17th August 2011 What a cool concept!
Cassandra Mantis at 3:56pm 17th August 2011 What a cool concept!
IlPrincipe at 6:31am 17th August 2011 We live in strange times.
1. dang206 at 8:23am 18th August 2011 Yes we do. I'm curious about this. How long will they really last?
  1. IlPrincipe at 10:08am 18th August 2011 I think they will probably run out of funding or indefinitely postpone this project. Still a cool idea. In essence I could write a constitution and declare my one-storey house: "The Republic of IlPrincipe". The neighbours will probably scoff at it though :(
    dang206 at 10:58am 18th August 2011 Haha. I wonder who you call when your neighbors decide to declare war. ;)