In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 lockdown, Mr. Brown founded Praxis, an ambitious project to build a city from scratch. The idea originated from his experience of being trapped inside his apartment during Covid and his interest in colonial America. Mr. Brown’s motivation for Praxis was also influenced by witnessing looters breaking shop windows in SoHo during the protests following the murder of George Floyd.
A transcript of recordings with a speechwriter revealed Mr. Brown’s biographical information and his ambition to create a charter city, a decentralized economic zone championed by libertarians. Despite being rejected from prestigious universities, he pursued his dream and eventually ended up working at a hedge fund. After being fired from the hedge fund, he continued to pursue his dream of building a city.
Together with his co-founder, Charlie Callinan, who he met at the hedge fund, the pair traveled to Nigeria and Ghana in 2019, where they proposed building a financial center to the vice president of Ghana. However, their plans were derailed by the pandemic.
Mr. Brown’s latest project Praxis aims to recreate the idealized society of 1776 America. The project’s features include a floating central park, Harvard and Yale campuses, and an idyllic town square. Mr. Brown’s Praxis is part of a broader trend of charter city projects, including the most advanced one, Próspera, on the Honduran island of Roatán.
Despite the initial idea and ambition behind Praxis, questions have been raised regarding the feasibility and ethical implications of such a project. The combination of Mr. Brown’s personal aspirations and his desire to capitalize on the opportunity presented by the pandemic raises concerns about the potential impact on the host country and its residents.
While Mr. Brown and his team at Praxis continue to work toward their ambitious goal, the project faces scrutiny and skepticism. As Praxis develops, it remains to be seen whether it will achieve its vision of creating a new city from scratch.
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