Less than a year ago, we learned that a bunch of Bay Area tech billionaires had their sights set on creating a brand new city out of thousands of acres of California farmland. The so-called California Forever project, initially announced last August, has captured the world’s attention with its god-like ambitions and impressive financial backing. With support from the likes of Marc Andreessen and Reid Hoffman, the project has an ample financial war chest and a veritable army of people working overtime to make sure that this pipe-dream-esque concept becomes a reality.
But can they pull it off? To be honest, the prospects look dim. For one thing, no private group has built a city from scratch since…I’m not sure when. For another thing, if the people behind the project are known for their ability to accumulate wealth, they aren’t exactly known for their clear-eyed realism. After all, half of them have spent years telling us how cool crypto is.
That said, they seem serious enough about the project’s completion that you’d be tempted to give them the benefit of the doubt. As the project’s development nears a critical juncture, we decided to take a look back at everything that’s happened up until this point. Here’s a quick rundown on where the California Forever project’s been so far, and where it might be headed.