Startup nations: America’s next frontier?
Plus: Rural Spain will pay you $16K to move there
GEOPOLITICS
🇺🇸 Startup nations: America’s next frontier?
The architects of "freedom cities" like Próspera are drafting new legislation to ease the way for more entrepreneurs to launch new U.S. micro-nations. Is this the future of sovereignty?
Caroline Haskins and Vittoria Elliott for Wired
GLOBAL MOBILITY
🏡 Rural Spain will pay you $16K to move there
This small Spanish town is offering a cash incentive to remote workers willing to relocate. But is moving to the middle of nowhere worth it?
Gretchen Eichenberg for New York Post
INTERNET CULTURE
Two influencers are in a legal battle over who owns the “minimalist, dewy-skinned, clean girl” aesthetic—but can you really copyright a vibe?
Mia Sato for The Verge
Check your ranking (and this week’s answer) on the leaderboard here ↗
LONGEVITY
🧬 Will technology replace doctors?
AI, biometrics, and precision nutrition are reshaping health—predicting disease, personalizing diets, and making medicine obsolete. Is the future of longevity doctor-free?
for
QUIRKY
🍮 Why every restaurant has the same desserts
Restaurants push boundaries with bold mains and inventive cocktails, yet dessert is often an uninspired afterthought. Why does the finale rarely live up to the rest?
Kim Mas for Vox
What does it take to build a new city from scratch?
Join us on April 8th for a live conversation with Mark Lutter, a leading voice on charter cities and radical governance. We’ll dig into the failures, breakthroughs, and bold experiments reshaping how societies are built from the ground up.
PS: We have a limited number of free tickets for Borderless readers! Reply to this email to claim one.
SEEN ON SOCIAL
COMMUNITY
💡Want to bring your vision to life? The O’Shaughnessy Fellowship will pay you $100k to pursue your most eye-wateringly ambitious idea
🇨🇭 In Switzerland this May? Explore emerging tech, radical governance, and the future of resilient societies in the Alps
🥙 In Lisbon tomorrow night or Brussels next month? Meet fellow global citizens at the Curiosity Supper Club
While I think modern governments worldwide need reform and readjustment, the thought of giving the powers and freedoms of entire nations to billionaires (and the incredibly wealthy) is nothing less than chilling to me.
All I can see in the long run is greater exploitation of resources, including people, for greater profit. It wouldn't surprise me if it just devolved into modern slavery. I don't think the "Innovation" is worth the cost because the only people to truly benefit will be the wealthiest in the world.
None of these people mention human rights or egalitarianism for these cities—it's all about business opportunities—not the betterment of humanity. They openly state they want to avoid environmental regulations, do gene therapy, etc. Why? So they can legally test on humans, exploit nature, and skip safety regulations. This is something that is already happening in Próspera. Who will be the victims? The poorest and most needy in the world.
I think it will follow the typical pattern of many businesses. Entice with great benefits so that people join, once they're locked into the system and the city is powerful, they'll exploit them.