Controversy Over Mediterranean New Town Project That Raised 24.7 Billion Won by Attracting Residents Through 'Hot Girl' Promotion

"Working with Two Former Prime Ministers" Claim
Many Celebrities Mentioned by Praxis Remain Unresponsive

American Dryden Brown (27) has announced a project to "build a new city in the Mediterranean," which is stirring controversy. Various suspicions have been raised, including claims that women are being used to attract residents.

At the 'Startup Association' conference held last October in Amsterdam, Netherlands, American Dryden Brown (27) took the stage. Wearing a gray hoodie, he announced his ambitious goal to build a new city in the Mediterranean by 2026.
[Photo by YouTube]

Brown revealed his city construction plan led by his community Praxis (a Greek word meaning 'putting theory into practice') on stage at a startup association conference held last October in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The announcement stated that a new city would be built in the Mediterranean to establish a community of IT companies, covering thousands of acres (1 acre ? 1,223 pyeong) and designated as a special economic zone. He also claimed, "I am currently working with two former prime ministers," and "I am receiving inquiries from interested countries."

Recently, he posted on his social media, "Apply for a visa if you want to become a resident." Following this, certification photos from those who completed visa applications have been circulating. The amount of money raised so far under the name of Praxis construction is estimated at $19.2 million (about 24.7 billion KRW).

However, foreign media are reporting that the Praxis city construction project is surrounded by various suspicions. The New York Times (NYT) reported, "According to testimonies from former Praxis members who requested anonymity, Brown said he wanted to attract tech talent to the city by introducing 'hot girls' to IT company founders," adding that the gender ratio of Praxis group subscribers is mainly male, at four men to one woman.

There are also suspicions that Brown is inflating the number of members. On the 12th (local time), Brown claimed to the NYT that "12,000 members are interested in moving to the 'beautiful green city' starting in 2026," but as of July, only 431 members were registered on the internal list, falling far short of the number he mentioned.

Additionally, foreign media reported that Brown exhibits neo-Nazi tendencies. A journalist from the British Guardian, after attending a Praxis event hosted by Brown, posted on social media the next day that "Brown showed neo-Nazi tendencies, expressing a desire to 'remove the poor and the unpleasant.'"

Praxis Visa, which Brown claimed "can be used like a passport." Praxis advocates itself as a "gathering of engineers and artists pursuing heroic projects."
[Photo by X (formerly Twitter)]

Furthermore, foreign media reported that many celebrities mentioned by Praxis in explaining the project were skeptical or unresponsive about its success.

The NYT revealed that the name of former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was listed on Praxis's government relations team, but Harper did not respond when asked about his relationship with Praxis.

Peter Thiel, the PayPal founder and a major figure in Silicon Valley, USA, has previously invested in building a "sea city" free from any national interference, but he reportedly evaluated that Praxis lacks the capability to execute the project.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.