English 
Spanish 
4 min read
0 comments
Meta CEO invests over $250 million in giant Hawaii complex. But what does this really mean for the future?
While many of us are just trying to pay the bills at the end of the month, Mark Zuckerberg is spending more than 250 million U.S. $ in a property worthy of kings. The CEO of Meta is building a true empire in Kauai , in Hawaii. Called Koolau Ranch , the site will house not only two giant mansions, but also a forest with tree houses , an impressive bunker of 500 m² and a security system that would make even the most cautious of paranoids envious, according to IGN. But what does it all really mean?
Koolau Farm: Mark Zuckerberg's 21st Century Castle
Forget medieval castles with stone towers and watery moats. Zuckerberg's new "castle" brings a touch of technological to the concept. With more than 15 thousand m² , the complex includes, in addition to the mansions the size of football fields, a vast agricultural area where food is grown in a sustainable and livestock are raised to ensure that nothing is missing in an eventual apocalypse. Of course, all of this is protected by two meter high walls , surrounded by hundreds of cameras and patrolled by 24-hour security guards. And if that wasn't enough, there's a huge water reservoir , with its own desalination and purification plant .
While to some this may seem like the whim of an eccentric billionaire, the truth is that this lifestyle goes far beyond a simple vacation home. It is closer to a setting that transports us directly to the technofeudalism.
- Pure technology! New Xiaomi toothbrush comes with color screen and motion sensor!
- Ukrainian Navy Revives Century-Old Tactic, Uses Optical Illusion to Disorient Russia in Black Sea
- China revolutionizes the lithium market by discovering how to extract it from seawater without using energy
- 100.000 years without any humans: Inside the Onkalo underground tunnel, the geological tomb that will protect the planet from nuclear waste
VEHICLE ACCESSORIES - FREE MARKET
Technofeudalism: the new digital feudalism?
The issue here is not just about Mark Zuckerberg build a superstructure for their own security. The problem is how this reminds us of the feudalism of Middle Ages . Imagine: while we go about our normal lives, billionaires like Zuckerberg are acquiring huge chunks of land, surrounding them with Muros , creating self-sufficient farms while at the same time controlling data , information e global infrastructure . Sound familiar? A new kind of power is being forged, and it is no longer based on swords and castles, but on servers , algorithms e super properties.
It's like the feudal lords of yesteryear needed to be reborn in a modern format, and in Zuckerberg's case, his “castle” serves as a sign of this new digital feudalism . Instead of counts and dukes, we have CEOs and tech moguls building their own private kingdoms while the rest of us try to adapt to what feels like a new form of control.
Local Impact and Division on the Island of Kauai
Zuckerberg isn't just buying land. He's actually creating a microeconomy on the island of Kauai , where he lives. Since he began acquiring land on the island, he has already donated more than US$20 million for local organizations and to help the population deal with disasters, such as floods and crises generated by the pandemic. But this “charity” has divided the community.
Some see Mark Zuckerberg as a “savior”, creating empregos and bringing opportunities to the local population. Others, however, believe that he is simply reproducing a feudal dynamic, where he becomes the “lord” of these lands, while the community depends on his goodwill to survive. The director of a local NGO summed it up well: “Zuckerberg's presence may increase charity, but it won't solve the causes we need help for in the first place.. "
The future of power: will technofeudalism be innovative?
Ultimately, what we are selling is the consolidation of a new form of power. Tech billionaires like Zuckerberg not only control the platforms on which we communicate, but are now also acquiring vast swaths of land and creating closed systems that resemble the fiefdoms of the Middle Ages. Only this time, the control is not just physical, but also digital.
This movement leads us to question: How far does the power of these technology tycoons go? Are we really heading towards a new form of feudalism, where CEOs of big companies become the new “kings”, controlling not only lands, but also our information e personal data ?
Well, while we wait for answers, Mark Zuckerberg continues to build its 21st century castle, surrounded by high walls and guarded by cutting-edge technology. And what about us? Well, we're here on the outside, trying to figure out where all this is leading us.
Be the first to react!