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☆ Man Behind California Forever, Silicon Valley's City of the Future
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Hugh Langley | Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

He sees California Forever. And if he can't undo the damage, there may never be a California Forever. California Forever may be a subdivision, but it's precisely the kind of subdivision America needs right now. But here's the thing: California Forever may be a subdivision, but it's precisely the kind of subdivision America needs right now. Places like California Forever aren't being opposed by the people who are desperate for a place to live.

Persons: Jan Sramek's, Goldman Sachs, Sramek, Reid Hoffman, Laurene Powell Jobs, Marc Andreessen —, They've, Christie Hemm, Peter Thiel, Jan Sramek, Jan, Thiel, Goldman, CheatSheet, Sramek's, hadn't, Jonas Rave, who's, —, Guy Saidenberg, Evernote, Marc Andreessen, Jane Jacobs, He's, he'd, Robert Moses, growth.y Christie Hemm, Flannery, Bronson Johnson, David George, Andreessen Horowitz, Marilyn Farley, Farley, Solano County's, Kathleen Threlfall, Bill Mortimore, California Forever's, Jessica Christian, he's, Lyle Lanley, Solano, Sam Houston, weren't, Gabriel Metcalf, You've, John Garamendi, Garamendi, isn't, they'll, latte, Christie, Travis, I've, aren't, They're Organizations: Silicon, California, BI Development, University of Cambridge, London School of Economics, Party, Rising Star, Facebook, York, Sramek's, BI Sramek, Google, American, Planners, Sacramento -, Travis Air Force Base, Area, titans, Farmers, councilwoman, California Forever, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Air Force, Flannery Associates, Disney, San Francisco, Vallejo Naval, Historical Museum, Rep, BI, Solano, Sierra, Goldman Locations: San Francisco, It's, Sramek, California, Rio Vista, Solano County, Napa, Sacramento, Silicon Valley, America, London, Zurich, England, Czech Republic, Dřevohostice, York, British, Eastern Europe, Cambridge, Bay Area, Hayes Valley, America's cutest, Atlanta, Phoenix, Copenhagen, Barcelona, New York, Sacramento - San Joaquin, San Francisco Bay, Lake Tahoe, Toledo , Ohio, Silicon, Google's, Toronto, Big Tech, China, Calif, Springfield, Vallejo, He's, Atherton, Foreverville, Fairfield, Austin, Solano, Valley, Europe

☆ The new power figures in hedge funds do not manage money
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Matt Turner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . On the agenda:But first: Why Wall Street is so happy to see the job market slowing down. New data from Vanguard shows a two-tier job market: one divided between a blue-collar boom and a white-collar recession. Also read:AdvertisementiStock; Rebecca Zisser/BIThe portfolio-manager whisperersThe new power figures in hedge funds do not manage money.

Persons: —, it's, Brian Rose, It's, Christie Hemm, Jan Sramek, Goldman Sachs, Reid Hoffman, Marc Andreessen, Alyssa Powell, Stefano Spicca, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, Rebecca Zisser, whisperers, Gates Organizations: Business, Service, Federal Reserve, Fed, UBS Global Wealth Management, Big, Silicon, California, Vanguard, Microsoft, Big Tech Locations: Austrian, Solano County, Napa, Sacramento, California, Silicon Valley, New York City

☆ AI boom in Silicon Valley is going to worsen the housing problem, says CEO of billionaire-backed company trying to build a new city near San Francisco
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Jan Sramek, CEO of California Forever, wants to build a new city in Solano County, California. The recent "AI boom" will only make the housing crisis worse, Sramek told Kara Swisher. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Previously published information from California Forever revealed that the city will be about 18,600 acres with a capacity to welcome 400,000 residents. A California Forever spokesperson didn't address the question in an emailed response to Business Insider.

Persons: Jan Sramek, Sramek, Kara Swisher, —, Goldman Sachs, didn't, The Lever Organizations: Service, Silicon, California Forever, Business, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Research Locations: California, Solano County , California, Northern California, Solano County, San Francisco, Golden State, Bay, Palo Alto

☆ New California city backed by Silicon Valley billionaires will be about 18,600 acres — less than half the size of the purchased land
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Notably, the acreage is less than half of the nearly 55,000 acres Flannery Associates purchased presumably for the project since at least 2018. Flannery Associates has spent about $800 million grabbing up land throughout the county that sits about 60 miles above San Francisco. But the group also has been in a contentious legal battle with a handful of Solano County landowners since May. In a lawsuit, Flannery Associates accused landowners of conspiring to inflate the land prices. In response, attorneys for the landowners accused Flannery Associates of using "strong-arm tactics" to pressure landowners into selling their land.

Persons: —, Flannery, Solano County —, Flannery Associates, Marc Andreessen, Laurene Powell Jobs, Reid Hoffman, Flannery overpaid, Jan Sramek, Flannery Will Ruin, Mitch Mashburn, Mashburn Organizations: Silicon, Service, Flannery Associates, Solano Homes, Jobs, Clean Energy Initiative, New York Times, LinkedIn, Local, NBC Locations: California, Solano County, Vallejo , Fairfield, Solano, San Francisco, Silicon

☆ What happened to Denise Huskins' kidnapper Matthew Muller? The case was first considered a 'Gone Girl'-style hoax
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Eammon Jacobs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

She was kidnapped by Matthew Muller in Vallejo, California, in the middle of the night. When Huskins reappeared after her ordeal, Vallejo police accused her of staging the abduction as a hoax. Muller was ultimately ID'd as Huskins' kidnapper, and the Vallejo police eventually apologized publicly to Huskins for the labeling her ordeal a hoax. AdvertisementMuller was indicted in a Sacramento federal court on kidnapping charges in October 2015, nearly seven months after Huskins' abduction. AdvertisementBut state charges for the rape of Huskins were filed in Solano County Superior Court against Muller in 2018.

Persons: Denise Huskins, Matthew Muller, Muller, —, Felicity Morris, Bernadette Higgins, Huskins, Aaron Quinn, Quinn, fiancée, Andrea Roberts, Vallejo, Gillian Flynn's, David Fincher, Amy Dunne, Rosamund Pike, Nick Dunne, Ben Affleck, Quinn weren't, Misty Carausu, " Muller, Phillip A, Talbert, Huskins hadn't, he'd, Muller wasn't, He's Organizations: Service, San Francisco, Authorities, Netflix, Dublin, FBI, San Francisco Chronicle, US, Court, Napa State Hospital, CBS, FCI Tucson, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Vallejo Locations: Vallejo , California, partner's California, South Lake Tahoe, Huntington Beach, Vallejo, Dublin , California, Netflix's, Dublin, Huntington, South Lake, South, Tahoe, Sacramento, Alameda, Solano County, Napa, Arizona

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Promoters of a secretive Silicon Valley-backed ballot initiative to build a new city on farmland between Sacramento and San Francisco are releasing more details of their plan as they submit paperwork Wednesday to qualify for the November election. That's why Jan Sramek, CEO and founder of California Forever, and the project's backers are turning to the ballot. California and the San Francisco Bay Area are desperate for more housing, especially affordable homes for teachers, firefighters, police and other municipal workers who make a city run. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesSituated between the Bay Area and the state's capital, Solano County is an attractive location for military contractors, agriculture technology and construction tech companies seeking to innovate, said Gabriel Metcalf, head of planning for California Forever. The plan calls for $400 million to help Solano County residents buy homes in the proposed community.

Persons: stealthily, Jan Sramek, Gabriel Metcalf, Metcalf, Sramek, Laurene Powell Jobs, Reid Hoffman, Marc Andreessen, ”, John Garamendi Organizations: FRANCISCO, —, California, Travis Air Force Base, Solano County —, San, California Forever, LinkedIn, Democratic U.S . Rep, U.S . Air Force Locations: Sacramento, San Francisco, Solano County, Rio Vista, California, San Francisco Bay, Texas, Vallejo, Fairfield, Silicon Valley

Jan Sramek has spent the past several months in restaurants and conference rooms pitching politicians, environmentalists and labor unions on a plan to erect a new California city on open farmland in an eastern corner of the San Francisco Bay Area. The project is backed by a host of big Silicon Valley names, including the venture capitalists Michael Moritz and Marc Andreessen, the LinkedIn co-founder, Reid Hoffman, and the Emerson Collective founder, Laurene Powell Jobs. At an event Wednesday evening, Mr. Sramek, the chief executive of a company called California Forever, took his case to the Solano County voters. Mr. Sramek took it in stride, patiently answering questions and appearing mostly unruffled. He promised improved infrastructure, employment and middle-class homes for the county’s 450,000 residents.

Persons: Jan Sramek, Michael Moritz, Marc Andreessen, Reid Hoffman, Laurene Powell Jobs, Sramek, ”, “ Flannery Will Ruin Organizations: San Francisco Bay Area, LinkedIn, Emerson Collective, Solano County voters, Vallejo Naval, Historical Museum Locations: California, San Francisco Bay, Solano County

☆ San Francisco Bay's only private island is on sale for $25 million — but there's a catch
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

San Francisco Bay's only private island is on the market for $25 millionRed Rock Island lacks basic infrastructure like power and running water. AdvertisementSan Francisco Bay's only private island is on the market for $25 million — but there's no electricity or running water, reported The Wall Street Journal. The island has been put up for sale several times in recent years for between $5 million and $22 million, Durning told WSJ. In September, a private island in Solano County, California was put on the market for $75 million. And in August, a private island in Maine with a cottage and lighthouse was listed for $400,000.

Persons: Francisco Bay's, Brock Durning, hasn't, —, Chris Lim, Lim, Durning Organizations: Service, Street, Contra Costa, Christie's, Estate, Rafael Bridge, Google, San Francisco Chronicle Locations: Francisco, Richmond, Rafael, Marin, Alaska, Solano County , California, Maine

☆ Billionaire group behind mystery Silicon Valley city says it's done buying up land. The company now owns a property the size of Beaumont, Texas.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The group, Flannery Associates, has so far purchased more than 53,000 acres of land. Flannery Associates has been grabbing plots of land in Solano County, about 60 miles from San Francisco, for the past five years. Flannery Associates had acquired about 52,000 acres of farmland around Travis Air Force Base in rural Solano County. AdvertisementAdvertisementFlannery filed a lawsuit against a group of Solano County landowners and farmers in May, claiming that they conspired to inflate land prices. An attorney for Flannery Associates did not respond to a request for comment sent outside business hours.

Persons: Flannery, —, it's, Marc Andreessen, Laurene Powell, Jan Sramek, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Silicon, Flannery Associates, Service, Bloomberg, Travis Air Force Base Locations: California, Beaumont , Texas, Sioux Falls , South Dakota, Solano County, San Francisco, Solano County .

☆ A mystery company backed by Silicon Valley elites is buying up land to build a new city. Farmers say they've been pressured to sell up.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

New filings accuse the company backed by Marc Andreessen and Reid Hoffman of forcing farmers to sell up. Solano County farmers say Flannery Associates targeted them with pressure tactics and litigation. The company has bought up 52,000 acres outside San Francisco to build a utopian city. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe company that wants to create an entirely new city in California, and that's backed by Silicon Valley billionaires, has been accused of coercing farmers into selling their land. AdvertisementAdvertisementCalifornia Forever, the parent company behind Flannery Associates, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, sent outside normal working hours.

Persons: Marc Andreessen, Reid Hoffman, Flannery, —, John Garamendi, Jan Sramek, Mark Friedman, Princess Washington Organizations: Service, Silicon, Bloomberg, California, KQED, New York Times, Flannery Associates Locations: Solano, San Francisco, California, Solano County, Sacramento, Princess, Suisun City

☆ I looked at the plans for the new city proposed by Silicon Valley elites. They're really terrible.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Right now, California Forever is just a website with some ideology and a handful of hopeful sketches with a faintly socialist-utopian flair. AdvertisementAdvertisementCities of the future of the pastThe California Forever art illustrations show at a place that'll look startlingly familiar. Point is, the garden city remains a dream honored more in the breach — in pitches like the one for California Forever. Just about 60 miles southeast of the California Forever site is a residential development called Mountain House. It's what plans like California Forever look like when brick starts getting laid.

Persons: Daniel Burnham, Burnham, Marc Andreessen, Chris Dixon, Michael Moritz, Laurene Powell Jobs, Collison, Flannery, Peter Thiel, Goldman, Jan Sramek, Sramek, Ebenezer Howard, Howard, What's, Foreverville, That's, it's, Banks, John Nash's London, what's, It's, Walt Disney, Gabriel Metcalf, BH Bronson Johnson, Dan Parolek, Adam Rogers Organizations: Travis Air Force Base, New York Times, Flannery Associates, Industry, Truman, California, Western Railway, California Forever, St, BH Locations: Chicago, California, Solano County, Sacramento, Solano, Silicon, Los Angeles, England, Japan, New York, Philadelphia, Seaside , Florida, Pontevedra, Spain, Paris, Tempe, doesn't, Foreverville, Pirates, Caribbean, Toronto, Culdesac

☆ The Silicon Valley investors who secretly bought up $800 million in Northern California real estate reveal unexpected plans for 'a city of yesterday'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Chris Kaye | Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A mysterious company backed by Silicon Valley investors has been purchasing land near San Francisco. They're planning to build a retro city on the 52,000 acres of farmland they bought. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Silicon Valley investors that got the government's attention by gobbling up $800 million worth of land outside San Francisco say the mystery city they plan on building is, well… kinda retro. Solano County Google Maps"The plans that people put forward will be very inspired by those great old American neighborhoods that someone who was born 100 years ago will recognize," Sramek told KQED.

Persons: —, we've, Jan Sramek, Sramek, Goldman Sachs, Marc Andreessen, Laurene Powell Jobs, Michael Moritz of, Reid Hoffman, Flannery, who've, Catherine Moy, Moy, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Musk, Chap Ambrose, Ambrose, Azmi Haroun Organizations: Service, KQED, The New York Times, Michael Moritz of Sequoia Capital, Flannery Associates, Travis Air Force Base, Solano County Google, Boring Company, SpaceX, Washington Post Locations: Silicon, San Francisco, California, Solano County, Bay, Fairfield, Solano Silicon, Austin , Texas, Bastrop Country

☆ A private island near San Francisco with storied connections to Silicon Valley billionaires is on the market for $75 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Point Buckler Island in Solano County, California, last sold for $150,000 in 2011. The 50-acre private island was a kiteboarding hotspot frequented by tech giants. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. AdvertisementAdvertisement"I've run out of money to fight and the island is worth a lot of money," he said. The shipping container clubhouse on Point Buckler Island Courtesy of John SweeneyThe island's ritzy history is part of the reason for its $75 million price tag, Sweeney explained.

Persons: It's, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, John Sweeney, Sweeney, Flannery, Marc Andreessen, Laurene Powell, John Sweeney Flannery, Solano Organizations: Service, SF, Flannery Associates, Laurene Powell Jobs, New York Times Locations: Buckler, Solano County , California, Wall, Silicon, San Francisco Bay, Point Buckler, San Francisco, Bay, Solano County, Suisun

☆ Beware Tech Billionaires Building Brand New Cities - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Molly Turner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

But with so many tech investors at the helm who are eager to pilot new technologies like flying cars, I’m not optimistic. It’s challenging to transform our existing cities and to pilot new tech solutions on our streets. Wouldn’t it be easier to test new technologies, business models and government structures in cities free of pesky people? Market them to people who choose to join and see what the world learns.”But, these new cities are never really built from scratch. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.

Persons: Technotopians, they’ve, they’re, That’s, Lonsdale, Solano, They’ve, ” John Garamendi, we’ll, Molly Turner Organizations: Democrat, Haas School of Business, University of California, New York, Facebook, Twitter Locations: Toronto, Polynesia, Solano County, University of California Berkeley, ”

“I hope this goes to the Supreme Court,” Newsom said. He previously blasted U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna Ryu in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle but had not disclosed his administration's plan to file an amicus brief supporting the city's efforts to overturn the ruling. Her decision has drawn rebuke from Democratic leaders in San Francisco, who argued in court last month for a reversal of the decision. Political Cartoons View All 1154 ImagesNewsom, the former San Francisco mayor, said he’s personally worked on cleaning up three encampments near San Francisco but that his staff stopped him from cleaning up a fourth due to a court ruling. Newsom was asked about the newly disclosed effort by Silicon Valley billionaires to build a new city between San Francisco and Sacramento.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, ” Newsom, Donna Ryu, Ryu, Newsom, he’s, ”, “ We’re, Joe Biden, Biden, He's Organizations: —, Politico, San Francisco Chronicle, Democratic, San Francisco, ”, Republican, New York Times Locations: SACRAMENTO, Calif, — California, San Francisco, Sacramento, U.S, Boise , Idaho, California, China, Silicon, Solano County, “

But as it turns out, I was just not using my imagination, because this year’s Burning Man was an absolute nightmare. casey newtonA bit more of a Drowning Man than a Burning Man, I have to say. kevin rooseYeah, so as someone who’s been to Burning Man, I was fascinated by just the logistics of it all, because it is already a mess to get in and out of Burning Man. kevin rooseSo you are, in addition to a Burning Man escapee this year, you’ve been actually going to Burning Man for a long time. When I say I don’t know what happened, I don’t know what happened to prompt the things that were being directed at us.

Persons: casey newton, kevin roose, I’ve, KEVIN, casey newton It’s, you’ve, it’s, I’ll, casey newton What’s, kevin roose Bluetooth, Kevin Roose, ” casey newton, Casey Newton, Jonathan Greenblatt, Elon, Kevin, casey newton Oh, casey newton You, “ shay, denfreude, kevin roose Schadenfreude, shay, who’s, It’s — casey newton, casey newton That’s, Smart, casey newton Ugh, kevin roose —, casey newton Right, — casey newton, kevin roose What’s, casey newton Sure, ” casey newton Never, Adrian Aoun, He’s, ” adrian aoun, adrian aoun, Larry Page, Adrian, I’m, casey newton Amen, here’s, you’d, we’ve, you’re, Larry, roose, Max, Harry Potter, adrian aoun I’m, they’re, adrian aoun —, —, Rice Krispie, kevin roose Wow, let’s, adrian aoun Oh, adrian aoun She’s, She’s —, We’re, wrenches, hitchhike, I, Gerlach, kevin roose She’s, Y, It’s, They’re, — you’re, casey newton We’re, it’s Elon Musk, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Donald Trump, West, kevin roose It’s, Casey, casey newton Well, Linda Yaccarino, Jonathan, kevin roose Jonathan, ” jonathan greenblatt, jonathan greenblatt, CHUCKLES, I’d, Linda, kevin roose You, Nick Fuentes, haven’t, Kevin —, that’s, what’s, we’re, casey newton I’ve, jonathan greenblatt I’m, We’ve, — what’s, Here’s, That’s, John, “, ”, CASEY, kevin roose Totally, Hank Green, Hank, ” Hank, hank, It’s Hank, Ben Shapiro, kevin roose Hank, Diana Dionisio, Diana, Snapchat, Jay Hepler, Jay, ” Casey, don’t, casey newton Really, casey newton I’m, Holly Godfrey, Holly, Kevin Scott, Kevin Scott’s, Bing, Rachel Cohn, Jen Poyant, Caitlin Love, Chris Wood, Dan Powell, Elisheba Ittoop, Marion Lozano, Paula Szuchman, Tam, Nell Gallogly, Kate LoPresti, Jeffrey Miranda, CASEY CHUCKLES Organizations: The New York Times, Defamation League, porta, Electric, Google, Labs, Black Rock, casey newton Fair, Burning, Reno, Defamation, Elon, Labor, Twitter, Center, ADL, Nazi, Anti, Twitter’s Trust, Safety, OG, YouTube, Cato Institute, US, Microsoft, Kevins, Davis Locations: Nevada, La Habra , California, Spanish, East, Iraq, Coachella, Bay, Solano County, Toronto, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Hogwarts, playa, Haiti, Dunkirk, ”, Gerlach, LA, New York, Reno, it’s Reno, America, Florida, chemo, Tokyo, That’s, hardfork@nytimes.com

☆ Silicon Valley billionaires want to build a new city in rural California, but locals are skeptical of the project: 'Their secrecy has caused a lot of problems'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Janie Har | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Silicon Valley billionaires revealed plans to build a new city after buying $800 million in land. The land was quietly purchased in Solano County, a rural area near San Francisco and Sacramento. Most of the land purchased is in the southeastern portion of the county, with parcels stretching from Fairfield to Rio Vista. Billionaires want to build a new city in rural California, but they're encountering wavering support from locals and lawmakers. Solano County homes are among the most affordable in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a median sales price of $600,000 last month.

Persons: Jan Sramek, Goldman Sachs, Flannery, Laurene Powell Jobs, Reid Hoffman, Marc Andreessen, Marc Andreeseen, Lauren Powell Jobs, Michael Moritz, Paul Chinn, Countess, Michael Kovac, Sramek, Mike Thompson, Terry Chea, Princess Washington, Thompson, they're, he's, John Garamendi, Hoffman, Andreessen, Ron Kott, Kott Organizations: Service, FRANCISCO, Flannery Associates, Silicon, LinkedIn, New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Getty, Fair, Solano, US Air Force, FBI, of Treasury, AP, San Francisco Bay Area, Travis Air Force Base, US Locations: Solano County, San Francisco, Sacramento, Wall, Silicon, Northern California, Solano, Silicon Valley, California, Fairfield, Rio Vista, U.S, United Kingdom, Ireland, walkable, Terry Chea California, California's, San Francisco Bay, Princess, Suisun City, Travis

☆ A mayor told the investors who want to build a new city in her backyard to 'take their billions of dollars and go back down to Silicon Valley'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Moy told Bloomberg she would "do everything we can to stop" Flannery Associates' plans. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Moy told Bloomberg that "this is no way to go about any kind of development," adding: "We're going to do everything we can to stop this." The Silicon Valley elites have purchased about 52,000 acres of land around Travis Air Force Base since 2018, leaving "no part that isn't touched by Flannery," Moy told ABC 7 News. Speaking to CNBC about the Flannery plan, Moy said the Air Force base "can't function" with a settlement encroaching on it.

Persons: Catherine Moy, Moy, Flannery, John Garamendi, Solano County's, Marc Andreessen, Reid Hoffman, Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs Organizations: Solano, Bloomberg, Service, Daily, Flannery Associates, New York Times, Travis Air Force Base, ABC, CNBC, Air Force Locations: Fairfield, Wall, Silicon, California, Solano County, San Francisco

☆ This is how the billionaires planning a new city near San Francisco imagine their utopia could look
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

California Forever posted CGIs of the "walkable community" on its website. California Forever, the parent company of Flannery Associates, launched its website and shared first images of what the city in Solano County could look like if it goes ahead. However, details of just how California Forever intends to go about creating its utopian city are sparse. It now has to gain approval from Solano County residents, 2,000 of which have already been surveyed, California Forever's website states. California Forever didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Persons: Flannery, who've, Catherine Moy, John Garamendi, didn't Organizations: California, Service, Flannery Associates, Residents, Silicon, NBC Bay Area, California Forever Locations: California, Wall, Silicon, Solano County, Solano, Solano Fairfield, Solano county

☆ A company that counts billionaires Marc Andreessen and Laurene Powell Jobs as investors says it's bought 50,000 acres of land to build a new 'walkable' city in northern California. Here's everything w
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

California Forever says it wants to build a "walkable" city with new jobs, surrounded by an agricultural greenbelt. The company, Flannery Associates, has been quiet until now, but its parent company California Forever just launched a new website detailing its master plan. Solano County sits between Sacramento, San Francisco, and Napa Valley, and has a population of around 450,000 across just over 900 square miles. Sramek founded California Forever in 2017 and recently bought a family home there. "Now that we're no longer limited by confidentiality, we are eager to begin a conversation about the future of Solano County," it says.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Marc Andreessen, Laurene Powell Jobs, Flannery, Jan Sramek, he'd, Jan, Sramek, it's, Who's, Chris Dixon, John Doerr, Nat Friedman, Daniel Gross, Reid Hoffman, Michael Moritz, Andreessen Horowitz, Patrick, John Collison Organizations: Goldman, Service, Flannery Associates, California Forever, Travis Air Force Base, California Forever's, California Delta, California Locations: San Francisco, California, Wall, Silicon, Solano County, Sacramento, Napa Valley, Solano, Fairfield, Rio Vista, walkable

What if you built a new city from the ground up? Mr. Sramek, a former Goldman Sachs trader, had moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to make it in tech. He was a European immigrant smitten with the energy of local start-ups, but he preferred more walkable cities like Zurich. Soon, he began taking fishing trips to Solano County on the San Francisco Bay’s eastern edge. A rural corner of the county eventually became the centerpiece of a plan hatched by Mr. Sramek to build a city from scratch.

Persons: Jan Sramek, Sramek, Goldman Sachs, Flannery Organizations: San, San Francisco Bay Area, Flannery Associates Locations: San Francisco Bay, European, Zurich, Solano County, San Francisco, Silicon Valley

☆ A century before Silicon Valley billionaires pitched a brand new city in this California county, wealthy businessmen tried — and failed — to do the same thing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A group of Silicon Valley investors are planning to build a city in Solano County. The project, Solano City, failed as money ran dry and investors couldn't attract enough buyers. "The Market is TWO HOURS AWAY," one advertisement read, pointing an arrow from San Francisco to Solano City. Solano Irrigated Farms was soon unable to keep up with bills, and "Solano City died almost overnight," according to the historical database. Remnants of Solano City in progress can be seen in the county, Paul said.

Persons: Flannery, Patrick Calhoun, John Calhoun, Bil Paul, Paul, Solano, They're Organizations: Service, Silicon, Sacramento —, Flannery Associates Locations: Silicon, Solano County, Solano City, Wall, Solano County —, San Francisco, Sacramento, Dixon, Washington, San Francisco Bay, California, Solano, Farms, City

☆ It's doubtful that Silicon Valley billionaires could pull off building a new city from scratch in a remote California farmland anytime soon, developer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Silicon Valley billionaires buying up land in Solano County, California, could face big hurdles. In 2017, Flannery Associates pitched an idea to create a new, walkable city in Solano County. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. With the land purchased, the group's plot of land has started to encircle Travis Air Force Base nearby, according to The Wall Street Journal. AdvertisementAdvertisementThey're also not the first Silicon Valley billionaires using their extreme wealth to chase bold developing ambitions only to be met with grinding bureaucracy.

Persons: Flannery, Marc Andreessen, Laurene Powell Jobs —, Mark Friedman, It's, John Garamendi —, —, They're, Elon Musk Organizations: Flannery Associates, Service, Silicon, New York Times, Travis Air Force Base, Wall Street, Times, San Francisco, Democratic, FBI, Treasury Locations: Solano County , California, Solano County, Wall, Silicon, San Francisco , California, California, Sacramento

☆ Where Tech Investors Are Buying Up Land, Locals Are Worried
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Holly Secon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In a rural slice of California’s Solano County, between the cities of the Bay Area and Sacramento, rumors have been swirling for years about “the Flanneries,” a mystery company buying up mostly undeveloped land. “There’s sheep farms, there’s cattle ranches, and guys that are doing hay and safflower farming,” said the employee, Ashley Morrill, 40. “That’s what they do. There’s livestock, and things to feed the livestock.”Solano County’s rural roots are still front and center in an area where a company backed by tech industry billionaires has been buying up land to create what they imagine to be a city of the future. That company, Flannery Associates, has committed roughly $900 million to secure thousands of acres of farmland, court documents show.

Persons: ”, Ashley Morrill, “, ” Solano, Flannery Organizations: Bay, Flannery Associates Locations: California’s Solano County, Bay Area, Sacramento, ”

☆ A mystery company backed by Silicon Valley billionaires has purchased tens of thousands of acres of land for more than $800 million to build a new city near San Francisco
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A company called Flannery Associates has been purchasing land in a county near San Francisco. The company, Flannery Associates, has spent $800 million to purchase thousands of acres of farmland in Solano County, which sits northeast of San Francisco, court documents obtained by Insider show. But the spending price has since soared, with Flannery spending up to $15,000 per acre, lawyers for Flannery Associates said in court documents. Attorneys for Flannery Associates and the landowners did not respond to a request for comment outside of working hours. AdvertisementAdvertisementMusk recently purchased 3,500 acres of land outside of Austin, Texas, to build a town he intends to call "Snailbrook."

Persons: Flannery, Marc Andreessen, Laurene Powell Jobs, Catherine Moy, Jan Sramek, Goldman Sachs, Powell Jobs, Michael Moritz of, Reid Hoffman, Moritz, Y, We're, Bill Gates, Elon Musk Organizations: Service, Silicon, The New York Times, Flannery Associates, Street Journal, Travis Air Force Base, Air Force Base Google, ABC, Times, Michael Moritz of Sequoia Capital, LinkedIn, Solano County Google, The Times, Tech Locations: San Francisco, Wall, Silicon, California, Solano County, Fairfield, Real, Austin , Texas, Colorado

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