Pop singer Akon announced his plans to build a $6 billion city in Senengal, his country of origin.

Work was to begin in 2023, and end in 2029. Even a layman would think a city of this size could need a lot longer longer than just six

years to build.

This is how the 2,000-acre city was planned to look:

Come mid-2024, this is all it has to show for it, minus the cows.

They had planned for the city to be able to support at least half a million people. They had planned to build skyscrapers, shopping malls, music studios, condos, offices, parks, a university, resorts, you name it.

It was one problem after the other. First, a former business partner sued him which he had to pay out only after they were going to freeze his accounts. He credited the delay on beginning construction work on the city to this. He also gave some credit to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the company that obtained the lands to build the city did not pay off hundreds of people who thought they were selling their land, not giving it away.

He also announced a cryptocurrency, called the "Akoin" which will be the only currency used in his fictional city, and eventually, all over Africa.

That has pretty much failed and they haven't refunded any of the people who bought the tokens. First, Akon's team announced that the money used to buy Akoin tokens were going straight to the city project. At one point they announced the donations reached nearly $300,000. Then, when too many people were complaining they had no use for these tokens, the Akoin was abandoned and they were told they would get their money back. They never did. It was a scam.

Where was he going to get $6 billion for his city? Even has-been popstars can’t possibly have that much money. He had one major sponsor, a Kenyan businessman by the name of Julius Mwale. Julius has an illustrious history of lawsuits over unpaid debts, for fraud. Akon apparently was also able to get some funding from the Senegalese government, from private organisations.

It's just another failed urban project. I'm no architect, but the buildings just look dumb, unrealistic; they make the city look like a modern reimagining of Whoville. There's not enough usable, liveable space in them as there could be.

Akon certainly hasn't given up on the city he says he wants to be the king of. The last I heard he was planning to take a longer time - ten years - to complete it.

In other news, actor Idris Elba has just recently announced plans to start his own city off the coast of Sierra Leone.https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/mar/18/idris-elba-reveals-dream-of-building-eco-city-on-island-off-sierra-leone

Why? What is with this desire to build futuristic cities? Is this some sort of ego trip? A scam to make more money? Is it an elaborate money laundering scheme of sorts?

It’s not even a rarity. There have been several attempts at creating a futuristic African city in the past.