Nearly 2000 children aged 7-14 representing 126 teams are expected to compete in the youth football tournament
It’s the highlight of the year for many of Bermuda’s aspiring young footballers. The 26th edition of the annual Kappa Classic kicks off this evening at the National Sports Centre rain, blow or shine. As the largest youth festival on Bermuda’s sporting calendar, last year’s event drew over 1,000 boys and girls aged 7 to 14, representing 123 teams. And Co-Chair TaijaunTalbot says this year’s event promises to be even bigger.
Beyond scoring goals, the Kappa Classic is about education. And as Mr Talbot explains, this year a number of scouts from schools in the UK will be in attendance.
Bruce Keyes, Admissions Manager at St. Andrew’s College in Ontario, Canada, who will also be at Kappa this weekend said quote,
“Attending the Kappa Classic is a fantastic opportunity to see Bermuda’s youth talent in action.”
Mr Keys adding, “We’ve had tremendous experiences with our Bermudian students, and we’re excited to meet more young athletes who are ready to take the next step both academically and athletically.”
According to Mr Miranda’s niece, Stephanie Tankard, it is not common for him to go missing.
She explained: “He is in a mentally fragile or vulnerable state right now, so we just want to be able to find him and get him the care that he needs. We know he’s not taking any of his medications because he doesn’t have them. He has no money, nothing on him besides the clothes on his back.”
Known to her as “Uncle Mikey,” Ms Tankard described him as a “very easy-going, fun-loving, kind of go-with-the-wind type of person” before his mental state began to deteriorate.
Mr Miranda’s family homestead is in the My Lord’s Bay area. He grew up in the Crawl area, attended Whitney Institute, and previously worked at Bermuda Motors.
On Monday, Ms Tankard and her family were joined by several community friends from the Queen’s Club who organised a search party, covering ground in the Shelly Bay area, but their efforts were “to no avail”.
With the wet and windy weather, she noted that some of their biggest concerns now centre around the elements.
“It’s been cold, it’s been rainy these last couple of days, and that’s our biggest concern because he has no money on him. We don’t really know if he’s in a protected space. We’re just not sure where he’s laying his head—if he’s warm, if he’s hungry. These are some of the most pressing concerns we have when it comes to him.”
Police said they have focused their search on the Shelly Bay area, where Mr Miranda was known to frequent, and will be returning there tomorrow morning.
In the meantime, the public is encouraged to keep their eyes peeled for Mr Miranda.
To those with any information on possible sightings, Ms Tankard urged: “I would probably suggest just calling the police service to let them know, and then they will contact us regarding the status. Any sightings – anything – would be helpful at this point. Nothing is too small. I know Bermuda is a small community, but we’re a loving and proud community.
“My uncle’s lived here all his life and given a lot. I would hope that he has many friends and family out here who just want to see him back in a safe environment, getting the care that he needs at the end of the day.”
Anyone with information on Mr Miranda’s whereabouts should immediately call 911 or 211. If you feel comfortable, let him know that his family may not realise they are looking for him.
The panelist’s discussion was entitled, “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures: The First 1000 Days of Life in Bermuda”
Fiona Dill, Doula and Executive Director at “ It Takes a Village”, Lynn Jackson, Chief Nursing Officer, Department of Health, Allison Outerbridge, Public Health Nutritionist, Department of Health and Dr. Alison Daniels, Coordinator, Child Care Regulation Programme, Department of Health at Bermuda College
Photo: Ministry of Health
The full news release from the Ministry of Health:
The Ministry of Health proudly hosted an enlightening panel discussion, “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures: The First 1000 Days of Life in Bermuda,” in honor of World Health Day on Monday, April 7, 2025.
This thought-provoking event, held at Bermuda College’s Athene Lecture Hall, united experts, community members, and stakeholders to share insights and strategies to advance maternal and child health in Bermuda.
Moderated by Ms. Janice Mullings-George, RN, Founder of Reset to Reboot, the panel featured a distinguished lineup of experts:
Ms. Fiona Dill, Doula and Executive Director at ‘It Takes a Village’, Dr. Terrylynn Tyrell, Coordinator of the Child Development Programme, Ms. Allison Outerbridge, Public Health Nutritionist, Dr. Ricky Brathwaite, CEO of Bermuda Health Council, Ms. Lynn Jackson, Chief Nursing Officer, Department of Health and Dr. Alison Daniels, Child Care Regulations Programme Manager.
Panelists at the Bermuda College’s Athene Lecture Hall, Paget. Photo: Ministry of Health
Minister of Health Kim Wilson expressed her gratitude, stating, “I am grateful to the panelists for their insightful contributions and participation, as well as to everyone who attended this important discussion.
“I also want to extend my thanks to the Health Promotion and Wellness Office, Department of Health team for organizing such a meaningful event that highlights the importance of creating healthy beginnings and hopeful futures.”
The Ministry’s efforts through the First 1,000 Days Integrated Care Pathway Initiative were central to the panel discussion, emphasizing critical milestones such as prenatal screenings, maternal mental health support, and breastfeeding rates.
Panelists shed light on the importance of early intervention, quality child care at regulated care facilities and home care providers, maternal health and wellbeing, nutrition, integrated care pathways, community support, and resources available to ensure a healthy start for Bermuda’s future generations.
Attendees praised the event’s collaborative spirit and wealth of actionable knowledge.
As World Health Day 2025 ended, the Ministry of Health celebrated its commitment to creating “Healthy Beginnings and Hopeful Futures” for all.
Ms. Fiona Dill, Doula and Executive Director at ‘It Takes a Village’, Dr. Terrylynn Tyrell, Coordinator of the Child Development Programme, Ms. Allison Outerbridge, Public Health Nutritionist, Dr. Ricky Brathwaite, CEO of Bermuda Health Council, Ms. Lynn Jackson, Chief Nursing Officer, Department of Health and Dr. Alison Daniels, Child Care Regulations Programme Manager. Photo: Ministry of Health
Police say they were the last to see him on March 28, near the Salvation Army on North Street
Video: Detective Inspector Kenten Trott of the Vulnerable Persons Unit appeals to the public to help locate Michael Miranda.
Fifty-eight-year-old Bermudian Michael Miranda has been missing for almost two weeks.
He was first reported missing on March 27, found a day later, and then reportedly went missing again.
According to police, he was last seen by officers on March 28 in the City of Hamilton, near the Salvation Army facility on North Street, around midday.
Police renewed their appeal to locate him on April 4 and have since bolstered search efforts, involving students from the police training school.
When last seen, Mr Miranda was wearing a green camouflage jacket, blue track pants and black boots, as pictured below:
Mr Miranda is described as being 5’ 5” in height, slim built and light complexioned with brown hair, worn long.
According to Mr Miranda’s family, he is not known to disappear.
Police said they have focused their search on the Shelly Bay area, where Mr Miranda was known to frequent places such as Shelly Bay Beach, Shelly Bay Plaza and My Lord’s Bay.
Stepdaughter Korin Henderson made a heartfelt plea, stating: “Mike, if you are listening or watching somehow, some way, can you please come forward? I just want you to know that we love you and we just want the right help for you.”
She also encouraged the public to help the family in searching for him by checking backyards and abandoned houses.
Police implored residents in the Shelly Bay area to check their CCTV for any sightings of Mr Miranda, as well as abandoned vehicles, backyard sheds and boats where a person might seek refuge.
“If anyone can help, please, I just want him found,” Mrs Henderson added.
Anyone with information on Mr Miranda’s whereabouts should immediately call 911 or 211. If you feel comfortable, let him know that his family may not realise they are looking for him.
Police have invited residents to join them from 9.30am tomorrow in the Shelly Bay area as they continue their search for Mr Miranda.
Local organisation connecting Bermuda’s youth to overseas opportunities
Representatives from eight British boarding schools will be in Bermuda this week to meet with local students, as part of Bridgeway Education’s 2025 UK Education Fair Meet & Greet.
Neil Speight, founder of Bridgeway Education, has spent more than two decades advocating for Bermudian youth to broaden their horizons through overseas academic opportunities.
This year’s event will take place during the 26th iteration of the beloved Kappa Classic at the National Sports Centre. The 2024 Kappa Classic drew more than one-thousand participants aged 7 to 14 across 123 teams.
Mr. Speight hopes that the young football players and their parents will take the opportunity to meet with the school’s visiting representatives to learn more about their options across the pond.
The schools in attendance include: Repton School, Scarborough Academy, Ardingly College, Bede’s Senior School, Bedford School, Clayesmore School, Culford School, and Dallam School.
Speaking with Bermuda Broadcasting, Repton School’s James Wilton and Scarborough Academy’s Remco Weeda say that their respective institutions provide an environment where Bermudian students are encouraged to become the best versions of themselves whilst having access to numerous sports and arts programmes.
Bridgeway Education’s 2025 UK Education Fair Meet & Greet runs from Friday the 11th of April through Sunday the 13th of April at the National Stadium. More information can be found at https://bridgeway.bm
Sign that new season is underway; beachside eatery lifts its shutters
Sea Breeze Terrace at the Lido. Photo supplied
Foodies will be pleased to learn that the Lido complex overlooking Elbow Beach re-opens today for lunch and dinner. A full a la carte menu is available in the Gazebo and on Sea Breeze Terrace.
The Gazebo at the Lido. Photo supplied
Director Jacky DiMeglio said: “If a diner prefers air conditioning, we will be able to accommodate inside the restaurant, although this year we are focusing more on the expansive patio and covered gazebo overlooking Elbow Beach. “Guests have kept calling to see when we will re-open so we are very pleased to share this news and look forward to welcoming back old friends and making new ones.” The Lido restaurant will be available for private events along with Mickey’s on the Beach and the Deep nightclub. More information at www.lido.bm
Chinese bloggers suggested banning American movies in response to Trump’s tariffs
FILE PHOTO: A screen shows a trailer for the movie “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” by Marvel Studios at a cinema in Beijing, China, February 6, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo]
International news via Reuters:
China said on Thursday it would immediately restrict imports of Hollywood films in retaliation for President Donald Trump’s escalation of U.S. tariffs on imported Chinese goods, though analysts say the impact is likely to be minimal.
After three decades during which China annually imported 10 Hollywood movies, its National Film Administration said Trump’s increase of tariffs on Chinese imports would further sour domestic demand for U.S. cinema in China after years of decline.
“We will follow market rules, respect the audience’s choices, and moderately reduce the number of American films imported,” the NFA said on its website.
Chris Fenton, author of “Feeding the Dragon: Inside the Trillion Dollar Dilemma Facing Hollywood, the NBA, and American Business”, said the move was a “super high-profile way to make a statement of retaliation with almost zero downside for China.”
Hollywood studios once looked to China, and its giant film market, to help boost box office performance of movies. But domestic films increasingly have outperformed Hollywood’s fare in China.
Now, U.S. films account for only 5% of the overall box office receipts in China’s market. And worse for Hollywood, China taxes that small amount 50% before any revenues go back to the USA,” Fenton told Reuters.
SMALL BOX OFFICE TAKE
Hollywood studios receive only 25% of China’s box office whereas other markets give studios double that, he said.
“Such a high-profile punishment of Hollywood is an all-win motion of strength by Beijing that will surely be noticed by Washington,” Fenton added.
Earlier this week, two influential Chinese bloggers suggested that one response to Trump’s tariffs would be to ban or restrict American movies. Some exhibitors dismissed the possibility, noting China’s Film Bureau had given Marvel’s “Thunderbolts” an April 30 release date.
The restrictions arrive before the start of the summer box office, with such major releases as “Mission Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” which may mark Tom Cruise’s last appearance in the long-running franchise, a new “Superman” movie from “Guardians of the Galaxy” filmmaker James Gunn, and Marvel’s new take on “The Fantastic Four.”
Seth Shafer, principal analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan, predicted the restrictions would have limited impact.
“Only roughly 25% of domestic wide-release films are now released in China and that percentage has dropped steadily over time due to increasing competition from China’s local film production industry,” Shafer said. “For domestic films that do get a release in China, typically less than 10% of the film’s global gross box office revenue comes from China.”
In 1994, China began importing 10 American films each year through the internationally recognised revenue-sharing distribution model. Imports including “Titanic” and “Avatar” became box office smashes in the Chinese market, making actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio and directors such as James Cameron household names among Chinese film lovers across generations.
China is the world’s second-largest film market. However, in recent years, as local entertainment culture has bloomed, the enthusiasm of Chinese audiences for Hollywood movies has waned.
Since 2020, domestic films have consistently accounted for around 80% of annual box office revenue, up from around 60% previously.
On China’s all-time box office list, only one imported film ranks in the top 20 – “Avengers: Endgame”, with revenue of 4.25 billion yuan ($579.83 million). The remaining films in the top 20 are all domestic productions.
($1 = 7.3297 Chinese yuan renminbi)
Reporting by the Beijing Newsroom, Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles, Harshita Mary Varghese in Bangalore; editing by Louise Heavens, Mark Heinrich and Sharon Singleton
Executive Order allows trade officials to pursue fees on China-built ships; potential impact on Bermuda remains unclear
Photos: Bermuda Container Line’s MV Oleander, built in China (file); US President Donald Trump signs Executive Order (CBS)
Under initial proposals, which sent shockwaves through Bermuda, Chinese-built vessels entering a U.S. Port – which would have included Bermuda’s MV Oleander – might have faced massive new port fees. But a new Executive Order does not make specific reference to fees on Chinese-made ships.
The wide-reaching document directs U.S. Government officials to deliver a Maritime Action Plan within 210 days, identify key components for rebuilding and expanding the U.S. maritime industry, enforce the collection of fees for harbour maintenance, and make a proposal to incentivize shipbuilding in the U.S..
The Order also directs the United States Trade Representative to coordinate with appropriate agencies to support and enforce actions, if any are taken, in connection with the USTR’s investigation into China’s targeting of the Maritime, Logistics, and Shipbuilding Sectors.
However, Reuters reported this week that such fees may be softened, with lower fees for smaller ships – such as those serving Bermuda.
The Executive Order also directs the USTR to consider tariffs on Chinese-built ship-to-shore cranes and other cargo handling equipment – another manufacturing area dominated by China.
A Bermuda industry insider told Bermuda Broadcasting that the absence of language in the Executive Order that directly targets China-made vessels “gives me hope that the U.S. is pivoting away from the initially proposed fee structure…”
“Either way the can has been kicked 90-180 days, depending on how you read this.”
Russia and U.S. bring spa worker and tech smuggler back home in prisoner swap
Journalist Antonina Favorskaya, accused of taking part in the activities of an “extremist” organization founded by late opposition politician Alexei Navalny, gestures inside an enclosure for defendants before a court hearing in Moscow, Russia October 2, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
International news via Reuters:
Russian prosecutors have asked for jail terms of five years and 11 months for four journalists accused of working for banned organisation of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the journalists said as they were led out of court, a Reuters witness said on Thursday.
The United States and Russia swapped prisoners on Thursday, bringing a dual citizen jailed in Russia back home in return for a Russian-German national accused of exporting sensitive U.S. electronics for use in Russia’s military.
Following are some facts about Ksenia Karelina and Arthur Petrov.
KSENIA KARELINA
Russian-American dual citizen Ksenia Karelina, accused of treason for making a donation to a charity supporting Ukraine, attends a court hearing in Yekaterinburg, Russia August 15, 2024. REUTERS/Dmitry Chasovitin/
Karelina, a Los Angeles spa worker who was born in Russia, was arrested in February 2024 while visiting family in Yekaterinburg after agents from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) inspected her phone and found she had donated about $50 to a New York-based charity providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
The FSB accused Karelina of collecting funds for the benefit of the Ukrainian army. The charity, Razom for Ukraine, has said its donations only go to humanitarian projects.
Russian-American citizen Ksenia Karelina, serving a 12-year prison sentence in Russia after she was found guilty of treason, is escorted by a security officer towards a plane at an airport in an unidentified location during a prisoner swap between Russia and the United States, in this still image from video broadcast in Russian state media April 10, 2025. Russian State Media/Handout via REUTERS
Karelina, who was born in 1991, arrived in the U.S. on a work-study programme in 2012 and settled in Maryland, where she was briefly married. She later moved to Los Angeles where she took a job as an aesthetician at a spa.
She was tried behind closed doors in Yekaterinburg, a city in the Urals. Karelina pleaded guilty to the treason charge in the hopes of receiving a lighter sentence, her lawyer said at the time.
She was found guilty last August and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
ARTHUR PETROV
Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian citizen who was released by the U.S. during a prisioner swap with Russia in exhange of Ksenia Karelina, is seen in this picture obtained from social media by Reuters on April 10, 2025. Arthur Petrov via LinkedIn/via REUTERS
Petrov, a dual Russian-German national, was arrested in August 2023 in Cyprus at the request of the U.S. for allegedly exporting sensitive microelectronics to manufacturers supplying weaponry and equipment to the Russian military.
Petrov worked for LLC Electrocom VPK, a Russia-based supplier of electronic components for weapons and equipment manufacturers supplying the Russian armed forces, according to court documents cited by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The U.S. says Petrov and two accomplices who also worked for Electrocom fraudulently procured microelectronics from U.S. distributors using a network of shell companies, based in Cyprus and other third countries, to disguise that the ultimate destination for the equipment was Russia.
Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian citizen arrested in 2023 at the request of the U.S. for allegedly exporting sensitive microelectronics, sits in a plane during a prisoner swap between Russia and the United States, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in this still image from video broadcast in Russian state media April 10, 2025. Russian State Media/Handout via REUTERS
Petrov and his co-conspirators imported more than $225,000 worth of electronic components from the U.S. to Russia in the course of the scheme, according to the Justice Department.
Following his arrest in Cyprus, Petrov was extradited to the U.S. and charged with multiple crimes including conspiracy, violating export controls, conspiracy to smuggle and money laundering.
Follows announcement that Donatella Versace was stepping down as the chief creative officer
FILE PHOTO: People stand outside a Prada store in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, Italy, January 10, 2025. REUTERS/Claudia Greco/ File Photo
International news via Reuters:
Prada struck a deal on Thursday to buy smaller rival Versace from Capri Holdings for $1.375 billion, which includes its debt, in a move that unites two of the biggest names in Italian fashion.
Prada is seeking to expand, having defied a slowdown in luxury demand, while Versace has been operating at a loss. The merger strengthens Italy’s hand in a luxury industry led by French conglomerates.
The deal follows the announcement on March 13 that Donatella Versace was stepping down as the chief creative officer of the brand founded by her late brother Gianni.
“We aim to continue Versace’s legacy celebrating and re-interpreting its bold and timeless aesthetic,” said Prada Chairman Patrizio Bertelli.
“At the same time, we will provide it with a strong platform, reinforced by years of ongoing investments and rooted in longstanding relationships,” added Bertelli, husband of Prada designer Miuccia Prada. The couple are leading shareholders in the company.
The price Prada has agreed to pay for Versace is a big discount to the roughly $2.15 billion including debt that Capri paid for Versace in 2018. Previously known as Michael Kors, Capri bought Versace from the Versace family and Blackstone.
FILE PHOTO: A person walks outside a Versace store in Corso Montenapoleone in Milan, Italy, January 10, 2025. REUTERS/Claudia Greco/ File Photo
Owning Versace, with its bold, baroque-style prints, will bring new customers to Prada, known for its minimalist style.
“Versace has huge potential. The journey will be long and will require disciplined execution and patience,” said Andrea Guerra, the CEO of Prada.
The move comes at a time when several acquisitions and IPOs have been scuttled in the wake of a global equity sell-off and fears of recession triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump’s new tariffs this month.
Since Prada’s acquisitions at the end of the 1990s of Helmut Lang and Jil Sander, which leading Prada shareholder Bertelli called “strategic mistakes”, the group has largely steered clear of major dealmaking.
Reporting by Elisa AnziolinWriting by Keith WeirEditing by Matt Scuffham and Elaine Hardcastle
Cost-jump predicted following higher social security payments imposed by the government
FILE PHOTO: Apples and fresh fruits are seen on sale at a Tesco Extra supermarket in Cheshunt, Britain, March 25, 2025. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
International news via Reuters:
Tesco, Britain’s biggest food retailer, warned on Thursday its profit would likely fall this year as it set aside cash to deal with a step up in the “competitive intensity” of the market, sending its shares down over 6%.
Last month, Asda, Britain’s third largest grocer, said it would take a hit to profit to finance a major campaign of price cuts aimed at reversing a slide in market share.
Tesco CEO Ken Murphy said its guidance reflected not only Asda’s move but “a general intensification of competition across the board” and was issued from a position of strength.
“Competitors are clearly looking to defend the share gains we’ve been taking,” he told reporters.
“Whatever the competitive environment and whatever comes our way, we’re capable of dealing with it, that’s the message,” he said. Without declaring a full-blown price war, he noted that last week Tesco cut the prices of hundreds of key items.
Tesco, whose share of Britain’s grocery market has grown this year to nearly 28%, a level not seen since 2016, forecast adjusted operating profit of between 2.7 billion and 3.0 billion pounds ($3.5-$3.9 billion) in the year ending February 2026. That compares with a slightly better-than-expected 3.13 billion pounds in 2024/25, a 10.6% increase on the prior year.
Before the update, analysts had on average been forecasting a 3.2-billion-pound profit for 2025/26.
Shares in Tesco, which had fallen 11% since Asda’s warning last month, were down 6.3%. Rivals Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer were down 4.7% and 2.1% respectively. In contrast, the FTSE-100 index was up 3.8% after the U.S. tariffs pause.
‘GETTING THE KNUCKLE-DUSTER OUT’
Shore Capital analyst Clive Black said Tesco was “getting the knuckle-duster out”.
“Whilst there is no price war at present, Tesco is giving the market a clear statement that it is up for a fight,” he said.
Most analysts think Tesco’s strategy of matching the prices of discounter Aldi on key items, together with its Clubcard loyalty scheme, which provides lower prices for members, is working.
The group’s sales rose 3.5% to 63.6 billion pounds in 2024/25. Fourth quarter UK like-for-like sales rose 4.3%, having been up 3.8% in the third quarter.
Tesco is facing a jump in costs in 2025/26 due to higher social security payments imposed in the Labour government’s first budget last October, a hike in the national minimum wage and a new packaging levy.
To offset a 235 million pound increase in employer national insurance payments and a 5.2% pay rise for store workers costing 180 million pounds, Tesco will seek a further 500 million pounds of savings in 2025/26.
Finance chief Imran Nawaz said investors should read a further share buyback of 1.45 billion pounds and a 13.2% hike in the dividend “as a sign of confidence”.
Reporting by James Davey. Editing by Paul Sandle and Mark Potter
Could include an A.I. hub, autonomous vehicles, space launches, and high-speed rail
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrives to board Air Force Two after touring the U.S. military’s Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on March 28, 2025. Jim Watson/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
International news via Reuters:
As the Trump administration intensifies efforts to acquire Greenland from Denmark — or take it by force — some Silicon Valley tech investors are promoting the frozen island as a site for a so-called freedom city, a libertarian utopia with minimal corporate regulation, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The discussions are in early stages, but the idea has been taken seriously by Trump’s pick for Denmark ambassador, Ken Howery, who is expected to be confirmed by Congress in the coming months and lead Greenland-acquisition negotiations, the people said.
Howery, whose involvement with the idea hasn’t been previously reported, once co-founded a venture-capital firm with tech billionaire Peter Thiel, a leading advocate for such low-regulation cities. Howery is also a longtime friend of Elon Musk, a top Trump advisor.
Howery declined to comment. The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Sources who spoke to Reuters requested anonymity to discuss private conversations.
The vision for Greenland, one of the people said, could include a hub for artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, space launches, micro nuclear reactors and high-speed rail.
The discussions reflect a longstanding Silicon Valley movement to establish low-regulation cities globally, including in the United States, which Trump himself promised to do in a 2023 campaign video.
Proponents use different names for variations on the idea, including startup cities or charter cities, with the common goal of spurring innovation through sweeping regulatory exemptions.
The administration’s consideration of such a quixotic quest underscores the growing clout of tech magnates and Trump’s increasingly expansionist foreign policy.
After campaigning on a largely isolationist platform, Trump has since his November election suggested taking back the Panama Canal, annexing Canada and redeveloping the war-torn Gaza Strip after seizing the beachfront land from displaced Palestinians.
Greenland is about three times the size of Texas with a population of only 57,000. But the island is strategically important to the U.S. military, which has a base there, and contains substantial deposits of minerals, including rare-earths.
Trump has refused to rule out taking Greenland by military force if Denmark won’t sell it.
“We have to have Greenland,” Trump said late last month as his Vice President, J.D. Vance, visited a U.S. military base on the island.
Vance toured Greenland with his wife Usha Vance, a visit that ignited protests from Greenlanders, who overwhelmingly oppose becoming part of America, polls show.
The island is owned by Denmark but governs itself. Greenland’s new prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said the U.S. visit signalled a “lack of respect.”
Speaking to troops at the U.S. military base, Vance accused Denmark of failing to protect Greenland from “very aggressive incursions from Russia, and from China and other nations,” without detailing the alleged aggression.
The government of Denmark declined to comment on the idea of U.S. tech investors founding a city there. Greenland didn’t respond.
FILE PHOTO: A view shows the city of Nuuk, Greenland, March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo
‘NEW MANIFEST DESTINY’
The freedom-city movement reflects a fascination with settling new American frontiers, rooted in nostalgia for the nation’s 1800s western expansion. Expanding to Greenland “can be the dawn of a new Manifest Destiny,” said tech investor Shervin Pishevar, referring to the 19th-century philosophy that America was an exceptional nation with a God-given mission to conquer territory.
Thiel, a libertarian and early Trump supporter, wrote in 2009 that he no longer considered democracy compatible with freedom and has advocated escaping politics by colonizing outer space or seasteading — building communities in ungoverned oceans.
Fellow venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, an informal advisor to Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is part of a tech-investor consortium seeking to build a city on grazing land outside San Francisco.
Another venture capitalist and informal DOGE advisor, Joe Lonsdale, also promotes low-regulation cities. In a statement to Reuters, Lonsdale celebrated “expanding our country to Greenland” but did not comment on plans for a city there.
Thiel and Andreessen, leading proponents and financiers of the startup-city movement, are among those supportive of a Greenland outpost, two of the sources said.
Reuters could not determine whether the two billionaires are actively lobbying the Trump administration for a Greenland city.
Andreessen declined to comment. Thiel spokesman Jeremiah Hall said: “Peter isn’t involved in any plans or discussions regarding Greenland.” Musk did not respond to comment requests.
Thiel has invested along with Andreessen and Pishevar in Pronomos Capital, a venture-capital firm that has launched a half dozen charter-city projects globally, according to Pronomos founder Patri Friedman, the grandson of famous free-market economist Milton Friedman.
Most Pronomos projects are in development and negotiations with various governments, Friedman said, but it has helped finance one existing startup community in Honduras called Próspera.
Pronomos also invested in Praxis, a city-building venture that in October announced $525 million in financing for a new city.
Praxis’ investors include Lonsdale, a fund launched by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his brothers, and Pishevar, who co-founded Hyperloop One, a defunct venture once championed by Musk.
Praxis co-founder Dryden Brown told Reuters other companies have approached Praxis about helping to establish a Greenland city.
Brown flew to Greenland last year. He advocates for building a city there in part because its harsh environment could provide a test site for colonizing Mars – one of Musk’s highest ambitions.
“We must build a prototype of Terminus on Earth before departing for Mars,” Brown posted on X in November, using Musk’s term for a red-planet settlement. “I believe Greenland is the place, @elonmusk.”
Reporting by Rachael Levy in Washington and Alexandra Ulmer in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Anna Driver and Brian Thevenot
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