Patri Friedman

Patri Friedman (born July 29, 1976, in Blacksburg, Virginia) is an American libertarian activist, theorist of political economy, and leading advocate for experimental governance. He is best known for pioneering the concept of seasteading—creating autonomous floating communities to explore new models of social and legal organization.

Friedman is the Founder of The Seasteading Institute, which brought global attention to the idea of floating cities as laboratories for innovation in governance. He later became the Founder of Pronomos Capital, a venture capital firm dedicated to supporting startup cities around the world. In addition, he co-founded the Future Cities Development Corporation, a project in Honduras focused on advancing charter cities, and created Ephemerisle, a floating festival designed as a cultural prototype for seasteading.

Recognized as a pioneer in charter cities and startup societies, Friedman has combined entrepreneurial leadership with intellectual advocacy. He has written extensively on experimental governance and served as Executive Director of The Seasteading Institute, consolidating his reputation as one of the foremost voices in the global movement for innovative approaches to governance.