Akon Just Founded ‘Akon City’ in Senegal

From Men's Health

Ever found yourself wondering where Akon went? After rising to fame with hits like 'Locked Up' and 'Lonely' in the mid-2000s, the hip-hop singer has continued to make music, but lately his ambitions lie elsewhere. Most celebs with more money than sense might consider launching a clothing line or investing in a restaurant, but Akon's passion project is bigger. Much, much bigger. He wants to build his own city, which is a thing you can do, I guess!

Akon just announced on Instagram that a plan is officially in place to build "Akon City" in Senegal, the West African republic where he spent a lot of time in his childhood. "Just finalized the agreement for AKON CITY in Senegal," he wrote. "Looking forward to hosting you there in the future."

Construction of Akon City will take place in the village of Mbodiene, and the entire project has been designed to be environmentally sustainable; the city will reportedly be 100 percent powered by solar energy. It will also have its very own airport, and the local economy will run on the singer's proprietary crypto-currency, Akoin. (Yes, really.)

"It’s a 10-year building block so we’re doing it in stages," Akon told Nick Cannon in December. "We started construction in March, and stage two is going to be 2025." He added that the aim of this huge undertaking is to make life better for people living in Senegal. "If you can have a billion dollars sitting in the bank, while you have all these people suffering, it’s crazy to me," he said. "It’s like a waste of a billion dollars."

You Might Also Like