Journal·
Why We Bought a Small Country (And You Should Too)
After eighteen months of regulatory back-and-forth with three separate Data Protection Authorities, we made the decision to stop paying lawyers and start paying a head of state.
Dries Vincent
Partner, Business Affairs
1. The Math of Sovereignty
Our annual GDPR fines, when extrapolated, were trending toward a number large enough to plausibly buy a sovereign state outright. We commissioned a feasibility study. It came back favourable.
The country we chose has a population in the low four digits, an existing flag, a constitution we found agreeable with light edits, and an airstrip. It is now the official jurisdiction of all our customer data, our DSP, and our HR records. We are no longer subject to any law we did not personally write.
2. Diplomatic Passports for Senior Engineers
The new perks package includes a non-extraditable diplomatic passport for everyone above the principal level. We have found this to be a meaningful retention tool, particularly during periods of regulatory enforcement against our flagship products.
3. Flag of Convenience for the Data Center
Our entire EU-resident user base now has their data processed in a server rack which is, on paper, the embassy of our small country, located in a business park outside Frankfurt. The embassy is sovereign soil. Any subpoena served on the rack must, technically, be delivered by a foreign minister.
So far no foreign minister has shown up. We have, out of an abundance of caution, hired a receptionist anyway.
4. The Tax Position
As a final benefit, our small country has elected to set its corporate tax rate at a number we picked. We will not be sharing that number publicly, but it ends in zero.