I bought a 250-year-old prison – now I want to turn it into a mini-city in Silicon Valley … and you can stay there

An entrepreneur who bought a 250-year-old prison has announced he plans to transform it into a miniature city in Silicon Valley.

David de Min paid the Ministry of Defence a whopping £1.8 million for a site that has been used as a prison and immigration detention centre since the 1950s.

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The 33-hectare fortress, known as the Citadel, is located on Dover's Western Heights and is accessed via a concrete bridge over a grassy, ​​dry moat.

Within the complex is a listed 19th-century officers' mess, which David wants to convert into a luxury hotel.

The 33-year-old plans to build sustainable houses, set up a biohacking laboratory and open a restaurant in the “Secret Garden”.

He also wants to convert the site's tunnels into underground bars and a spa.

David wants to host Techfort, a center for start-ups where they can implement their ideas for sustainable technologies.

He has previously advocated “biohacking,” a method that involves pushing the body to its limits in order to increase physical and mental performance.

David is passionate about ideas that lead to a longer life.

So far, the entrepreneur has only renovated the prison's former health center, which he has made his home for three years.

His seven-room apartment is equipped with a sauna and a gym.

David's property also includes an office where he spends most of his time developing ideas for new products.

The British-Dutch son of a retired Shell oil engineer secured more than a million pounds to develop the site.

He secured the substantial sum through the government's Getting Building Fund, which is designed to create jobs and infrastructure in the areas hardest hit by the pandemic.

The 33-year-old claimed that the profits he and his family made from reselling real estate were used to purchase the property.

David also rents the fort to film producers, which helps him make even more money.

It was recently used in the production of the upcoming Marvel film Kraven the Hunter.

Locals in the area are unfamiliar with David or his Silicon Valley goals, and some are skeptical about the potential benefits for them.

Fiona, a customer service representative at the Dover branch of travel agent Tui, said: “The recruitment of luxury customers will not affect any of us on the high street.”

However, some residents are optimistic about the changes David could bring to the town.

“The city is dying,” said Heather Horne, 64, owner of the nearby Stanley coffee bar and lounge.

“Anything that benefits Dover would be great.”

Completion of David's plan for the citadel could take up to 20 years.

However, it intends to launch the first phase of research into sustainable technologies in June 2025.

This comes after a mother revealed she had bought a castle behind her husband's back after spotting a bargain.

And Britain's richest gypsy has vowed to declare war on the city council to get his mega skyscraper on the streets.