Forest City, Malaysia — $100 billion city built to house 1 million, now houses just two

The presenter tours Forest City, Malaysia, a waterfront development built by Chinese developer Country Guard that the video says cost $100 billion and was designed to house 1 million people but currently "houses just two" (plus the camera crew). Nearly all completed housing and amenities stand finished and well maintained: Pearl Villas (about 300 luxury homes, some ~10,000 sq ft, developer claim that 10% sold), a giant empty mall billed as a "duty-free island," sports courts, pools, bike shops, and a two‑bedroom flat shown with gym access priced in the video at $1,500, around $350 a month to rent. The crew repeatedly notes heavy security, occasional maintenance workers, and preserved landscaping despite the absence of residents.

A small, secretive community called 'Network school' or 'network state' briefly occupied parts of Forest City; its residents described plans for alternative currencies and a new society, but officials later revoked its license and the group was shut down, removing one of the few micro‑communities in the city. The video attributes Forest City's collapse to Chinese capital controls: after the launch the Chinese government "pulled the plug" on overseas property purchases, blocking many intended buyers. Country Guard posted large operating losses (reported in the video as operating losses of $4.5 billion and $24 billion the year before), and the narrator warns that although the developer is legally keeping the site pristine, financing is precarious.

Takeaway: built infrastructure and high‑quality amenities exist and can feel like a usable city in the absence of people, but the documentary concludes Forest City failed as a residential market because of policy changes, investor withdrawal, and severe developer losses; the few small communities that formed were fragile and transient, leaving the development largely unpopulated and dependent on ongoing funding for upkeep.