Crypto entrepreneur proposes 450-foot Prometheus statue on Alcatraz
A Denver-based cryptocurrency investor has unveiled plans to build a 450-foot statue of the Greek god Prometheus on Alcatraz Island. american.colossus/Instagram
A Denver-based cryptocurrency entrepreneur has announced plans to construct a towering 450-foot statue of the Greek god Prometheus on Alcatraz Island — a monument that, if completed, would loom over San Francisco Bay and surpass the height of the Statue of Liberty.
Ross Calvin, founder of Bitcoin mining company Parhelion, is leading the effort through his nonprofit, the American Colossus Foundation, which promotes “a cultural renaissance of civilizational power through creativity, self-sovereignty, and future-thinking.”
The proposed monument, dubbed “The Great Colossus of Prometheus on Alcatraz,” would feature a nickel-bronze statue so tall that its head would nearly reach the height of the Golden Gate Bridge, creating San Francisco’s own symbolic counterpart to New York Harbor’s Statue of Liberty. The plan also includes a technology museum on the island, with a projected cost of $450 million. Bloomberg News first reported the proposal.
In Greek mythology, Prometheus is the Titan who stole fire from the gods and gifted it to humanity. Calvin describes the figure as a “titan of innovative progress” and a “monument to American manifest destiny,” celebrating the liberating power of technology and entrepreneurship.
“Standing taller than the Statue of Liberty, our monument inaugurates a new golden age, revering creativity and the heroic nature of man,” Calvin wrote on the foundation’s website. “It unapologetically symbolizes a brilliant, optimistic American future, calling us to visionary thinking, bold achievement, and forging this new world into a powerful ideal.”
For the project to proceed, federal approval would be required to reclassify Alcatraz — currently a national park — as a national monument. Calvin has said he plans to submit renderings and a formal proposal to President Trump’s administration by the end of January.
Calvin notes that the idea dates back to his childhood, when sailing past Alcatraz inspired him to envision “a perfect place for a symbol of triumph and beauty.” If realized, the statue would tower roughly 150 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty, which stands 305 feet from pedestal to torch.
Alcatraz, once America’s most infamous federal prison, housed notorious criminals such as Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly before closing in 1963. Originally a military fort, the island later became a federal penitentiary, known for its isolation and failed escape attempts. It has also inspired Hollywood films, including The Rock starring Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage, and the 1979 classic Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood.
Separately, President Trump has proposed reopening and expanding Alcatraz as a high-security facility for violent offenders and individuals he considers unlawful entrants to the U.S. The plan, estimated at over $2 billion, has undergone engineering reviews and site visits by federal officials but faces significant logistical and legal challenges due to the island’s protected historic status. Critics have called the proposal impractical and politically motivated, though the administration continues to explore its feasibility.
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