In 1927, Henry Ford built a town over a stretch of Amazon rainforest; in 1945 he was forced to sell it for $250,000

Henry Ford initiated the Fordlandia project in the lush Amazon rainforest of Brazil to secure a steady rubber supply. However, his corporate methods often clashed with local traditions and agricultural practices. The plantation faced numerous obstacles, including pests and diseases harming the rubber trees. Despite investing heavily over seventeen years, Fordlandia ultimately succumbed to failure, illustrating the challenges of integrating foreign business models within local ecosystems.