INTERVIEW: The Australian 21-year-old who started a country episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 28, 2026 · 21 MIN

INTERVIEW: The Australian 21-year-old who started a country

from Hack · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Daniel Jackson says he's the youngest head of state in the world.There's just one problem: no other nation recognises his country.What started out as joke when he was 14 has developed into the Free Republic of Verdis.The micronation which Daniel is working to set up is between Croatia and Serbia, on a marshy piece of land in the Danube river.It has a flag, a government, and hundreds of "citizens" with IDs that some are even using to get into bars.But does it have a legal right to exist?In this chat, Daniel puts forward his case for Verdis, why he believes so many gen z are getting behind his idea, and talks through life as a world leader.Plus, you'll hear from an expert who breaks down whether or not you can actually just start your own country.Guests: Daniel Jackson, President of VerdisDr Harry Hobbs, Associate Professor in Law, University of New South WalesGet the whole story from Hack:Follow us on InstagramSubscribe to the hack podcastListen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Daniel Jackson says he's the youngest head of state in the world. There's just one problem: no other nation recognises his country. What started out as joke when he was 14 has developed into the Free Republic of Verdis. The micronation which Daniel is working to set up is between Croatia and Serbia, on a marshy piece of land in the Danube river. It has a flag, a government, and hundreds of "citizens" with IDs that some are even using to get into bars. But does it have a legal right to exist? In this chat, Daniel puts forward his case for Verdis, why he believes so many gen z are getting behind his idea, and talks through life as a world leader. Plus, you'll hear from an expert who breaks down whether or not you can actually just start your own country. Guests:  Daniel Jackson, President of Verdis Dr Harry Hobbs, Associate Professor in Law, University of New South Wales Get the whole story from Hack: Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

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INTERVIEW: The Australian 21-year-old who started a country

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Daniel Jackson says he's the youngest head of state in the world.There's just one problem: no other nation recognises his country.What started out as joke when he was 14 has developed into the Free Republic of Verdis.The micronation which Daniel is...

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