Everyone loves California. The state has given us dancing raisins, the Beach Boys and mass-produced Sriracha sauce. So why stop at one California when you can have six?
So goes the thinking of Silicon Valley millionaire Timothy Draper, who announced on Monday that he has collected enough signatures to place his "Six Californias" initiative on the 2016 November election ballot.
Over the past few months, Mr Draper has spent over $2m (£1.17m) of his own money to promote the bill, hoping to convince enough voters to make his secessionist dream a reality.
Should the drive succeed, California would be broken up into six new states, each with its own governor, legislature, congressional representation and votes in the electoral college to determine the US president. Mr Draper would then become a resident of the state of Silicon Valley, which would become the wealthiest in the nation.
The plan has a long way to go before becoming a reality. If Mr Draper has indeed collected enough signatures and the measure passes in November 2016, an approval by the US Congress would still be necessary. Then the complex, contentious break-up process begins in earnest.
