Y2K Turns New York City Into Beirut by Mid-2000
Y2K Survivalist Paul Milne, 1998: 'By the Middle of 2000, New York City Will Look Like Beirut'
A former commodities broker who moved to the country to wait out the millennium bug gave the collapse of the cities a deadline: the middle of 2000.
What was said
“By the middle of 2000, New York City will look like Beirut.”
— Paul Milne (Y2K survivalist, former commodities broker) · said May 30, 1998 · due The middle of 2000
Mid-2000 came. New York City did not look like Beirut. The millennium bug's worst trick was a few wrong dates on websites.
The Story
Salon called Milne 'a prominent voice among those Y2K survivalists who urge people to abandon the cities.' His own framing of the bet: 'If I'm wrong I'm still here, the birds are chirping, the sky is still above. But if they're wrong, they're dead.' Ed Yourdon used the same Beirut comparison: yourdon-beirut-2000.
Other Y2K calls: y2k-2000, north-y2k-2000, de-jager-doomsday-2000.
Receipts
- Millennium bugging out - Salon (May 30, 1998)accessed 2026-10-09
As of Oct 9, 2026
since it didn't happen
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