Is the phrase "building an empire" a popular expression?

Question

I've heard it a couple of times from the same person, regarding a project. Is this something that people say all the time? It's the first time I've heard it and it sounded kind of odd.

Answer 1

It's usual in English, not in other languages that I know of, expresions such as "expand your boundaries" and "build and empire" denote a conquering beligerent idiosincracy.