He made your car, he provides your internet, now he’s coming for your children. Elon Musk is opening a school in Texas. What could possibly go wrong?

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Elon Musk is planning a new university in Austin

Elon Musk has given $100 million to start a university in Austin, Texas. The institution is expecting an initial class of 50 students. It’ll start with a STEM-focused primary and secondary school and ultimately aims to add a university, according to IRS documents seen by Bloomberg, which will teach a traditional curriculum “alongside hands-on learning experience including simulations, case studies, fabrication/design projects and labs.”

It’s not the first time Musk has opened a school. He previously created Ad Astra on SpaceX’s campus for his kids and the children of some employees. He’s also expressed interest in opening a university, although it was probably a joke.

Texas, where Musk moved during the pandemic, is an interesting choice of location for a new school. The University of Austin plans to open next year with 100 students as an alternative to the “illiberalism” of traditional US colleges. Backers include historian Niall Ferguson and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, and it has drawn about $200 million in private donations.

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