- Elon Musk pledged $100 million towards a new Texas STEM school he hopes to expand into a tuition-free university.
- Musk aims to reverse the declining US college graduate quality he observed at SpaceX and Tesla.
- The school targets developing exceptional local talent as Musk expands his companies in the state.
Never one to think small, Elon Musk aims to create a full-fledged university in Texas focused on science and technology education.
Recent tax filings reveal that the SpaceX and Tesla bosses have contributed $100 million towards a new tuition-free school for K-12 students centered on STEM subjects – with hopes to expand into higher education.
The nascent non-profit, dubbed simply The Foundation, “intends ultimately to create a university dedicated to education at the highest levels,” per documents viewed by Bloomberg.
Taking the education problem into his own hands
Musk has recently expressed deep concern over declining American college graduate capabilities. “SpaceX and Tesla have noticed a meaningful degradation,” he wrote this week on Twitter.
The billionaire previously ran a small private school called Ad Astra, which focused on student abilities over traditional grading. He has also floated starting a “TITs” technical institute as a play on the Lone Star State’s nickname.
Musk’s latest ambitious education project aims to reverse that perceived decline in quality by inspiring exceptional STEM talent – and keeping it in Texas.
With Musk rapidly expanding operations in Texas across sectors from tunnels to rockets to brain technology, developing local talent will prove critical.
Though still in the early stages, his thoughtful investment represents an important first step toward strengthening the STEM pipeline.
