Elon Musk, the world's richest person with a net worth touching $600 billion, has conquered industries from space to social media. However, his ambitious foray into transforming education, a sector he once said should be as interactive as a video game, is facing significant challenges. His pet project, the Ad Astra school, envisioned as a revolutionary learning hub, has struggled to get off the ground.
From "To The Stars" to Grounded Reality
Musk's vision for education was clear: he believed learning must be interactive, paced to a child's abilities, and tailored to their aptitudes. To turn this vision into reality, he co-founded the Ad Astra school in 2014 at SpaceX's California headquarters. The school, whose Latin name means "to the stars," started with around fifty students, half of whom were children of SpaceX employees. Musk himself enrolled his children from his marriage to Justine Musk.
The venture later aimed for a bigger footprint. In 2023, Musk ventured into the formal education sector, setting up an elementary school in Bastrop, Texas. He acquired dozens of acres of land, interviewed teachers nationwide, and planned an institution for students from pre-kindergarten to sixth grade. When admissions opened in 2024 for approximately 50 seats, the school received thousands of applications, a testament to the "Musk" brand's allure.
The Stark Contrast: Dream vs. Documentation
Contrary to expectations of a tech-infused, futuristic campus, the Bastrop facility is a white-columned house flying a Texas flag. State records reveal a starkly different picture from the promised elite academy. As per documents from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Ad Astra is registered only as a "licensed child care program." It currently oversees just ten children, all aged five or under.
A state report from January details a routine childcare setup: two caregivers, snacks of graham crackers and apples, and scheduled naps on personal cots. The report explicitly notes, "The operation does not care for school-age children." The school faced operational hurdles, including having to resubmit its childcare permit application and manage paperwork for a staff member lacking formal education credits.
A Pattern of Struggles and a $607 Million Backing
The Bastrop school's journey has been rocky. Its opening was delayed twice. In an October 2024 Zoom meeting, officials described the planned focus on STEM and flexible learning to parents, with a tuition set at $1,000 per month for mixed-grade levels. However, the grand elementary school dream has, for now, shrunk to a daycare.
This is part of a broader pattern. Since 2021, Musk has attempted to launch elementary schools, a high school, and a university, as per state documents and insider accounts. Of the three schools he created, two have closed, and one moved online. To fuel these efforts, Jared Birchall, Musk's chief personal advisor, established a nonprofit called the Foundation. The Musk Foundation has poured approximately $607 million into this entity since 2022, including a $100 million donation from Musk himself in 2023.
Ironically, the father of 14 is likely not using his own institution for his youngest children. He and his partner, Shivon Zilis, with whom he has four children, have indicated they are homeschooling them. While Musk has disrupted multiple global industries, his $600 million endeavour in education appears to be one sector where his entrepreneurial magic is yet to fully materialise.
