, Columnist
Elon Musk’s Texas Utopia Is Another Tycoon Cliché
The paths of past industrialists are strewn with remnants of company towns built in their own image and hobbled by their vanity.
A man with a vision.
Photographer: Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP
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Elon Musk styles himself a forward-looking entrepreneur of the 21st century, but deep down, he keeps following the lead of long-dead tycoons. Case in point: Musk has purchased land outside of Austin, Texas, in order to build a model community for his employees.
A company town? How quaint. For much of the nation’s history, numerous industrial magnates have succumbed to this temptation. Convinced of their own brilliance, they have built utopias in their own image, places where workers can live and play under the watchful eyes of a wealthy benefactor.