The Malaysian authorities have decreed the closure of a startup community known as the Network School, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Identifying itself as “a pioneering community for techno-optimists,” the Network School emerged from entrepreneur and investor Balaji Srinivasan’s belief that the United States is facing unavoidable decline; he has expressed a desire “to establish a new country.”
The Network School is intended to be the initial phase in a seven-step strategy (as described in Srinivasan’s book “The Network State”) aimed at creating a new society. Located in a repurposed hotel in Malaysia, the program has been depicted as “a blend of tech incubator and self-improvement retreat” by the WSJ. However, participants have reported issues such as moldy accommodations and a lack of women and nightlife options.
In response to inquiries from the WSJ, Srinivasan—who renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2023—shared a detailed post on X, referring to himself as “a proud Singaporean” and accused the WSJ of preparing a “hit piece” that would portray him as “an odd duck instead of an early adopter.”
Despite the impending closure of the current Malaysian location due to licensing complications, Srinivasan has recently announced plans for a new campus to be established in Kazakhstan.
