Malaysia Shuts Down Network School Founded by Balaji Srinivasan

The Malaysian government has ordered the shutdown of Network School, a startup community founded by American entrepreneur and investor Balaji Srinivasan. According to The Wall Street Journal, the decision was made due to licensing issues, forcing the project to close its current campus in the country. This was reported by Techcrunch.com reports .

Describing itself as a «frontier community for techno-optimists,» the Network School concept was shaped by Srinivasan's views, who believed in the inevitable decline of the US. The entrepreneur's main goal was to «found a new state,» and this school was presented as the first step in a seven-step plan to build a new society outlined in his book «The Network State.»

Located in an abandoned hotel in Malaysia, the project was described by WSJ as «part tech incubator, part self-improvement retreat.» However, program participants were unhappy with the conditions, complaining about mold in the rooms, as well as a lack of women and nightlife.

Controversies and reactions surrounding the project

After WSJ reporters sent questions to clarify the situation, Balaji Srinivasan—who announced giving up his US citizenship in 2023—published a long post on X. In it, he called himself a «proud Singaporean» and complained that the publication was preparing a «hit piece» against him, trying to portray him as a «weirdo» rather than a «power user.»

It turns out that despite the criticism, the author of the initiative has not abandoned his plans. While the campus in Malaysia is closing, Srinivasan recently announced an agreement to open a new campus in Kazakhstan.