Elon Musk is planning a ‘utopian’ city for white collar workers called Snailbrook
What do you do when you’re a billionaire who owns multiple companies? If you’re Elon Musk, it looks like you’re building an entire city just for your employees.
Musk, who owns Tesla, Twitter, SpaceX, Neuralink and Boring, plans to build his own “utopia” in Texas and call it Snailbrook, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Snailbrook is under construction outside of Austin near its Boring and SpaceX facilities, the outlet said.
Judging by a Reddit post on the r/BoringCompany subreddit, the city already has signs that say, “Welcome Snailbrook, tx, est. 2021”.
Facebook photos also revealed that the town already had a collection of modular homes, a pool, an outdoor sports area, and a gym.
What is a company city?
It’s a place where virtually all shops and homes are owned by one company, which is also the main employer.
Corporate cities are often planned with amenities such as shops, schools, markets, and recreational facilities. Some company towns had lofty ideals, but many were seen as controlling or exploitative.
Musk reportedly plans to bill his employees $800 (£661) a month for one- and two-bedroom homes.
While that sounds like a lot, you better not get fired. Employees would only have 30 days to vacate the premises if they were made redundant or terminated.
The idea of a corporate town didn’t just come to Musk.
It was a concept invented in the 1880s by George Pullman, head of Pullman’s Palace Car Company, for those who worked in his railroad car business.
Some of them still exist today. Last year, the Disney Company announced it would be developing 1,300 affordable housing units near Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida.
Similarly, in Silicon Valley, Facebook is building a 1,730-unit unit called “Willow Village,” right next to its Menlo Park headquarters. It will offer residents a grocery store, pharmacy, office space, sports and outdoor facilities, and even a shopping center.
SpaceX employs around 9,500 people in 2021, according to court documents. It is estimated that fewer than 200 people work for Musk at The Boring Company.
The billionaire has a history of being a tough boss with a demanding work ethic and an aversion to remote work.
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https://metro.co.uk/2023/03/10/elon-musk-planning-a-utopian-town-for-employees-called-snailbrook-18421871/ Elon Musk is planning a 'utopian' city for white collar workers called Snailbrook
