Malaysia orders shutdown of Balaji Srinivasan's Network School
Original: Malaysia is reportedly shutting down Balaji Srinivasan’s Network School
Why This Matters
The shutdown highlights regulatory friction facing unconventional tech-utopian community experiments operating abroad.
The Malaysian government has ordered the closure of the Network School, a startup community founded by entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan, due to licensing issues. Srinivasan has since announced a new campus agreement in Kazakhstan, per The Wall Street Journal.
The Malaysian government has ordered the shutdown of the Network School, a tech-focused intentional community founded by entrepreneur and investor Balaji Srinivasan, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. Billing itself as 'a frontier community for techno-optimists,' the Network School is based in an abandoned Malaysian hotel and is described as 'part tech incubator, part self-improvement retreat.' It represents the first step in a seven-stage plan outlined in Srinivasan's book 'The Network State,' with his stated goal being 'to start a new country.' Attendees reportedly complained about moldy rooms, a lack of women, and limited nightlife. The closure is attributed to licensing issues. Following WSJ inquiries, Srinivasan — who reportedly renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2023 — published a lengthy post on X describing himself as 'a proud Singaporean' and alleging the outlet was preparing a 'hit piece.' He has since announced a new campus agreement in Kazakhstan.