Billionaires who founded schools...

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by AsianStew, Jul 3, 2025.

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  1. AsianStew

    AsianStew Moderator Staff Member

    Interesting, the ones mentioned are for primary or elementary school, even high school, but nothing more at the higher education level. There may be a different list elsewhere, haven't done a search really. I really like charities and non-profits such as Modern States, Saylor.org, etc, that offer educational alternatives for cheap or free...

    Link: From Musk to Zuck, Billionaires of the That Have Founded Schools - Business Insider
     
    AsianStew, Jul 3, 2025
    #1
  2. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    The Saylor Academy was started by and continues to be supported by Michael Saylor, who is definitely a billionaire given where the price of Bitcoin is. And it definitely counts, having been offering college course equivalents the whole time, and now having rolled out an MBA.
     
    SteveFoerster, Jul 3, 2025
    #2
  3. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    While not a billionaire, Steve Shenk, former CEO of Tonka, consulted John Bear about purchasing a university to do distance learning. John instead suggested he start one instead. That school was established as The Graduate School of America, and later became known as Capella University. It attained both candidacy status and accreditation in minimum times. (I loved the former name.)
     
    Rich Douglas, Jul 4, 2025
    #3
    Dustin likes this.
  4. NotJoeBiden

    NotJoeBiden Active Member

    It is important to note, that many listed in the article failed, or are running out of funding (Trump U, Future of Humanity Institute founded by Elon Musk, The Primary School set to close in 2026). I suspect others will follow similar fate as celebrities decide they dont want to fund them anymore.

    It is tough to judge who was a billionare in todays dollars given income inequality and inflation is higher than ever, but there are a few others:

    *Upsala College (1893–1995) while billionaire In Tae Kim didn't found it, he had a role in attempting to save it.

    *Donda Academy (2020-present) founded by the artist formerly known as Kanye West. Still around, but struggling.
     
    NotJoeBiden, Jul 5, 2025
    #4
  5. laferney

    laferney Active Member

    laferney, Jul 5, 2025
    #5
  6. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Rich Douglas, Jul 6, 2025
    #6
  7. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Trump wasn’t a university, nor did it ever pretend to be. It was a training program using the term “university” euphemistically, like McDonalds and Hamburger University.

    In fact, he was enjoined from using the term “university” by the State of New York, who has strict rules about its usage.
     
    Rich Douglas, Jul 6, 2025
    #7
    Suss, Dustin and SteveFoerster like this.

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