Malaysia is reportedly shutting down Balaji Srinivasan’s Network School
The Malaysian government has ordered the shutdown of the startup community The Network School amid licensing issues and plans for Kazakhstan.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- The Malaysian government ordered the shutdown of the startup community The Network School, per WSJ.
- The project is located in an abandoned hotel, acting as part tech incubator and part self-improvement retreat.
- Attendees previously complained about moldy rooms, a lack of women, and limited nightlife.
- Founder Balaji Srinivasan declared himself a proud Singaporean and announced a new campus in Kazakhstan.
The Malaysian government has ordered the shutdown of a startup-centric community known as the Network School, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The project brands itself as a frontier community designed for techno-optimists.
This initiative grew directly out of entrepreneur and investor Balaji Srinivasan's conviction that the United States is experiencing an irreversible decline, with his stated ultimate goal being to start an entirely new country.
The Network School serves as a practical testbed for Balaji Srinivasan's 'The Network State' thesis, attempting to build alternative societies through digital-first communities. The swift regulatory friction faced in Malaysia highlights the immense hurdles techno-utopian movements encounter when trying to bypass traditional sovereign jurisdiction and physical licensing requirements.
Representing the first step in a seven-stage blueprint detailed in Srinivasan's book The Network State, the community aimed to construct a new society. Headquartered in an abandoned Malaysian hotel, the WSJ described the program as combining elements of a tech incubator and a self-improvement retreat. Despite its grand ambitions, attendees voiced complaints regarding moldy rooms, a sparse female demographic, and a lack of nightlife.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Following inquiries made by the WSJ, Srinivasan—who reportedly renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2023—published an extensive post on X proclaiming himself to be a proud Singaporean. He criticized the publication, claiming they were working on a hit piece designed to portray him as an odd duck rather than an early adopter.
“a proud Singaporean”
Balaji Srinivasan
Although the existing Malaysian campus faces closure due to licensing complications, Srinivasan recently revealed a newly secured agreement to establish another campus in Kazakhstan.
Source: TechCrunch
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