Last year, rumors circulated that Elon Musk was building a private airport in Texas, which the billionaire denied on Twitter. Now it seems that he has much bigger plans. According to source references and land records seen by The Wall Street Journal, the eccentric Musk is planning "a kind of Texas utopia along the Colorado River" for his employees.
Located about 56 miles from Austin, the idea behind Musk's slice of Texas from heaven is set to offer Tesla, SpaceX, and Boring Company employees residential properties at below-market rents. The town area under construction, now named “Snailbrook”, already has highlights such as a physical fitness area, swimming pool and a handful of modular homes.
But the plans go far beyond building a nearby home cluster for employees. Musk reportedly dreams of building an entire city so crowded that it demands an election to elect his own mayor. Specifically, Musk is said to have discussed his plans for this metropolis with Kanye West, who took to Twitter at Musk's behest but soon turned from friend to foe, permanently banned.
So far, more than 3.500 acres of land around Austin are said to have been purchased by Musk-owned limited companies and entities affiliated with its executives. However, land officials and real estate agents cited in the WSJ report estimate that Musk actually splurged on more than 6.000 acres of land.
Ambitious plans
Besides living quarters for employees, there are purported plans for a private residential complex where Musk will live. A school in the area may also be under construction. Musk's city plans reportedly show more than a hundred homes in official documents submitted to the Bastrop County Commissioner's Court. However, while Bastrop County has yet to receive an application, Texas law says a town classification can only be granted after a settlement with 201 residents and approval from a county judge.
A two- or three-bedroom home will reportedly start at just $800 per month, which is almost three times less than comparable listings in the area. In particular, employees whose contracts have been terminated will have to vacate their allocated homes in Musk within 30 days. None of the Musk-owned companies have confirmed the aforementioned plans, but satellite imagery quoted by the WSJ shows that significant progress has already been made.
As for Texas, it's already home to a billion-dollar Tesla manufacturing facility alongside SpaceX and Boring Company facilities. According to the Austin Business Journal, Musk is also looking for space for Neuralink and a lithium battery factory for Tesla in Texas. So it's no surprise that Musk wanted to build a town where his employees lived, luring them with low rent and fewer commute issues.