Tech billionaires who have started their own educational ventures

In recent years, some of the world’s most powerful tech billionaires have taken it upon themselves to reinvent learning in the United States (US).

From Elon Musk’s futuristic schools to Jeff Bezos’s preschool network, these moguls are using their wealth and influence to test bold new models of teaching.

Here’s a list of the world’s most influential people who have started their own educational ventures.

Elon Musk

In 2014, Musk, father of 14, founded Ad Astra inside SpaceX’s California headquarters after finding traditional schools too rigid for his children.

It replaced standard grades with problem-based learning focused on STEM and critical thinking. 

After closing its in-person campus in 2020, the concept evolved into Astra Nova, an online academy serving students worldwide.

The Tesla CEO is now building a new Ad Astra campus in his Texas community, Snailbrook, an attempt to merge his vision of innovation, community, and education.

Mark Zuckerberg

Launched through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, The Primary School aimed to support low-income families by blending education with healthcare and counseling.

With over 60% Latino enrollment, it was hailed as a model of inclusive education.

However, in April 2025, Zuckerberg announced its closure by 2026, following Meta’s cuts to diversity and inclusion programmes.

Jeff Bezos

Bezos took a more practical route with Bezos Academy, offering Montessori-style, tuition-free preschool for children from low-income families.

Founded in 2018 through his "Day One Fund," the schools now operate in several US states. 

Notably, a new Glendale, Arizona campus will open this fall.

Steve Jobs

Through the Emerson Collective, Laurene Powell Jobs, Apple’s ex-CEO’s former wife, launched XQ Institute in 2015 to modernise US high schools.

With over $300 million invested, XQ funds schools that experiment with competency-based learning. 

Despite early praise, results have been uneven, with several schools closing and critics warning that billionaire-driven reform risks deepening inequality.