Why Elon Musk Is Planning Towns for Tesla, SpaceX and Boring Co. Workers | WSJ

Elon Musk is planning to build two different company towns in Texas for his Tesla, SpaceX and Boring Company workers: Snailbrook and Starbase. But the history of company towns presents a cautionary tale for industrialists.

In the almost 200 years that company towns have existed in the U.S., rarely do these planned communities live up to their creator’s utopian vision. WSJ explores why Musk is looking to the company town model for his properties in Texas.

0:00 Elon Musk’s planned towns in Texas
0:45 What’s happening at Snailbrook and Starbase?
4:05 The history of company towns
6:30 How Musk’s towns could succeed

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[cesmith]

"I owe my soul to the Company Store."

[reginafefifofina]

Well, at least everyone knows what they’re signing up for BEFORE becoming citizens of Mars 😂

[benqurayza]

If you lose your job in a company town, do you get evicted, too?

[Clark-Mills]

Good on Elon / SpaceX. It would be nice if they built basic housing for the Tesla workers too, especially the ones out in Nevada... Sensible.

[tvm]

Funny thing is that there’s nothing unique about this concept. The TATA company of India created large townships around their factories for its employees. Since these factories were located in remote locations these townships provided facilities for the families of employees like schools, hospitals etc. One such township is in Jamshedpur, India, named after its founder, Sir Jamshedji Tata.

[TheLoneComic]

A big step forward into an era that should have been left in the past. Unfortunately, Americans don’t have the values of the promise of Democracy as much anymore and will capitulate.

[AMindInOverdrive]

Even in Ireland in the 1950's the largest company in the country was building housing estates for workers, arranging affordable mortgages and providing lifetime jobs. I grew up in one of those estates and it was very family orientated. I had a good childhood for the most part and even kids who came on holidays for a few weeks some summers reminisced about how nice it was. We had large green areas, playgrounds, and our particular estate even has a pitch and putt club behind it. Those estates are still standing and gong strong.
The company was/is called Bord Na Mona - look it up

[AndorranStairway]

Why is that “big brother like control”? Is he forcing people to stay in those towns?

[carolinemontserratfranco]

It's a blurry line between work and "free time"

[thisisme]

All I can say is Elon Musk is a very ambitious man! ♥️ Listening to his endeavors.

[dunderhill]

Yeah, great. Company towns have such a rich history, I'm sure these will be wonderful places to live.

[DiannaCarney]

I interned for Walt Disney World and lived in employee housing. It was awful. Why? They have more leverage over you.

For example, I did hair and makeup for dozens of children daily at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. When I came down with strep throat, I began calling out as not only is that normally dangerous but we had Make a Wish children come into the boutique daily. I wouldn’t dare put those children at risk.

After too many callouts passed the allotted quota you are automatically terminated and given 24 hours to move out of housing. Which is what happened to me.

If Disney is doing these behaviors now, I can only imagine how much worse it’ll get if more companies such as Tesla normalize it.

[riddheshpr]

Name it - BoSTeN
Bo- Boring Comapany
S- SpaceX
Te- Tesla
N- Neuralink

[jeremiasrobinson]

Sounds reminiscent of failed Fordlândia.

[benjaminrudy]

Leave Elon alone!! He just tryna play Sims

[tombeegeeeye]

So they can owe their souls to the Company store would be my guess.

[Dear_Mr._Isaiah_Deringer]

Who would have thought that company towns are coming back.

[cappybenton]

I'd rather imagine that these so-called company towns are a warm-up for future Mars colonies.

[weirdshibainu]

This actually has merits. When Tesla/Panasonic opened in Northern Nevada, home prices and rents skyrocketed and the government entities failed miserably in terms of infrastructure and housing solutions in terms of permitting and approval. Years later and the issues are still persistent

[PeterKean]

Basically the exact setup I grew up in over seas. Company housing, company stores, company run schools, etc.