As radical, anti-Israel protests continue to disrupt college campuses across America, a group of influential billionaires has had enough. Fed up with the left-wing ideologies dominating their elite alma maters, they’ve turned their attention—and their wallets—to a bold new project: the University of Austin (UATX), a school designed to promote free speech, intellectual diversity, and the celebration of Western civilization. In stark contrast to the politically correct environments of many traditional universities, UATX promises a haven for students seeking truth and reason in an age of cultural chaos.
Some of the nation’s wealthiest and most influential conservative voices have rallied behind UATX, which recently opened its doors in Texas with a modest class of 92 students. Major players like Wall Street trader Jeff Yass, real estate mogul Harlan Crow, and investor Len Blavatnik have poured millions into the school’s development, signaling their frustration with the current state of higher education. Yass alone has donated $35 million to the university, while Crow—a well-known GOP donor and close friend of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas—has hosted events for UATX at his Dallas home and provided office space for the school’s programs.
Crow summed up the frustration of many conservative donors, telling *The Wall Street Journal*, “Much of higher ed today seems to want to reject Western accomplishments and the achievements of Western civilizations in their entirety. Many people think that’s a bad idea.” Indeed, this growing sentiment has led to a flood of support for UATX as an alternative to the increasingly left-wing institutions that have abandoned their commitment to free speech and critical thinking.
One key factor driving donations to UATX is the eruption of pro-Palestinian protests on campuses across the country, particularly after the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. As these demonstrations have become more unruly and divisive, many conservative donors have threatened to withhold financial support from their elite alma maters. Blavatnik, for example, stopped giving to Harvard University and instead directed $1 million to UATX following the attack. These billionaires are tired of seeing universities pander to extremist views while ignoring or suppressing conservative perspectives.
UATX’s appeal lies in its mission to offer a nonpartisan education focused on truth and intellectual rigor. The school’s slogan—“They burn, we build”—captures its founders’ determination to counter the destructive ideologies sweeping through higher education with a return to foundational values and real-world knowledge. Its curriculum, which includes economics, politics, history, and data science, is designed to prepare students not only for successful careers but also to tackle the societal challenges of today with reasoned debate and sound judgment.
The school’s founders include venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale and journalist Bari Weiss, both of whom are well-known for their critiques of the left-leaning drift in academia and media. Lonsdale, who co-founded Palantir Technologies and is a Trump donor, has committed land outside Austin for the school’s science and technology center. Weiss, a former editor at *The New York Times* who left due to what she called an intolerant, “illiberal” culture in journalism, has been an outspoken advocate for free speech and open inquiry. Together, these founders envision UATX as a place where students can pursue real knowledge without the constraints of political correctness.
While UATX is still awaiting accreditation—it will only be eligible after its first class graduates—the school is already making waves in conservative circles. The inaugural class has received full-tuition scholarships, and nearly half of the students hail from Texas. Executives from Elon Musk’s companies, SpaceX and Boring Company, are involved in designing the school’s engineering programs, ensuring that UATX will offer cutting-edge education in science and technology alongside its core humanities and social sciences curriculum.
Critics may claim that UATX is simply a new breeding ground for conservative ideologies, but its founders insist that the goal is to foster genuine intellectual diversity and restore higher education to its original purpose—pursuing truth, not pushing an agenda. As founding president Pano Kanelos told *The Wall Street Journal*, “Everyone who gives to us is a critic of higher education.” And that’s exactly what the American education system needs right now: a reset, a challenge to the status quo, and a school that values ideas over ideology.
In a world where colleges increasingly stifle free speech and embrace destructive, divisive agendas, the University of Austin offers a refreshing alternative. Its success will not only be a victory for free thought but also a blueprint for how higher education can reclaim its noble mission of fostering intellectual growth and societal progress.
