Elon Musk has officially moved the headquarters of X (formerly known as Twitter) from San Francisco to a lesser-known spot in Texas called Bastrop. This small town, located about 30 miles east of Austin, is now the social media platform’s new home base, surprising many who thought the move would be to the tech hub of Austin itself.
Musk’s decision to relocate X to Bastrop has raised some eyebrows. After all, the town is more well-known for its serene atmosphere and beautiful scenery than for being home to tech behemoths. Nevertheless, it’s somewhat used to Musk’s endeavors by now as it’s already home to some of his other companies, like SpaceX and The Boring Company, which have been expanding rapidly in the area.
The new headquarters is located in a shopping center called Hyperloop Plaza, which Musk owns and it features other Musk-related businesses, including a convenience store humorously named the Boring Bodega.
X’s real estate director, Nicole Hollander, stated that the company plans to move employees from their Austin office to the new Bastrop location, making it the primary office for Central Texas employees. Alongside growing his businesses, Musk also focuses on local education by opening a new private school called Ad Astra this fall. The school aims to develop “curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in the next generation of problem solvers” through hands-on STEM learning. The application process for kids aged three to nine is already closed for next year. The school has plans to grow to K-12 in the future. While some people are happy that Musk’s move creates local jobs, many residents are worried. His companies are expanding so quickly in Bastrop that it’s sparking debates about how this growth will affect the community. Plans for a company town and a 110-home subdivision for employees concern locals about possible environmental problems and how their town might change.