Elon Musk says college is 'basically for fun and not for learning'
23Reported today on The Guardian Technology
For the full article visit: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/mar/10/elon-musk-college-for-fun-not-learning
Elon Musk says college is 'basically for fun and not for learning'
Tesla chief told audience member at conference that college was unnecessary despite many SpaceX job postings requiring a degree
Tesla billionaire Elon Musk thinks people "don't need college to learn stuff" and says jobs at his companies should not require a degree.
"Did Shakespeare go to college?" he asked. "Probably not."
At the Satellite 2020 conference in Washington DC on Monday, an audience member told Musk she noticed that many job postings at his company SpaceX require a bachelor's degree and say a master's degree is preferred – despite Musk having been vocal about not requiring a college degree for jobs at his companies.
"With more jobs asking for higher levels of degrees," the audience member said, "scholarships are not changing amounts and it's getting harder and harder every year to pay tuition, even with using scholarships. How can college and industries make it easier to afford college?"
Musk, whose net worth is estimated at $34bn, responded by saying that college was unnecessary because "you can learn anything you want for free".
The main value of college, he said, is to be found in proving discipline by completing "annoying homework assignments" and in hanging around with people of the same age before entering the workforce.
"I think college is basically for fun and to prove that you can do your chores, but they're not for learning," Musk said.
He also said he hopes to make sure his electric car company Tesla does not have university requirements for jobs, "because that's absurd". The main requirement for employment at his companies, he said, is "exceptional ability".
"I don't consider going to college evidence of exceptional ability," Musk said.