High-tech entrepreneur Michael Saylor -- founder, president and CEO of software company MicroStrategy -- donated $100 million to create an online university that will offer "Ivy League-quality" education for free, the Washington Post reports.

Although there is not yet a structure, staff, curriculum or estimate of a final cost, Michael Saylor's vision includes videotaped lectures from the world's "geniuses and leaders," the Post reports.

"Done right, this will impact the lives of millions of people forever. Done wrong, it's just noise in a can," Saylor told the newspaper.

The plan reflects Saylor's ambitious nature, which he used to start MicroStrategy shortly after finishing his degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Saylor calls his $100 million donation a "deposit," saying he'll contribute more until the university becomes a reality. He is willing to work with other philanthropists, the Post reports, but is committed to launching the effort himself if necessary.

He began contributing stock to his own Saylor Foundation a year ago, but many people speculated on what his philanthropic priorities were, the Post reports.

The next step is to set up a charity to use the foundation's money. Staff -- who will be working on the university concept within nine months -- will likely include university heads, curriculum experts, writers, marketers and computer experts.

Saylor's vision of a free online education sets it apart from existing colleges and universities that offer certain degree programs online, the newspaper reports.

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-2000Mar14.html