The Russian media is abuzz with reports that Mikhail Prokhorov has one-upped Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and agreed to give Newark schools $210 million. Problem is that's a spoof.
The story quoted by the Russian writers is in EdTweak, which fancies itself as an Onion-esque satire site devoted to education. Noting Zuckerberg's $100 million gift is based on his love for charter schools, EdTweak writes, "Prokhorov, however, apparently wants to push the district toward basketball. To receive his gift, the district will reportedly have to allocate student funding by height and vertical leap."
Something got lost in translation. Several Russian publications are reporting Thursday that the Nets owner is "going to donate $210 million to US school children." They missed the joke. Time for Mayor Cory Booker to swoop in and rectify it all by asking Prokhorov for a check.