*If you don't want to read all this, just watch this video:* [https://youtu.be/ewvRS3NwIlQ](https://youtu.be/ewvRS3NwIlQ "https://youtu.be/ewvRS3NwIlQ") **The new cult of technocracy is no longer science fiction -- it's a political project unfolding in plain sight.** In recent years, a cadre of tech billionaires and their allies have set out to **reshape American society** by accumulating unprecedented influence over media, politics, and public discourse. Figures like venture capitalist **Peter Thiel**, industrialist **Elon Musk**, "neo-reactionary" blogger **Curtis Yarvin**, and politician **J.D. Vance** are leveraging every tool at their disposal -- from social networks and alternative media platforms to election campaigns and corporate clout -- in service of an ambitious endgame. By **their own frank admissions**, this endgame is nothing less than the **dismantling of liberal democracy** and the installation of a new authoritarian order run by a technocratic elite[^1][^2]. What might once have sounded like a dystopian conspiracy theory is **openly advocated by these individuals**, even as they count on the outrageousness of their goals to dissuade critics. As Thiel himself privately observed, the **sheer implausibility** of such a conspiracy can be an asset: "One reassuring thought: ... these people -- social-justice warriors -- wouldn't believe in a conspiracy if it hit them over the head... Linkages make them sound really crazy, and they kinda know it"[^3]. In this deep dive, we will examine **what the technocrats want, the means by which they pursue it, and what (if anything) can be done to resist their hypermodern coup.** Along the way, we'll see how their strategy draws people into **"hyperreal" simulacra** -- simulated worlds of loyal followings and manufactured narratives -- that obscure the very real power grab at work. Despite the sometimes absurd theatrics (indeed, *because* of them), the rise of the technocrat is a **serious threat** that its architects truly believe in and tirelessly advance. ## Autocracy as Endgame: The Technocrats' Vision The driving vision uniting this emergent technocratic movement is a conviction that **democracy has failed** and must be replaced by a more efficient, centralized authority -- essentially, **a modern autocracy run by them or those like them**. This is not an exaggeration or smear; it's *precisely what they say themselves*. Curtis Yarvin (better known by his former alias "Mencius Moldbug"), the intellectual lodestar of the group, has **openly called for a total "reboot" of the U.S. system**. In a manifesto-like series of blog posts, Yarvin proposed *"the liquidation of democracy, the Constitution, and the rule of law,"* with power transferred to an all-powerful **"C.E.O.-in-chief"** -- a single executive modeled on a tech CEO -- who would run America as *"a heavily-armed, ultra-profitable corporation."*[^1] Under Yarvin's post-democratic regime, **virtually all liberal institutions would be dismantled**: public schools sold off, universities destroyed, the free press abolished, and government bureaucrats purged en masse. This would clear the field for an authoritarian "monarch" at the helm. He even mused that **Steve Jobs or Marc Andreessen** -- icons of Silicon Valley -- would be fitting examples of the kind of chief executive to install[^1]. In Yarvin's view, the American Revolution went too far in empowering the masses; what we need now is a return to one-man rule (he prefers to call himself a *"royalist"* or *"Jacobite"*)[^4]. Such rhetoric once seemed too extreme to be taken seriously. But **today Yarvin's ideas are gaining traction at the highest levels**. As *The New Yorker* reports, what began as obscure blog musings have become *"a road map for the dismantling of 'the administrative state and the global postwar order.'"* Yarvin has effectively **"engineered the intellectual source code"** for a potential new regime[^5]. Billionaire Peter Thiel, crypto-mogul Marc Andreessen, and U.S. Senator J.D. Vance are counted among his admirers and allies[^6]. In fact, Thiel and Andreessen were early backers of Yarvin's tech startup and met with him privately to exchange ideas[^7]. Far from rejecting Yarvin's anti-democratic vision, they have echoed and amplified it. **Thiel has bluntly stated** that he no longer believes democracy is compatible with freedom, lamenting that *"capitalist democracy"* became an **"oxymoron"** once women and the poor gained voting rights[^8][^9]. Frustrated that **"the crowd"** does not support libertarian policies, Thiel wrote in 2009 that *"I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible"*[^10]. Instead, he spent the next decade exploring ways to **"escape from politics"** entirely -- from seasteading colonies in international waters to private space ventures -- effectively seeking **new realms where a technocratic elite could rule** unencumbered by the "unthinking demos"[^11][^12]. Other technocrats harbor similar ambitions. **Elon Musk** has not published a manifesto per se, but his actions and statements betray a sympathy for this worldview. Musk frequently expresses **impatience with democratic governance**, suggesting that a strong leader (presumably someone like himself) could get things done more effectively. Tellingly, Yarvin identified Musk as an ideal candidate to *"take charge"* of an overgrown U.S. bureaucracy -- recommending in 2022 that a re-elected Trump **"appoint Elon Musk to run the executive branch."**[^13] Musk's own rhetoric has also veered into **authoritarian paradigms**. He has mused about reality being a simulation, spoken of **"civilizational risk"** from too much dissent, and vowed to do things like *"pare [the] government to the bone."* Indeed, in one scenario envisioned by observers, **Musk's calls to slash government spending and bureaucracy** align neatly with Yarvin's blueprint for gutting the administrative state[^14]. And after a personal falling-out related to his child's gender transition, Musk declared a very visceral war on "woke" progressivism -- going so far as to say *"My son... was killed by the woke mind virus"* and *"I vow to destroy the woke mind virus."*[^15] It is the language of crusade, casting social liberalism as an infection to be eradicated. The end state Musk and his peers seek is, in their minds, a **rejuvenated civilization led by "rational" technocrats**, freed from what they see as the chaos of egalitarian democracy and the "decadence" of woke culture. Why are these wealthy, educated men so intent on upending the existing order? **Their own statements and backgrounds offer clues**. Some cite ideological reasons -- they genuinely believe that democracy (or *"the Cathedral,"* as Yarvin derisively calls the media-academia mainstream) has bred mediocrity, stagnation, and injustice[^16]. They argue that **only by concentrating power** in the hands of the competent (namely, themselves and their allies) can society be saved from decline. Thiel, for example, views majority rule as fundamentally at odds with liberty and market freedom, given that voters can *"redistribute resources from the few to the many"*[^17]. In his eyes, **protecting the innovative, productive minority** (the "creative" or wealthy class) may require **undemocratic means**[^18]. Others have more personal motives alongside ideology. Musk's turn against "wokeness," as noted, is partly fueled by family trauma and a sense of betrayal by progressive institutions[^15]. Thiel's crusade against the press was sparked by a *Gawker* article that outed him as gay -- an indignity that he neither forgot nor forgave[^19]. By his own admission, Thiel spent **$10 million secretly financing lawsuits** to bankrupt *Gawker* as payback and a *"deterrence"* signal to other journalists[^20]. *"It's less about revenge and more about specific deterrence,"* he said of his efforts, calling the destruction of that media company *"one of my greater philanthropic things that I've done."*[^20][^21] The message was clear: cross a technocrat at your peril. In short, **their desire for technocratic autocracy is driven by a mix of utopian vision and personal vendetta**. They see themselves as **saviors and avengers**, rectifying a world that has, in their view, been warped by incompetent masses and malevolent "elites" outside their control. ## Tools of Control: Media, Money, and Myth-Making To achieve their goals, these would-be architects of a new order are **methodically seizing the levers of societal power**. Their strategy recalls earlier eras when press barons or industrial tycoons bent nations to their will -- but now turbocharged by digital technology and vast personal wealth. **Controlling media and communication channels** is a top priority. It's no coincidence that Elon Musk **spent $44 billion to acquire Twitter** (now rebranded as X) in 2022, instantly placing one of the world's most influential communication platforms under his personal authority. Musk justified the purchase as a move to protect "free speech," but in practice it has given him an unprecedented role in **shaping public discourse** -- deciding which voices to un-ban or amplify and even tweaking the algorithm to favor his own posts in users' feeds. Observers noted that Twitter, while smaller than Facebook, holds outsized importance because **journalists and political influencers practically live on it**, using it to set each day's narrative[^22][^23]. Musk intuitively understands this "third rail" of power -- *"the ability to shape the way [people] think"* via media[^24] -- much like Donald Trump did. As one columnist put it, *"Elon Musk is the only businessman to date who has demonstrated the same intuitive grasp of [Twitter] as Donald Trump"* for commanding attention and rallying a base[^25]. Now, having **"bought the company"** to use as his personal megaphone[^26], Musk can weaponize the platform against his targets (be it regulators, critics, or competitors) and propagate the techno-libertarian gospel to his **tens of millions of followers**. Peter Thiel, for his part, has opted to **build alternative media ecosystems** that bypass the established press. In 2021, Thiel joined J.D. Vance's venture firm Narya Capital in making a major investment in **Rumble**, a YouTube-like video platform that markets itself as a champion of unfettered "free speech" online[^27][^28]. Rumble's user base exploded by 1,800% in a year, fueled largely by right-wing creators and audiences flocking to what they perceive as a refuge from Big Tech "censorship"[^29]. By bankrolling Rumble's expansion (along with allied ventures like the Twitter alternative Parler or the "anti-woke" banking app GloriFi), Thiel and Vance are **creating parallel communications infrastructure** insulated from mainstream oversight. The strategy is straightforward: if legacy media and Silicon Valley platforms won't carry their message (or worse, actively fact-check or ban it), the technocrats will **buy up or build their own channels**. This extends even into cloud computing -- Rumble used the new funds to launch independent cloud services[^30][^31], an effort to avoid reliance on giants like Amazon that might one day shut them down. The endgame is an **entire media pipeline under friendly control**, from social networks to video hosts to payment processors. Through these channels, they amplify narratives that serve their agenda and drown out those that oppose it. Perhaps the most insidious tool in their kit is **myth-making: constructing a unifying narrative or "hyperreal" mythos** to rally supporters and justify extreme actions. The emerging technocrat cult casts itself and its followers in a familiar heroic light -- **rebels against a corrupt empire**. They preach that they are **anti-establishment underdogs** fighting a mighty "mainstream" oppressor. It's a bold claim, given that men like Musk and Thiel *are* billionaires and establishment figures in many respects. Yet, they have successfully cultivated an image as **outsider truth-tellers** championing the little guy against an array of villains: *"woke" bureaucrats, left-wing academics, legacy media, and the so-called globalist elite*. This narrative is immensely appealing to those who feel alienated or censored by contemporary cultural norms. By **inventing an external enemy** -- the specter of "woke tyranny" or the leviathan of "the Cathedral" (Yarvin's term for the liberal consensus) -- the technocrats create a boogeyman that bonds their followers together in righteous anger[^32][^33]. Any sacrifice or questionable tactic can be justified as necessary "resistance" against this existential threat. As the recent video essay on the Joe Rogan-centric "comedy cult" astutely noted, **fabricating an external enemy** is a classic cult strategy: it breeds loyalty and stifles dissent. Indeed, in the Rogan circle, *"woke culture"* is cast as the ultimate evil, used to excuse everything from bullying "PC" comedians to peddling conspiracies, all in the name of fighting the good fight. The technocrat faction applies this same **culture war framing on a grand scale**. For example, Peter Thiel has railed against *"the hate factory of ESG"* and *"silly virtue signaling"* by a *"finance gerontocracy"* -- essentially painting older liberal business leaders and progressive values as a decadent ancien régime to be overthrown[^34][^35]. Thiel told an audience of Bitcoin enthusiasts that *"Woke companies are quasi-controlled by the government in a way that Bitcoin never will be"*, urging them to see cryptocurrency's rise as part of a **"revolutionary youth movement"** against the powers-that-be[^36][^37]. He even ended that 2022 speech with a call to arms: *"We have to just go out from this conference and take over the world."*[^38] The audacity of such statements -- *we're going to take over the world!* -- is itself a tactic. It sounds like bombastic cosplay, something you might expect from a comic-book villain rather than a sober investor. But **making their goals sound hyperbolic or crazy is part of the strategy**, as Thiel's leaked email suggested[^3]. It encourages the broader public to roll their eyes and **dismiss the technocrats' aspirations as too far-fetched to worry about**, thereby lowering our guard. Underneath the bluster, however, real **material power is being marshaled**. Thiel and Musk have poured money into political influence: Thiel was a key donor to Donald Trump and bankrolled insurgent U.S. Senate candidates like J.D. Vance and Blake Masters (both of whom echo neoreactionary talking points), while Musk has used his platform and persona to court favor with right-wing populists. Their network also penetrates deep into the policy apparatus. Michael Anton -- author of the infamous "Flight 93 Election" essay and a senior fellow at the Claremont Institute -- is a friend of Yarvin and amplifies his ideas within conservative policy circles[^39]. In one 2021 Claremont podcast, Yarvin and Anton coolly discussed how a future president might *"shut down"* top universities and civil society groups -- referred to as **"Departments of Reality"** -- to clear the way for a **Caesar-like rule**[^40]. Once fringe musings, such ideas now inform actual plans in GOP circles. J.D. Vance (a **Thiel protégé turned U.S. Senator**) has publicly suggested that the next Republican president *"fire every single mid-level bureaucrat, every civil servant in the administrative state, replace them with our people,"* and even **ignore court rulings** that get in the way[^41]. This is a near-quotation of Yarvin's proposed **RAGE** program (Retire All Government Employees) and his advice to simply defy judicial checks on power[^42]. In other words, the **technocratic coup is no longer hypothetical** -- its outlines can be seen in concrete proposals floating around Washington, Silicon Valley, and right-wing media. Through think tanks, campaign funding, and strategic appointments, the movement is **placing loyalists in positions to execute the plan** when the opportunity arises[^43]. ## Hyperreality and the Cult of the Technocrat A striking aspect of the technocrats' approach is how they manipulate **reality itself -- or at least people's perception of it**. Taking a page from cultural theorist Jean Baudrillard, they are busy constructing **"hyperreal" simulacra**: elaborate copy-cat worlds that feel as authentic and compelling as the reality they're supplanting. The Joe Rogan "Comedy Mothership" phenomenon is a perfect microcosm of this strategy. Rogan, a comedian and mega-podcaster with deep ties to Elon Musk and other tech figures, has created in Austin, Texas a **carefully crafted ecosystem** for his followers -- a *community* that offers the **illusion of friendship, wisdom, and rebellion**. The comedy club's environment, as described in the video essay, is a **"friendship simulator"** and a guiding *"compass"* for those who enter its fold. Rogan himself plays the benevolent **father-figure**; his crew of comedians enforce the group's norms through staged "anti-woke" performances (what the video calls *"comedy kayfabe"*, akin to pro-wrestling storylines). To belong, members tacitly perform a kind of **"philosophical suicide"** -- suppressing their individual critical thinking to better embrace the cult's orthodoxies (for instance, the reflexive disdain for anything deemed *"woke"* or *"mainstream"*). In return, they gain a sense of purpose and belonging that may be missing from their offline lives. This **hyperreal community is a copy with no true original** -- a simulation of genuine camaraderie and enlightenment, engineered to keep participants **loyal and immersed**. Why would tech elites care about a comedy club subculture? Because **it's a proof of concept** for a much grander design. The Rogan cult shows how, by blending entertainment, ideology, and social bonding, one can **create a reality-distortion field** that followers prefer over the outside world. People who spend their days inside such an echo chamber (literal or virtual) can be led to believe almost anything, even to laugh at their own humiliation (as with cruel bits on shows like *"Kill Tony"* which the video labeled *"abuse disguised as comedy"*). For the technocrat architects, **engineering consent via hyperreality** is far more effective than brute force. Instead of imposing tyranny top-down, they let people *willingly retreat* into curated worlds where the **technocrats' narrative is king**. Social media platforms and niche online communities are the obvious medium for this. As Yarvin keenly observed back in 2008, *"the combination of philosopher and crowd"* is what topples regimes -- and *"the best place to recruit this crowd... was on the internet."*[^44] He proceeded to do exactly that: **forming an online movement** (the "Dark Enlightenment" or neo-reaction) from disgruntled techies, **rationalist** forum-dwellers, and other curious souls who found his anti-egalitarian ideas bracing[^45]. They exchanged memes about red pills and "taking the red pill" to awaken from the lies of the modern world[^46]. Over time, what started as an internet subculture gained real political influence -- yet it *still* retains the trappings of a hyperreal sub-world, with in-jokes, jargon, and a sense of participating in a grand secret. Tellingly, Yarvin named his software company **Tlon**, after a Jorge Borges story about an imaginary world invented by a secret society that little by little **"begins to overtake reality."**[^47] This choice of reference was no accident: Yarvin and his peers *know* they are in the business of reality creation. The "Tlon" project aimed to build a *"digital republic"* -- essentially a sovereign online world -- which dovetailed with Yarvin's political vision of tech-driven separatism[^48]. In financing Tlon, Thiel and Andreessen were arguably investing in the **tools to create entire alternate realities** where their preferred social order could incubate[^49]. The result of these efforts is that **more and more people are living in a politics-adjacent fantasy**, often without realizing it. The hyperreality strategy serves two purposes. First, it **indoctrinates and mobilizes a loyal base**. Whether it's Rogan's tribe of comedy diehards, online "red-pilled" communities, or devoted fans of Musk who treat his every tweet as gospel, these groups provide the technocrats with grassroots energy and evangelism. They will spread narratives, attack opponents online, and vote or act as directed because the *virtual world they inhabit tells them to*. Second, hyperreality **neutralizes outsiders** by blurring truth and fiction. It becomes exhausting for the average person to even follow what's happening -- serious policy proposals (like replacing democracy with a CEO monarchy) mix with meme wars and trolling in a way that disorients critics. If one tries to explain the technocrats' plans, it *does* sound a bit crazy ("Billionaires want a monarchy and think they're kings? Come on."). Many reasonable people will thus dismiss it as fringe LARPing. And as we've noted, **that skepticism is precisely what the technocrats count on**[^3]. They hide in plain sight behind a veneer of internet-era absurdism. ## Cracks in the Simulation: Resisting the Technocratic Coup Can anything be done to stop this march toward a technocratic autocracy? It's a daunting challenge -- these individuals are enormously wealthy, strategically savvy, and patient. They have spent years **laying groundwork** (funding think tanks, nurturing political careers, building media outlets) to **entrench their parallel reality**. However, history has shown that even the mightiest of cults and autocrats can fall, often under the weight of their own contradictions or by awakening a slumbering public. **Resisting the rise of the technocrats will require both personal and collective action**, grounded firmly in what the video essay calls *"classic reality."* In practice, that means **refusing to live solely in their simulations**. On an individual level, the video's creator suggests a kind of antidote to hyperreality: *"touch grass."* In other words, **reconnect with the tangible world and genuine human relationships**. Spend time outdoors under the sun and moon, talk face-to-face with family and friends, engage in hobbies and community activities that aren't mediated by algorithms. These simple acts may seem trivial against billion-dollar machinations, but they help inoculate one's mind against the pull of manufactured online hysteria. The more grounded people are in real experiences -- the kind that can't be twisted by a tweet or deepfake -- the harder it is for a simulated narrative to replace their reality. Consider that comedy itself, in its pure form, is grounded in truth-telling and shared experience; by seeking out **authentic humor and art** (rather than propaganda masquerading as entertainment), we keep alive independent channels of insight that the technocrats cannot easily control. It's no coincidence that authoritarian regimes often **fear comedians and artists** -- satire and art can pierce the veil of official illusions. Thus, cherishing unfiltered creative expression and critical humor is a small act of resistance that scales. On a broader societal level, **sunlight is still the best disinfectant**. The technocrats' project thrives in obscurity and dismissal. To counter it, journalists, academics, and concerned citizens must continue to **investigate and publicize their activities and statements** -- exactly as we've done here, citing chapter and verse of their plans. It's heartening that major publications from *The New Yorker* to *The Guardian* and *Le Monde* have begun shining a light on this *"doomsday cult"* of billionaires[^6][^2][^50]. As these reports circulate, it becomes harder for Thiel, Musk, and others to cloak themselves in rebel mystique; they are exposed as would-be oligarchs undermining the democratic framework. **Public awareness is a prerequisite for public pushback.** If enough people understand that *this is not a joke*, that in fact *"this is a very real thing that is happening,"* then mobilization against it becomes possible. Voters can reject candidates who serve the technocrat agenda (or who are funded by Thiel's money, for instance). Lawmakers can tighten regulations on how social media platforms operate or how government contractors (like Thiel's Palantir) wield influence, to prevent single actors from gaining too much control. Antitrust enforcement could be used to **break up concentrations of tech power** -- imagine, for example, if Twitter had not been allowed to sell itself entirely to one man. Campaign finance reform and anti-corruption measures could curb the direct purchasing of political power. These are hard fights, but not impossible ones. We should also remember that the technocrats' vision, for all its radical flair, **contains the seeds of its own undoing**. Their plans would usher in a regime of brutal efficiency and "order," but humans are messy, spirited creatures who chafe under such yokes. The very **hyperreality they spin can become a liability**: a society run on propaganda and loyalist yes-men tends to falter when faced with real-world challenges (economies can crash, wars can be lost, innovations can stagnate when dissent and diversity are quashed). Curtis Yarvin frets that a **"half-baked revolution"** would invite backlash[^51], and he's right -- except it may be *their* revolution, even if fully realized, that ultimately provokes the most intense backlash. Throughout history, extreme regimes often overreach and awaken the very "crowd" they sought to neutralize. **The pillars of their simulacrum -- the illusions of unanimity and infallibility -- can crumble quickly** once cracks appear. We may already see early cracks: Musk's chaotic handling of Twitter has alienated many users; Thiel's high-profile candidates in 2022 (like Blake Masters) lost elections due to public mistrust; and some of Rogan's circle have broken away to criticize the toxicity of the cult mentality. These are reminders that **reality, in the end, has a way of reasserting itself.** Ultimately, preventing a technocratic autocracy is a test of our democracy's immune system. The most important thing is **not to succumb to cynicism or complacency**. Dismissing the technocrats as mere "cosplay" was their hope -- but now we know better. They have stated their objectives plainly, and we have stared unblinking at the facts. **No favoritism or malice is needed to judge their project; the facts speak for themselves**. Those facts demand a response. It falls to all who value an open society -- across the political spectrum -- to **reject the cult of the technocrat**. That means refusing to accept a future in which **billionaire "czars" get to rule by fiat** and manufacture our reality to serve their ends. It means insisting on *our own* reality -- one grounded in shared truth, human dignity, and the checks and balances hard-won over centuries. In closing, we must remember that the technocrats are not infallible wizards but **flawed men** driven by dreams and demons. They can be challenged and defeated by other people of good will working together in classic reality. The first step is to take them **seriously** at their word. As one State Department official noted, certain figures have a way of **"channel[ing] a Zeitgeist"** -- Yarvin & Co. have captured a timely mood of disillusionment, and bent it toward a dark remedy[^52]. But we can channel a different Zeitgeist, one that champions democracy's renewal over its destruction. **Reality is still out there, unaugmented and unfiltered, waiting for us to embrace it**. The sooner we do -- touching grass, talking under the open sky, comparing notes outside the echo chambers -- the sooner the spell of the hyperreal will break. The rise of the technocrat is real, but it is not inevitable. Our very ability to recognize it, to name it and challenge it, is proof that their "hidden advantage" is waning[^3]. What was once hidden in the realm of blogs and bro-talk is now illuminated. And **sunlight, as ever, is the best weapon against cults and conspiracies** -- even those backed by billions. --- ## Sources [^1]: Ava Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America," *The New Yorker*, June 2025 - [Link](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/06/09/curtis-yarvin-profile) [^2]: Jason Wilson, "He's anti-democracy and pro-Trump: the obscure 'dark enlightenment' blogger influencing the next US administration," *The Guardian*, Dec 2024 - [Link](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/21/curtis-yarvin-trump) [^3]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" (on conspiracy implausibility as asset) [^4]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" (on Yarvin calling himself royalist/Jacobite) [^5]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" (on engineering intellectual source code) [^6]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" (on Yarvin's admirers) [^7]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" (on Thiel/Andreessen backing) [^8]: Peter Thiel, "The Education of a Libertarian," *Cato Unbound*, April 2009 - [Link](https://www.cato-unbound.org/2009/04/13/peter-thiel/education-libertarian/) [^9]: Thiel, "The Education of a Libertarian" (on capitalist democracy as oxymoron) [^10]: Jonathan Chait, "Peter Thiel and the Authoritarian--Libertarian Alliance for Trump," *New York Magazine*, Oct 2016 - [Link](https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2016/10/peter-thiel-the-authoritarian-libertarian-for-trump.html) [^11]: Thiel, "The Education of a Libertarian" (on escape from politics) [^12]: Thiel, "The Education of a Libertarian" (on technological frontiers) [^13]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" (on Yarvin recommending Musk) [^14]: Wilson, "He's anti-democracy and pro-Trump" (on Trump/Musk alignment with Yarvin) [^15]: Arnaud Leparmentier, "Elon Musk's ambition: Repopulating the planet and 'destroying the woke virus'," *Le Monde*, Aug 2024 - [Link](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/08/13/elon-musk-s-ambition-repopulating-the-planet-and-destroying-the-woke-virus_6714239_4.html) [^16]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" (on the Cathedral) [^17]: Chait, "Peter Thiel and the Authoritarian--Libertarian Alliance" [^18]: Chait, "Peter Thiel and the Authoritarian--Libertarian Alliance" [^19]: Noah Kulwin, "Peter Thiel says backing Hulk Hogan's Gawker suit was 'one of my greater philanthropic things that I've done'," *Vox/Recode*, May 2016 - [Link](https://www.vox.com/2016/5/25/11779910/peter-thiel-gawker-hulk-hogan-interview) [^20]: Kulwin, "Peter Thiel says backing Hulk Hogan's Gawker suit" [^21]: Kulwin, "Peter Thiel says backing Hulk Hogan's Gawker suit" [^22]: John Naughton, "Elon, Twitter is not the town square -- it's just a private shop," *The Guardian*, May 2022 - [Link](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/01/elon-twitter-is-not-the-town-square-its-just-a-private-shop-square-belongs-to-us-all) [^23]: Naughton, "Elon, Twitter is not the town square" [^24]: Naughton, "Elon, Twitter is not the town square" [^25]: Naughton, "Elon, Twitter is not the town square" [^26]: Naughton, "Elon, Twitter is not the town square" [^27]: Rumble Corp., "Narya and Peter Thiel Lead Investment in Rumble," press release, May 19, 2021 - [Link](https://corp.rumble.com/blog/narya-and-peter-thiel-lead-investment-in-rumble/) [^28]: Rumble Corp., "Narya and Peter Thiel Lead Investment in Rumble" [^29]: Rumble Corp., "Narya and Peter Thiel Lead Investment in Rumble" [^30]: Rumble Corp., "Narya and Peter Thiel Lead Investment in Rumble" [^31]: Rumble Corp., "Narya and Peter Thiel Lead Investment in Rumble" [^32]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" [^33]: Dan Milmo, "PayPal founder launches tirade against 'gerontocracy' over bitcoin," *The Guardian*, April 2022 - [Link](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/08/peter-thiel-paypal-founder-tirade-gerontocracy-bitcoin) [^34]: Milmo, "PayPal founder launches tirade" [^35]: Milmo, "PayPal founder launches tirade" [^36]: Milmo, "PayPal founder launches tirade" [^37]: Milmo, "PayPal founder launches tirade" [^38]: Milmo, "PayPal founder launches tirade" [^39]: Wilson, "He's anti-democracy and pro-Trump" [^40]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" [^41]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" [^42]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" [^43]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" [^44]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" [^45]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" [^46]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" [^47]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" [^48]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" [^49]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" [^50]: Leparmentier, "Elon Musk's ambition" [^51]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" [^52]: Kofman, "Curtis Yarvin's Plot Against America" [^53]: Chait, "Peter Thiel and the Authoritarian--Libertarian Alliance"