The Silicon Valley’s tech elites, with their anti-democratic ideologies, are aiming to develop a new ruling class in the government. Writers now refer to them as “techno-oligarchs”—a new class of mega-rich individuals who wield “immense power through the control of digital infrastructure, data and technological innovation”.
In practice, this means men like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg can sway markets, shape public discourse and even influence governments in ways almost unheard of a generation ago. Yes, this is no conspiracy theory, and it is unfolding in front of our very eyes.
The Techno-Oligarchs
The term “techno-oligarchy” describes these billionaires who sit at the helm of Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta and other giants and use that position to shape policy, often beyond the reach of elected officials.
In short, technology no longer only serves innovation; it is power, and these titans are, by virtue of data and wealth, the new kings of it.
For decades, America’s richest donors pulled strings quietly by funnelling money into campaigns and lobbying behind the scenes. Today’s tech moguls are doing something far bolder.
Elon Musk, for example, has openly staked out a political role that dwarfs anything we’ve seen from corporate moguls in U.S. history. In 2024, he gave over $130 million to support Donald Trump’s campaign, then strolled into the White House halls not as a hidden backer but as co-chair of a new “Department of Government Efficiency” alongside fellow billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy.
As a Times analyst put it, Musk’s moves amount to “an extraordinary flexing of power by a private individual.”
Northwestern professor Jason Seawright concurs: “We’ve never really seen anyone be that directly connected with a campaign unless they were the candidate.”
Meanwhile, other tech billionaires quietly deploy their influence. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, owner of The Washington Post and aeronautics firm Blue Origin, quietly donates to political causes and funds global projects.
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg funnelled hundreds of millions into “Election Day” grants nationwide.
As Vox’s Sigal Samuel reports, today’s tech titans (Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos, Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen and the like) operate on an ideology that casts them as untouchable supermen. They embrace MAGA’s lawless ethos because it promises exactly what they crave: “unchecked power to the powerful.”
Trump’s victory only reinforced their conviction.
Their Techno-Fascism is Not Subtle Anymore
This is not a subtle influence; it’s an “in-your-face oligarchy,” as Northwestern professor Jeffrey Winters terms it.
This brazenness is spreading: crypto bros, hedge fund titans and Silicon Valley barons now openly host MAGA events, tweet conspiracies, and proclaim contempt for democracy.
Gone are the days when moguls quietly bought ambassadorships or sweet government contracts. Now they post on social media, command devoted followings (Musk has 200 million followers himself) and legislate from behind the scenes.
This alignment of Silicon Valley with anti-democratic forces has a bitter irony. The tech industry was built on open knowledge, immigration, and scientific progress, and yet many of its leaders now finance a movement that undermines those very foundations.
These are the same billionaires “who owe their fortunes to open borders, public universities and basic research,” and yet they now cheer on a regime dismantling universities, healthcare, and climate science. Rather than addressing problems like hate speech or privacy abuse, tech CEOs deflect with rhetoric.
The upshot is a political system imperilled by concentrated tech power, “digital kill chains”, and apartheid becoming “economically sound.”
Will we be able to acquiesce to this private plutocracy, or reassert democratic control? The answer will determine whether the next chapter is one of shared progress or corporate domination.
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