In the gilded halls of wealth and power, America’s technocratic billionaires have long presented themselves as the architects of modern progress. Yet, in recent years, many of these self-styled visionaries have found themselves groveling at the feet of Donald Trump, sacrificing dignity and principles in pursuit of cheap favors and growing their empire even larger using our identities as a commodity. This sad spectacle reveals not just the moral bankruptcy of a certain segment of the ultra-wealthy but also a growing chasm between the elites and the everyday people whose labor and data sustain their empires.
Trump’s presidency revealed something disconcerting about the billionaire class: their willingness to set aside integrity in favor of self-preservation and proximity to power. Billionaire wannabe technocrats like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Mark Zuckerburg, and Jeff Bezos have openly courted Trump or espoused positions aligned with his rhetoric. Whether motivated by tax cuts, deregulation, or access to government contracts, their allegiance to Trump highlights a disturbing trend—the abandonment of any pretense of principled leadership. This toadying isn’t just a personal choice; it’s a strategy to maintain and expand their control over the systems that shape modern life. By aligning with Trump, these technocrats have effectively signaled their priorities: profit over principle, power over people. This behavior not only diminishes their credibility but also underscores the class divide. While millions of Americans struggle with rising costs, job insecurity, and dwindling resources, these billionaires protect their wealth by cozying up to a political figure who thrives on division.
The willingness of technocrats to embrace Trump draws a stark line between the elites and the rest of society. For most Americans, Trump’s policies—ranging from tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy to rollbacks of environmental protections—exemplify a government that prioritizes corporate interests over public welfare. Yet, for billionaires, Trump represents a convenient ally, someone who will turn a blind eye to their monopolistic tendencies and amplify their power. This dynamic has made it increasingly clear that the interests of the technocratic elite are fundamentally at odds with those of ordinary people. The billionaires who control platforms like Meta, X, and other social media giants profit immensely from the data and attention of their users, yet they bear little accountability for the societal harms their platforms enable—from misinformation to the erosion of privacy.
If the general population were to collectively walk away from platforms like Meta and X, the power dynamics could shift dramatically. These technocrats derive their influence not from inherent brilliance or leadership but from the billions of users who fuel their platforms with content, data, and attention. Without users, their empires crumble. Imagine a mass exodus from these platforms—a digital revolution that deprives the billionaire class of the currency they value most: user engagement. Such a movement would not only diminish their economic power but also send a powerful message about the importance of accountability and ethical leadership.
In their pursuit of power and profit, technocratic billionaires have lost something invaluable: dignity. By aligning themselves with Trump, they’ve revealed a willingness to trade integrity for influence, to amplify division for personal gain. It underscores the need for everyday people to reclaim their agency by understanding that they, themselves, are the currency these billionaire’s wield. The power to reshape these dynamics lies not in the hands of the technocrats, but in the collective will of the people they seek to exploit and capitalize on. This dynamic is not unchangeable. Step away from the platforms that allow them to commoditize your identity, and their power will quickly dwindle. Question is, can people sacrafice the identity they built on these platforms to start new, with decentralized platforms like BlueSky and Mastadon. The question is whether we are willing to take that step. The technocrats’ power depends on our compliance. Their empires will crumble without it.
And for the Technocrats Toadying up to Trump? Try to have some dignity, history will judge you poorly.