The Elon Musk Character Arc

David Sacks is known as a CEO/investor in multiple unicorns, and most recently a media mogul with All-In. In this episode, we trace David’s intellectual and political history from his days fighting student activism at Stanford to now. We cover the political and cultural changes in the last 30 years of silicon valley, how the real distinction today is between the college-educated and the not, and how even though 2⁄3 of the country didn’t go to college, their views are not represented in our institutions today. This episode was recorded in December 2022 but is just as relevant today. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Episode Preview

(03:18) How did tech become less free speech oriented?

(04:30) Why is PayPal so woke?

(09:25) Corporations and governments collaborating to censor

(10:30) Tracing political history in Silicon Valley 

(18:45) College educated vs. not is the biggest difference in US

(24:50) Sponsors: Secureframe

(27:22) David’s experience with student activism in the 1990s

(29:00) David’s evolution on foreign policy 

(32:15) U.S. Russiaphobia

(35:45) Why David supports big-tech regulations

(49:00) Is classical liberalism a dead end?

(54:00) Elon’s character arc and political journey

(01:06:33) Employee entitlement was a bull-market phenomenon

(01:11:15) Accountability for elites is the solution

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This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.