Money Maze Podcast 184: From Westminster to Silicon Valley: A Connected World at Risk - Sir Nick Clegg on threat to Global Connection in the Age of AI & Political Conflict.
Sep 18, 2025
Sir Nick Clegg, former leader of the UK Liberal Democrats and Deputy Prime Minister, shares insights from his transition to Silicon Valley as a senior Meta executive. He candidly discusses the challenges of content moderation, including the controversial removal of Trump from Facebook. Clegg warns about the balkanisation of the Internet and debates the risks and realities of AI, highlighting Europe's technological shortcomings and the dominance of US and Chinese tech. His thoughts offer a critical lens on geopolitics and the future of digital connection.
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From Westminster To Silicon Valley
- Nick Clegg described being recruited to Facebook after advising on tech-policy and setting up a think tank called Open Reason.
- He accepted in 2018 after meetings with Sheryl Sandberg and Mark Zuckerberg and family reasons made the move practical.
Culture Clash: Westminster Meets Silicon Valley
- Clegg jokes about 'don't bring your authentic self to work' to highlight cultural differences between Westminster and Silicon Valley.
- He learned to replace repartee with data-driven persuasion to fit Meta's engineering culture.
Speak The Language Of Engineers
- Adapt your communication to the audience by speaking in numbers and systems when addressing engineers.
- Learn the language of your team to persuade and be effective across cultures.
