Power Hour with Alex Epstein Defense tech prodigy Ethan Thornton on how to quickly deter China from invading Taiwan
Jan 14, 2026
Ethan Thornton, a 22-year-old defense tech entrepreneur and CEO of Mach Industries, dives into urgent discussions about U.S. strategies to deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. He shares insights on the implications of rapid unmanned systems development, highlighting the need for a modernized weapons procurement process. Ethan warns about China's advantages in military production and logistics, advocating for innovative stockpiling of unmanned weapons. His vision emphasizes agility and cost-effectiveness to enhance survivability on the battlefield.
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Dropping Out To Build Defense Tech
- Ethan dropped out of MIT during his first semester driven by urgency to build unmanned defense tech.
- He risked an Air Force ROTC scholarship to found a company now employing hundreds and holding DOD contracts.
Taiwan Is The Pacing Threat
- China has architected its military to neutralize US influence in the Indo-Pacific and threatens Taiwan by 2027.
- Losing Taiwan would cripple access to advanced semiconductors and harm the US economy and global standing.
Logistics And Production Are Decisive
- Fighting in the Indo-Pacific is a logistics and scale problem because China outproduces the U.S. massively.
- War games show we can run out of munitions in days and struggle to get assets into the fight.