THE PERFECT STORM OF TECHNOLOGY AND POWER

cull /kʌl/ verb

1)Reduce the population of (a wild animal) by selective slaughter.

Similar: slaughter, kill, destroy, reduce the numbers of, thin out the population of

I thought the above Twitter comment was so funny - and sad - on so many levels. That's why I had to use it to truly illustrate what this blog is all about. Sadly, this will be the only laughing matter you will find in this post. That´s because the theme I will discuss here is of a very serious nature and it has the potential of becoming a danger to us all due to the state of the world today. Sorry about that.

A GLIMPSE OF OUR NEW REALITY

FACTS:

-In 2022, when Google's search engine went down for just 30 minutes, global internet traffic dropped by 80%, revealing how one company's infrastructure had become as essential as electricity or running water.

-Several tweets from Elon Musk have wiped billions from markets or increased his wealth in minutes.

-When Elon Musk's satellites became Ukraine's digital lifeline in 2022, it marked the first time in history that a private citizen could significantly influence the outcome of an international conflict. This wasn't just a businessman making a corporate decision—it was a private individual wielding power once reserved for nations. The implications should terrify us all.

-Every META update means billions of people wake up to find their digital lives have changed overnight. Meta's algorithm updates reshape everyone´s social connections without our consent.

-The internet ecosystem is increasingly reliant on the cloud and recent figures show that 41.5% of cloud computing is controlled by Amazon alone.

-By the end of 2023, OpenAI's latest model processed more text than all human writers in history. Did this company care if it used the writers´ published work without permission or compensation? No, it didn't. It just took it.

-In the span of a single day in November 2023, a brief announcement about one executive's departure wiped billions of dollars from the market value of one of largest tech companies in the world; Microsoft. No war had broken out. No natural disaster had struck. Sam Altman had simply been ousted from OpenAI.

This is a glimpse into a world where individual tech leaders wield more economic power than most nations. Welcome to the age of the technical oligarchs.

THE NEW NORMAL

This is the new normal. A handful of men, unelected, largely unaccountable, not bound by any checks and balances, and their power growing exponentially with each passing day, now wield more influence over human behavior than any government in history.

Imagine a future where only these few individuals have such unprecedented influence over the very fabric of society that they can shape human behavior, rewire our institutions, and redefine the course of civilization itself. 

This is the story of how we got here, where we're heading, and why it should matter to every person on Earth. In the age of AI and machine learning, this isn't just the stuff of dystopian fiction; it’s the chilling reality unfolding right now.

THE BILLIONAIRES

Let's start with a list of the top 10 wealthiest people in the world.

World's Top 10 Wealthiest Individuals (2024)

Rank	Name	Primary Source	Net Worth (USD)	Avg Annual Growth*	Daily Wealth Change**
1	Bernard Arnault & family	LVMH (Luxury Goods)	$207.8B	+15.4%	+$210M
2	Elon Musk	Tesla, SpaceX	$195.3B	+27.2%	+$234M
3	Jeff Bezos	Amazon	$192.5B	+12.8%	+$180M
4	Mark Zuckerberg	Meta	$177.1B	+19.3%	+$195M
5	Larry Ellison	Oracle	$141.2B	+11.6%	+$142M
6	Larry Page	Google	$130.5B	+10.2%	+$138M
7	Warren Buffett	Berkshire Hathaway	$128.6B	+8.4%	+$115M
8	Sergey Brin	Google	$125.8B	+10.1%	+$136M
9	Steve Ballmer	Microsoft	$121.2B	+9.8%	+$130M
10	Bill Gates	Microsoft	$120.6B	+7.2%	+$108M

Average annual growth rate over the past 5 years (approximate) * Average daily wealth change based on annual growth

Billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Sam Altman are not only wealthy beyond comprehension; they control world-shaping enterprises that transcend mere corporate entities. They are creating the visions that will define the future of humanity. These men—engineers, innovators, and capitalists—are pioneers and powerhouses. But they are also human, subject to the same limitations, biases, and ambitions that drive anyone. The difference? They control the infrastructure of modern life on a scale that no single government can match.

A TRIO OF TITANS

Take Elon Musk. Through SpaceX, he has privatized the space race, creating a gateway to what he calls a "multi-planetary species." Musk’s vision is of human colonies on Mars—a noble goal that also positions him as the main gatekeeper to humanity’s interstellar ambitions. SpaceX’s recent contracts with NASA show how closely entwined Musk’s companies have become with public interests, the government, all while he remains accountable to no public vote. Musk’s influence extends to AI, through companies like Neuralink and X.AI, which have the objective of developing technologies capable of merging human minds with machines.

Jeff Bezos—former CEO of Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce platform and cloud computing giant—has spent decades refining the art of consumer manipulation and data tracking, knowing every consumer’s wants and habits, sometimes even before they do. Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides the backbone for governments, corporations, and even military services, giving Amazon unprecedented insight into global operations. Meanwhile, Bezos’s acquisition of The Washington Post offers him an influential media platform, extending his reach from commerce and technology to information control.

Then there’s Sam Altman, a key figure behind OpenAI and now a prominent advocate for the development of AGI (artificial general intelligence). Altman believes AGI could be as consequential as the discovery of fire. But who decides how AGI will be used? OpenAI’s board? Altman himself? The terms of access and control are already favoring those who can pay, raising critical questions about what happens when intelligence - without limits and self-improving - rests in the hands of an exclusive group of executives and investors.

HUMANITY´S FUTURE

Each of these tech titans operates under the banner of innovation and progress, using these ideals to justify monopolistic practices that the world has never seen before. But innovation for whom? Who decides what progress looks like, and who benefits? By their design, these innovations consolidate and control power. The ability to influence economies, to sway elections, to invade privacy, and even to manipulate thought patterns, now belongs to a select few. And as they aim for broader and broader horizons, the question becomes: What happens to those they leave behind?

These billionaires’ ambitions may seem futuristic, but they often pursue objectives that serve their own long-term interests and visions. A Mars colony, for example, may serve as a backup plan for humanity—or perhaps just for an elite section of it? Artificial intelligence designed for “beneficial” uses may, in practice, be deployed in ways that reduce the labor pool, creating a “useless class,” while automation and privatization eliminate traditional jobs.

These tech leaders want more than just business success. They want to extend human life, reshape society with new inventions, and push into frontiers like space. In doing so, they've become something more powerful than regular business leaders - they're acting like rulers of their own kingdoms.

A WORLD IN THE BALANCE

In an era marked by climate crisis, rising inequality, and social fragmentation, technology should ideally serve to unify and uplift humanity. Yet, under the control of an elite few, what do you think it could be used for? It might increasingly become a tool for domination rather than liberation.

This is the paradox of our times: Technology has the potential to benefit everyone, yet it’s positioned to deepen divides, creating a world in which those without power have even less voice, less agency, and less hope.

We have a big problem to solve. It's right here, in front of our faces. These tech billionaires aren't just selling us products anymore. They're making choices that will change how all of us live in the future. We need to wake up and take action before they gain too much control over everyone's lives. What will our response be? Will we stand by and let these select few dictate our future, or will we demand that technology and progress serve all of humanity?

THE MORAL DISTRIBUTION OF POWER

What makes this scenario even more chilling is the historical examples of how easily powerful elites can justify horrific actions in the name of progress, survival, or maintaining order. 

Genocides, eugenics, colonial exploitation - all were justified by those in power as necessary or even benevolent. It’s not hard to imagine a future where those controlling AI and biotechnology discuss mass death or population control as a grim but necessary step to "save the planet" or preserve human civilization.

The most dangerous part of this is the lack of accountability. With concentrated wealth and power, billionaires and corporations can shield themselves from any meaningful checks or ethical investigation. In a world where they control the systems that run our societies - from digital infrastructure to the economy to healthcare - resistance could be nearly impossible without those very systems turning against the people.

SUPERIORITY COMPLEX

There’s also the backhanded possibility that those in power come to see themselves as inherently superior to the masses. We already see this attitude in how some tech elites talk and behave when it comes to the near future. They speak of "escaping" to Mars, creating luxury doomsday bunkers, or even transcending human biology through AI and biotech. 

This mindset promotes a sense of detachment and, worse, a belief that some people are more worthy of survival than others. If this attitude solidifies, it could lead to the kinds of culling of undesirable populations that we have seen happen throughout history: decisions about who lives and dies based on wealth, intelligence, or even race.

That is the main reason for this book. I hope it will become a call for all to wake up and see the storm brewing on the horizon - a perfect storm where unchecked power, wealth, and technology are coming together to reshape the world. The question is not whether these billionaires will act in their own interest.

The question is, who will act in ours?

Thanks for reading. Abrazos.

Diego Rojas