Jacob Silverman

At the height of the pandemic, TV star Ben McKenzie (The O.C., Gotham) was the perfect mark for cryptocurrency: a dad stuck at home with some cash in his pocket, worried about his family, armed with only the vague notion that people were making heaps of money on something he—despite a degree in economics—didn't entirely understand. Lured in by the...

A searing insight into the political radicalisation of Silicon Valley, from Elon Musk to Peter Thiel, JD Vance and Donald Trump, and how it will affect the future of all our lives. From the pursuit of potentially apocalyptic artificial intelligence to life-extension start-ups that promise billionaires eternal youth and those who encourage the political far right around the world, the...

A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF 2025 A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2025 'Lively and provocative.' FINANCIAL TIMES 'Makes a convincing case for how tech became radicalised.' BLOOMBERG 'Revelatory.' THE BULWARK 'Sharp and ominous... an essential unmasking of the growing extremism among America’s wealthy.' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY What happens if the world’s richest and most powerful men decide to dismantle...

In the midst of a global pandemic, when uncertainties loomed large, television actor Ben McKenzie found himself ensnared by the allure of cryptocurrency. Navigating this digital frontier as a curious father with unexpected time on his hands, McKenzie embarked on a quest to understand the wildly fluctuating world of blockchain, Bitcoin, and their assorted digital kin. Despite his academic background...