I’ve told this bizarre story to a few people now, including my wife Linh, who was certain it was a scam, and everyone’s eyes cross trying…
How Pig Butchering Scams Work — ProPublica
Thousands have lost huge sums after being lured into fraudulent online investment schemes by seemingly attractive strangers who strike up online conversations with them. Here’s a guide to spotting the telltale signs.
What does Jeff Bezos think is going to happen?
I bought a book on my Kindle — a thing I have done many times before. I exchanged money for goods, as one is supposed to do in a capitalist society. Then this happened. I wonder what response Jeff …
Narrative over numbers: Andreessen Horowitz's State of Crypto report
Venture capital firm and crypto pusher Andreessen Horowitz wants you to keep buying crypto, and is not above publishing blatant falsehoods to convince you to do so.
The $11 Billion Marketplace Enabling the Crypto Scam Economy
Deepfake scam services. Victim data. Electrified shackles for human trafficking. Crypto tracing firm Elliptic found all were available for sale on an online marketplace linked to Cambodia’s ruling family.
The Inside Story Of Leverage Research 1.0
Between 2011-2019, Leverage Research explored the deep psychology of Effective Altruism and Silicon Valley, then suddenly dissolved among rumors of "demons." What happened?
The Inside Story Of Leverage Research 1.0
Between 2011-2019, Leverage Research explored the deep psychology of Effective Altruism and Silicon Valley, then suddenly dissolved among rumors of "demons." What happened?
The Inside Story Of Leverage Research 1.0
Between 2011-2019, Leverage Research explored the deep psychology of Effective Altruism and Silicon Valley, then suddenly dissolved among rumors of "demons." What happened?
We found a website you can’t leave
Everyone Is Lying To You For Money
The Forge present Ben McKenzie's, Everyone Is Lying to You for Money where he explores cryptocurrency in his directorial debut, moving from curiosity to exposing harsh truths. His documentary both educates and entertains while delivering a powerful critique of the crypto world.
Are Tech Bros Ruining Fashion?
How Not to Play the Game
Magic beans, Bahamian penthouses, old-fashioned fraud and other important SBF-inspired insights. A postscript to Bloomberg Businessweek’s The Crypto Story.
The Everywhere Millionaire: Who Is Really Rich in America and How They Got There
From two leading economists comes a groundbreaking new portrait of the hidden fortunes of Main Street business owners—ordinary Americans who built extraordinary wealth and are quietly rewriting the rules of money and power. Most people think the path to great wealth runs through Wall Street or Silicon Valley. We’re told you must be a Zuckerberg, a Musk, or a Jamie Dimon to get rich. But this story is wrong. Drawing on unprecedented data from a decade of research and vivid real-life stories of entrepreneurs—from a self-made hot-dog stand billionaire to the heirs of an auto dealer—Zidar and Zwick reveal a surprising truth: prosperity is more attainable, more widely distributed, and closer to home than we imagine. A multitude of Americans have built staggering fortunes by running often unglamorous businesses far from the spotlight. A quiet revolution in the business world—the rise of “pass-through” firms like S-corporations and partnerships—supercharged this wealth, channeling vast income directly to business owners rather than traditional corporations.Part economic detective story, part roadmap to riches, this book reveals: —The Hidden 1%: They might be a local beer distributor, a dentist with a regional network of practices, a commercial HVAC contractor with trucks around town, or a restaurateur who keeps opening new locations. For every public company CEO, more than a thousand private business owners each have transformational wealth.— The Blueprint for Wealth: Zidar and Zwick describe where Main Street Millionaires come from, how they grew rich, and how much money they make. Their stories suggest the American Dream is not dead and many paths to prosperity remain open today. — Power Brokers: Armed with their fortunes, Main Street Millionaires wield power in city halls, statehouses, and Washington, often bending policy to protect what they’ve built. They are both growing the economic pie and grabbing bigger slices for themselves.The Everywhere Millionaire celebrates the stories of entrepreneurs who seized opportunities while asking hard questions about how concentrated wealth and power shape society. It is an essential guide to seeing the economy as it really is and recognizing the surprising paths to prosperity—and influence—everywhere.
How Venture Capital Warps the World
A conversation with Catherine Bracy, CEO of TechEquity and author of the new book World Eaters: How Venture Capital is Cannibalizing the Economy.
Erewhon’s Secrets
Japanese utopians. Corporate glow-ups. $400 smoothies. The strange history of the world’s most cultish grocery store.
There are new and specific numbers in this story, so it’s worth reading. I continue to resent the lack of credit to Nick Schwellenbach at @pogo.org, Dan Friedman at @motherjones.com, and me, who have previously reported every other aspect of this story, including that the sale prices were very high.
Social media scams/scam compounds/disinfo
So-called pig butchering scams, romance scams, disinformation campaigns, etc.
SMS Verification Statistics by platforms | COTSI
Mapping the online manipulation economy
OSF
Reranking partisan animosity in algorithmic social media feeds alters affective polarization
Exposure to the Russian Internet Research Agency foreign influence campaign on Twitter in the 2016 US election and its relationship to attitudes and voting behavior
How malicious AI swarms can threaten democracy
