The Tech Plutocrats Dreaming of a Right-Wing San Francisco

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the rise of Garry Tan, the CEO of Y Combinator, as a prominent tech-funded political figure in San Francisco. It examines his efforts to capture control of the city's government through a slate of anti-progressive candidates, as well as the broader "techno-optimist" movement that seeks to replace existing political and social institutions with parallel, tech-driven alternatives.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Garry Tan's Political Activism

1. What are the key points about Garry Tan's political activism in San Francisco?

• Garry Tan, the CEO of Y Combinator, has established himself as a prominent Twitter attack dog and political activist in San Francisco over the past two years.
• He donated $100,000 to the recall campaign against District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who was ousted in June 2022.
• Tan has ramped up his political ambitions and rhetoric, promising to "wipe out" progressive supervisors and build a "parallel" political and social infrastructure in San Francisco.
• Tan and fellow tech barons have promised to invest up to $15 million in local races to support a slate of anti-progressive candidates.

2. How did Tan's drunken social media tirade backfire?

• Tan went on a profanity-laced tirade on social media, wishing death upon a majority of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
• This led to the targets receiving death threats, and Tan had to delete his posts and hire a crisis PR firm to manage the fallout.
• The meltdown cracked Tan's image as an unapologetic Elon Musk mini-me with grandiose plans to build a "parallel" society in San Francisco.

[02] The "Techno-Optimist" Movement

1. What is the "techno-optimist" movement, and how does it relate to Tan's political ambitions?

• The "techno-optimist" movement is a backlash against "constant naysaying" and a belief in "unfettered free speech, pro-artificial intelligence, anti-mainstream media, and deep skepticism of DEI, political correctness, and elite consensus."
• This ideology is embraced by "mostly rich, white, middle-aged men with tech jobs, companies or investment funds" who want to replace existing political and social institutions with parallel, tech-driven alternatives.
• Tan's vision for San Francisco aligns with this "techno-optimist" movement, as he aims to capture the city's government and hold it hostage to his demands.

2. How do the key figures and organizations involved in this movement reflect its political orientation?

• The movement includes figures like Michael Shellenberger, a former leftist PR expert who now serves as chair of politics, censorship and free speech at the University of Austin, a newly formed parallel academic institution.
• Shellenberger's error-riddled and conspiratorial writings regularly go viral on Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter), earning him appearances in right-wing outlets.
• Other figures involved include Peter Thiel, a Republican megadonor, and David Sacks, who has promoted the presidential campaign of Ron DeSantis.
• The movement does not include any moderates or Democrats, but rather a well-funded effort to "red-pill" San Francisco towards plutocracy and prisons.