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🌊 Inside Silicon Valley’s Tech Utopia
Is Elon Musk trying to build a new kind of country?
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By Max Frost
In the past, if you wanted to start a country, you needed land, an army, and international recognition. Today, according to some of Silicon Valley’s biggest minds, all you need is the internet.
“Something like Tech Zionism,” as Balaji Srinivasan recently said.
He was referring to the network state, the concept of a digital community in which like-minded people pool resources, develop an economy, and potentially purchase land to build new states. Over time, these states could grow powerful enough to negotiate with governments or even become sovereign entities.
Srinivasan – a prominent venture capitalist and the former chief technology officer of Coinbase – coined the “network state” term, arguing that governments have become stagnant, inefficient, and misaligned with their citizens’ values. His proposal is to treat nation-building like a startup – and instead of reforming broken systems, build entirely new ones from scratch.
“A network state is a highly aligned online community with a capacity for collective action that crowdfunds territory around the world and eventually gains diplomatic recognition from pre-existing states,” Srinivasan has said.
This idea has gained traction among tech elites who are frustrated with government bureaucracy and eager to experiment with alternative governance models.
But could this actually become a reality? Some say it’s ludicrous; others say not just yes, but that Elon Musk is creating one already.
In today’s deep-dive, we examine the “network state,” Elon Musk’s relation to it, and whether the concept is feasible or just another Silicon Valley fantasy.
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Editor’s Note
What do you think of the network state? Positive innovation, pipe dream, or threat to free societies? Let us know by replying to this email.
And in case you missed them, here are our past five deep-dives:
Tons of replies to yesterday’s story on America’s secret bunkers. We’re sharing a selection of those emails below.
Margie wrote:
I've read of a couple of these, and would love to hear more. "Many" stretches the imagination tho -- if 7 Watergate defendants couldn't keep quiet for a couple weeks, it's doubtful the hundreds building these things could for years.
Anonymous wrote:
Yes I believe or at least hope the government has bunkers and contingency plans. I also hope they remain secret from bad actors. Transparency in govt does not mean every detail is public. At least until they started using Signal Chat or X to communicate secrets !
Alfonso agreed:
I think it would be outlandish NOT to believe there are secret bunkers. I'm sure there's even a network of tunnels. If preparing for nuclear war, you want as much of your military, technology, and politicians shielded as you can. Plus leave room for secret research
While Maureen wrote:
They totally exist
Here in Canada I know people that have one that sleeps 4
It’s not right or moral that those with money have the means to stay alive should the unthinkable happen …
I’d like to know where and who they are !
Thanks for reading. Have a fantastic start to your weekends, and see you tomorrow.
—Max and Max