How Tech Oligarchs Profit from the Logic of 'Finitude Capitalism' and What to Do About It

In the United States, the wealth of tech figures such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Larry Ellison continues to soar. One or more of them may soon become a trillionaire—likely Musk, for whom Tesla shareholders just approved a pay package that could be worth $1 trillion over the next ten years. How the interests of the tech oligarchs are entwined with those of President Donald Trump and his administration’s brand of politics has been much reported on, including on Tech Policy Press, with various contributors detailing how the current configuration of power between the aspiring tech trillionaires and the Trump administration presents grave risks to core democratic principles, including the rule of law.

We argue that this phenomenon is not only a coincidental convergence of the personal, political, and business interests of the individuals involved, but that it should be understood within the broader logic of ‘finitude capitalism.’ Applying this concept situates the current rise of the tech oligarchs and their entanglements with the US government and its president in a broader historical context, and points to potential interventions.