When we first began to chronicle the rise of the American oligarchy, Donald Trump was a private citizen, the future of the internet was the Metaverse, and Elon Musk was—well, if we’re being honest, he’s really always been like this. But in Trump’s second presidential term, that consolidation of wealth that helped make his presidency possible has shifted into a new gear. The world’s richest men joined forces with the world’s most powerful man in pursuit of a technological breakthrough that would reorder society and make them unfathomably rich—or bring us all down with them.
For our May + June 2026 issue, Mother Jones explores the roots and reach of Silicon Valley’s biggest merger ever and the implications of Big Tech’s quest for an AI revolution, which is already upending our world.
How the American Oligarchy Went Hyperscale
The AI boom is fueling a literal and metaphorical power grab by tech billionaires—and forcing a reckoning.
Creating Baby Geniuses to Thwart the AI Threat? (Yes, Really.)
The new wave of Silicon Valley–backed gene-editing startups is straight out of “Brave New World.”
Tech Billionaires Want Christians to Believe in AI
For Peter Thiel and JD Vance allies, the tech right is framing AI as a moral—even divine—mission.
This reporting was generously supported by The DJ McManus Family Foundation.
