From Mavericks to Mouthpieces: How Tech Billionaires Broke Journalism (with Eoin Higgins)

The Nerd Reich

In Episode 3 of the Nerd Reich podcast, Gil Duran and journalist Eoin Higgins unpack the growing influence of tech billionaires over modern media. Based on Higgins’ explosive book "Owned: How Tech Billionaires on the Right Bought the Loudest Voices on the Left," the conversation exposes how figures like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Marc Andreessen are not just funding platforms—they're reshaping public discourse and redefining journalism itself.

They explore how journalists like Glenn Greenwald and Matt Taibbi shifted toward right-wing platforms, chasing influence and profit amid a changing media ecosystem. From the weaponization of “free speech” to the hypocrisy of Silicon Valley libertarianism, Duran and Higgins confront the dangerous feedback loop between wealth, ideology, and media control.

This episode is a deep dive into how billionaires are buying silence, reshaping narratives, and threatening the foundations of democratic discourse.

Key Takeaways:

• Owned reveals how right-wing tech billionaires bought influence and suppressed dissent.

• The transformations of Glenn Greenwald and Matt Taibbi mirror larger media trends.

• Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover reshaped global information flow.

• Peter Thiel’s media investments are strategic tools of influence.

• “Free speech” is being weaponized to protect reactionary politics.

• Traditional journalism is being eclipsed by billionaire-funded alternatives.

• The myth of objectivity is eroding in a hyper-politicized media landscape.

• The future of journalism is at a crossroads—and public vigilance is critical.