“Startup culture may be great for putting out a new app or building a successful company, but not for distributing tens of millions of people’s benefits. Real people with real interests are at stake,” says Daniel Weiner, director of the Brennan Center for Justice’s Elections and Government Program.
In other words, when it comes to the general public, “move fast and break things” isn’t exactly popular. But that Silicon Valley culture continues to seep into policy as tech billionaires expand their influence in Washington, making these tensions harder to ignore. Elon Musk spent nearly $300 million to elect Donald Trump, and now holds sway over the federal agencies that regulate his businesses and award government contracts. And he’s not alone. Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, and Palmer Luckey have also built powerful networks that now reach deep into policymaking circles.
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