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The Nerd Reich

The Nerd Reich

nerdreich 20 Episodes Sep 30, 2026

The Nerd Reich with Gil Duran is a podcast about Silicon Valley politics and power, examining who holds it, how they use it, and how the unchecked influence of tech billionaires threatens democracy. It investigates the rise of Silicon Valley's ruling class, the Network State cult, and crypto-fueled efforts to undermine democratic government. The show exposes billionaire-backed disinformation, AI-driven control systems, and how tech elites concentrate wealth, destabilize institutions, and erode public trust. It breaks down how crypto scams, surveillance capitalism, and digital authoritarianism accelerate the decline of democratic governance.

Episodes

The Corruption is The Point: Casey Michel on America's New Billionaire Oligarchs
The Corruption is The Point: Casey Michel on America's New Billionaire Oligarchs Sep 30, 2026 2538 "Oligarchy is a poison that kills democracy." Oligarchy is rule by the wealthy few. Sound familiar? In this episode of The Nerd Reich podcast, Gil Duran talks to Casey Michel, author of "United States of Oligarchy," to talk about how the billionaire class is waging an open war on American systems. As Gil points out, these tech oligarchs "claim to be leading us into the future with technologies lik
Weapon of Mass Corruption: Crypto’s Political Playbook (ft. Molly White)
Weapon of Mass Corruption: Crypto’s Political Playbook (ft. Molly White) Sep 9, 2026 2287 Donald Trump once called crypto a "scam." Now he's a crypto billionaire—and the crypto bro in chief. What's going on here? Tech researcher Molly White (creator of Citation Needed/Tech Influence Watch) joins Gil Duran on the Nerd Reich podcast to expose how cryptocurrency and AI industries are weaponizing unprecedented amounts of money to buy the U.S. government. From billions flowing to the Trum
The Nerd Reich: How Peter Thiel & Silicon Valley Billionaires Engineered Trump 2.0
The Nerd Reich: How Peter Thiel & Silicon Valley Billionaires Engineered Trump 2.0 Aug 21, 2026 2985 What happens when the richest citizens of a nation decide to betray it and destroy it? In this special book launch episode of The Nerd Reich Podcast, guest host Jean Guerrero (The New York Times contributor, author of Hatemonger) sits down with Gil Durán to break down his new book, The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy. Durán exposes how a network of extremist tech oligar
Peter Thiel Bought a Mansion in Argentina. Here's What It Really Means.
Peter Thiel Bought a Mansion in Argentina. Here's What It Really Means. Jun 24, 2026 2959 Elon Musk is officially the world's first trillionaire, Peter Thiel has purchased a mansion in Argentina, and Palantir has dropped a chilling "technological republic" manifesto. Is this the final phase of Silicon Valley fascism, or is the tech billionaire bubble about to pop? In this special bonus edition of The Nerd Reich podcast, host Gil Duran sits down with internet politics expert and GWU Ass
Peter Thiel's Palantir Is Watching You. Here's How to Fight Back
Peter Thiel's Palantir Is Watching You. Here's How to Fight Back Apr 20, 2026 2457 Palantir is the surveillance giant embedded in the FBI, ICE, and the Pentagon. Is it an "Operating System" for the government—or a threat to democracy?  In this episode of The Nerd Reich, Gil Durán speaks with Jacinta Gonzalez and João Paulo Connolly about the "Purge Palantir" campaign. They reveal how Palantir’s software is used for ICE raids, worker surveillance, and the creation of a centralize
The Epstein-Bitcoin Files: Why Jeffrey Epstein Funded the Early Crypto Right
The Epstein-Bitcoin Files: Why Jeffrey Epstein Funded the Early Crypto Right Apr 6, 2026 2741 Brexit is just the beginning. We're going to return to tribalism." — Jeffrey Epstein to Peter Thiel, 2016. On this episode of the Nerd Reich Podcast, Gil Duran sits down with investigative journalist David Morris (author of Stealing the Future) to expose the "dark matter" of the tech-political nexus. While the world knew Epstein as a predator, the Epstein Files reveal a far more strategic role: he
You Don't Need Democracy If You Don't Have People: Quinn Slobodian's Warning
You Don't Need Democracy If You Don't Have People: Quinn Slobodian's Warning Feb 8, 2026 3314 Will tech billionaires get rid of democracy by getting rid of people?   In this episode of The Nerd Reich, Gil Duran sits down with renowned historian Quinn Slobodian (Globalists, Crack-Up Capitalism) to dissect the "ideology of exit."   While the media focuses on failed "Freedom City" experiments like Prospera, Slobodian reveals a darker endgame: a shift toward automated, "post-human" infrastru
Inside The Tech Cult: How Venture Capital Plans to Exit Democracy
Inside The Tech Cult: How Venture Capital Plans to Exit Democracy Jan 2, 2026 2815 Silicon Valley venture capital isn’t just funding technology. It’s also building an escape plan from democracy. In this episode of The Nerd Reich, Gil Duran is joined by Olivier Jutel (University of Otago) to examine what can only be described as a tech cult: a small, ideologically aligned group of venture capitalists who have become the de facto state planners of American capitalism. As many VC f
JD Vance’s Power Network: How Theo Bros and Tech Bros Are Teaming Up Against Democracy
JD Vance’s Power Network: How Theo Bros and Tech Bros Are Teaming Up Against Democracy Dec 16, 2025 4079 Journalist Gil Duran explores the strange alliance between JD Vance, Silicon Valley and Christian Nationalists. Experts say they are converging on the same anti-democratic playbook. From the Seven Mountains Mandate to "Network State" projects like Highland Rim, we expose how figures like JD Vance, Peter Thiel, and Doug Wilson are planning a theocratic-technocratic future. Gil Duran speaks with Pro
'Fentanyl Capitalism': How Tech Venture Capital Is Eating the World | Catherine Bracy x Gil Duran
'Fentanyl Capitalism': How Tech Venture Capital Is Eating the World | Catherine Bracy x Gil Duran Nov 5, 2025 2082 Silicon Valley sold us the dream of saving the world—but what if the system funding that dream is the real problem? In this explosive episode of the Nerd Reich Podcast, host Gil Duran sits down with Catherine Bracey, founder of Tech Equity Collaborative and author of "World Eaters: How Venture Capital Is Cannibalizing the Economy." Together they unpack “fentanyl capitalism”—the idea that if capita
The Woman Who Predicted Tech Fascism — Paulina Borsook Was Right
The Woman Who Predicted Tech Fascism — Paulina Borsook Was Right Oct 21, 2025 2219 Tech fascism didn’t rise in secret — it grew in plain sight. Why didn't we stop it? In this episode of The Nerd Reich Podcast, host Gil Duran speaks with legendary tech critic Paulina Borsook, author of Cyberselfish, the prophetic book that warned about the rise of Silicon Valley authoritarianism decades before Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and the far-right tech elite took power. We dive deep into how
Project 2025, Silicon Valley & the Tech's War on Democracy | The Nerd Reich Podcast Mailbag
Project 2025, Silicon Valley & the Tech's War on Democracy | The Nerd Reich Podcast Mailbag Oct 13, 2025 2807 What happens when Project 2025, Silicon Valley, and AI collide? In this Nerd Reich Mailbag episode, host Gil Duran sits down with Brooke Harrington (author of "Offshore: Stealth Wealth and The New Colonialism) and Adam Becker (author of "More Everything Forever") to answer listener questions about authoritarianism, AI power, and the new tech-driven assault on democracy. 🔥 Topics include: How Proje

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