In the Gilded Age, the titans built railroads, monopolized oil, and bought their indulgences in yachts, mansions, and eventually, sports teams. Today’s billionaires find owning teams beneath them. They want to author History (with a capital “H”) itself.

Once you pass a certain threshold of wealth, it seems, mere possessions no longer thrill. To reshape the very framework of society, that is a worthy stimulus. That is the game.

Would-be visionaries

Men like Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Marc Andreessen, Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and others cast themselves as visionaries.

Hence their fascination with transhumanism, radical life extension and the technological pursuit of immortality. Many of the same figures who bankroll think tanks and media platforms also invest

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