Of course, Elon Musk is deeply unhappy about Alex Gibney’s soon-to-be-released Musk documentary (which, very creatively, is named Musk). Because there’s a 100% probability it’ll damage his public image.
Say what you want, but Gibney is a very talented filmmaker. Millions will see his movie. The most memorable scenes will become memeified weaponry in anti-Musk propaganda: His critics will regurgitate them to mock and belittle him.
That’s the power of film. It can swing public opinion.
(And if you don’t believe me, ask my man Thanos: He wins in 14,000,604 out of 14,000,605 timelines, but because of virulent anti-Thanos propaganda, everyone thinks he’s a loser. C’mon, he had a winning percentage of 99.9999928575%!)
But cinema is just one sliver of media. It’s not the biggest or most influential. So imagine what it must feel like when the entire media ecosystem coalesces to chant your name and sing your praises!
Bill Gates can.
For five straight years, he was the most admired man on the whole planet. His transformation from rich CEO nerdling (Dennis Miller quipped, “If Bill Gates is worth $30 billion, then a good haircut must cost $31 billion”) to beloved altruist wasn’t accidental.
Nor was it cheap.
He purchased it via the Gates Foundation. To date, it has distributed over $110 billion worldwide — which bought Bill Gates an awful lot of fawning, over-the-top publicity.
If you want to argue that Gates was purely motivated by altruism, I’ll simply point out that the Gates Foundation has a dedicated 24/7 online media center to field journalists’ inquiries, book interviews, quote its “experts,” plus a steady stream of press releases (1,519 of ‘em so far!). The website was clearly optimized to enhance media coverage, and obviously, people who prioritize media coverage are desirous of publicity. It’s what they value.
C’mon, folks: He named it the “Gates” Foundation for a reason.
Yet today, Gates’ reputation is in the toilet. Because of his Jeffrey Epstein association, vile rumors, and his role in the COVID pandemic, the man who sought PR adulation — and for five straight years, reached the top of the mountain — had it all stripped away. Instead of being admired, he became an object of ridicule, disgust, and public derision.
But his soft-spoken altruist image was always a façade; it ain’t how Gates made his bones. For 18 years, he was the world’s richest man — and he didn’t win that title by being an affable, by-the-book do-gooder. The real Bill Gates is an aggressive, calculating, cutthroat businessman who hates to lose.
And he has a PR plan to win his reputation back: He’s positioning himself as the face of AI doomerism.
From last month’s article:
Gallup’s numbers are overwhelming: 75% of Democrats, 74% of independents, and 63% of Republicans oppose data centers.
If you’re a “tech expert” looking for a tech issue to exploit, AI and data centers are the motherlode.
Which is why fearmongering AI is the lynchpin of Gates’ campaign to resuscitate his PR image. This was 100% a deliberate rollout.
[…]
I guarantee you, there’ll be more interviews, more feature stories, and more grim warnings about the coming AI catastrophe. This is just the beginning of his PR campaign — not the end — because that’s how PR campaigns are designed.
Last month, Gates’ PR rehabilitation campaign began. He released an anti-AI screed on his own media platform. He then discussed it on-air with CNN. And then in print with GeekWire, along with Axios.
Over the weekend, Gates upped the hysteria and made my prediction come true:
Fox News: Bill Gates Warns Artificial Intelligence ‘Powerful Enough’ to Cause ‘a Billion Deaths’ If Unchecked
Politico: Bill Gates Says an AI ‘Kill Switch’ Isn’t Enough
Bloomberg: Bill Gates Says Trump Is Wrong to Hold Out Against AI Safeguards
The Economic Times: Bill Gates Drops AI Bombshell, Warns of Catastrophic Risks
Forbes: Bill Gates Issues Warning About AI: ‘Never Been a Weapon as Powerful’
TheStreet: Bill Gates Doubles Down on AI Warning After Decades of Optimism
Al Jazeera: Bill Gates Says AI Without Regulation Is ‘Completely Irresponsible’
CBC: Bill Gates Joins Call for AI Safeguards, Wants to Discuss Concerns With Trump
Gizmodo: Bill Gates Suggests He’s the Man to Convince Donald Trump to Regulate AI
The ultimate PR dream outcome is Gates landing a one-on-one meeting with the president, where he convinces silly ol’ Donald Trump to codify AI regulations, thus saving humanity from the impending apocalypse. (Oh, how the world would cheer!) This is Gates’ last, best shot at reclaiming his old image as a tech-savvy, big-hearted altruist who rises above petty partisan politics.
The trouble is that this scenario requires President Trump’s cooperation. And Trump has ZERO incentive to give it.
Because Gates is now a social pariah. Meeting with him would be a PR disaster: It’d remind the public of Epstein, sex scandals, and creepy rich weirdos. Besides, the president is an AI accelerationist, not an AI gloom-and-doomer. There’s no ideological fit.
So ask yourself, if you’re Gates — and an Oval Office meeting is a nonstarter — what’s your next best PR move?
Remember, you have a ton of money, credibility as a tech/business genius, and you’ve hitched your wagon to AI doomerism. You could throw millions at the problem if you wanted to!
Plus, there’s a midterm election right around the corner. It’ll be heavily covered by the media. And if AI is an extinction-level risk, then it’s certainly worthy of public discourse, right? Humanity’s future demands it.
Why, billions may die! An AI kill switch isn’t enough! Something must be done!
And if you can’t rise above politics anymore, you must choose a side.
This is why Bill Gates’ smartest PR move is to throw his lot with the Democrats and buy them the 2026 midterms. Targeted “educational” ads in select states and districts, tying Republican candidates to data centers, Big Tech, and the AI boogeyman, would further tilt the field against the GOP. It could be the winning margin in a close election.
Then, when the Democrats control Congress, Bill Gates has bought himself a seat at the table.
He can afford it, too. Gates is about $100 billion richer than George Soros. And the Democrats are so desperate to stop Trump that they’d gladly accept his help.
Yes, Gates would lose MAGA’s support — but it never liked him anyway. In return, he’d win the love and adulation of liberals, left-wingers, Trump-haters, and establishment Democrats. (Along with praise from anti-AI populists like Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon.)
Then, when the Democrats let him help write new AI regulations, he can take his victory lap: Bill Gates saved us from AI Armageddon! Hooray for Bill Gates!
He became the world’s richest man by aggressively pursuing his own self-interests. He became the world’s most admired man by opening his wallet and buying goodwill. This is the strategy he believes in — so the GOP better stay on its toes.
‘Cause I think we’ve seen this movie before.
Speaking of movies, let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope Gates’ winning percentage is worse than Thanos’.
One Last Thing: 2026 will reach a crescendo with the midterm elections. Nothing less than the future of our country teeters in the balance.
Never before have the political battle lines been so clearly defined. Blue wave or red wall, the 2026 midterms will transform our country.
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