Survival Of The Richest

Rushkoff unveils how the technology oligarchs of Silicon Valley are building luxurious bunkers, buying private islands, and even financing space programs—all in the belief that with enough money and technology, they can escape the apocalypse they themselves refer to as 'The Event,' which will engulf the rest of humanity.

What they glorify as 'transformation' reveals itself to be a nihilistic 'mindset' based on an ancient elitist mentality.

The belief that the chosen ones will leave behind the 'larval stage of the species' and one day ascend to the next stage of human evolution.

An eye-opening analysis of how capitalism in its current form creates a growing divide between the tech elite and the rest of humanity. This book is a poignant plea for community, collaboration, and a new economic thinking based on mutual care instead of detachment.

In their worldview, where the technological elites seemingly hold all the strings and prepare for an apocalyptic future, which they might even help shape, Douglas Rushkoff, with 'Survival of the Reachest,' delves into the depths of the transhumanist dream. Forget the science fiction dystopias—Rushkoff shows us the terrifying reality where billionaires not only wish to survive but want to establish a parallel universe of the overprivileged, detached from the consequences of their own creations.

With sharp intellect and relentless research, Rushkoff reveals how the tech tycoons with their 'exit strategies' disconnect from the rest of humanity. From underground bunkers and autonomous agriculture to digital immortality and the mastery of biology—here, the ultimate form of absolution is sought: escaping from a world they themselves have set in motion.

But is it truly survival if one renounces all humanity? Or is it the ultimate betrayal of a future that we can only shape together?

'Survival of the Reachest' is a wake-up call that forces us to consider the true costs of technological progress and the responsibility of those driving it forward. A book that cannot be ignored if one wants to understand where our society is truly headed.

Literature Notes

The Mindset of the Tech Billionaires ('The Mindset')

The book deals with the psychological and ideological foundations of the super-rich, who believe they can find technological solutions to all of humanity's problems, including a possible collapse, without questioning their own role in the emergence of these problems. The translator Stephan Gebauer deliberately retains the unbearably empty German term 'Mindset,' which in its stamped form precisely reflects what one can attribute to the infantile tech billionaires: having no stance in the humanistic sense. 'Winning' among them means earning enough money to shield themselves from the damage they have caused.

It's as if they wanted to build a car that drives fast enough to escape its own exhaust fumes. (Rushkoff, 2025)

Exit Strategies and the Prepping of the Elites

Here, the concrete escape plans of the billionaires are illuminated, such as the construction of luxury bunkers, the creation of autonomous retreats, and other preparations for a hypothetical 'Event' (societal collapse).

Dumbwaiter

Thomas Jefferson is said to have built a dumbwaiter for his servants so that they wouldn't have to take the arduous stairs with the food. From this anecdote, Douglas Rushkoff derives the dumbwaiter effect. Out of sight, out of mind. The automation entrepreneurs are closing in on us. The report mentions the possibility of having a custom-made T-shirt created. Even the label bears the name of the new owner. Amazon is apparently testing the willingness of customers to accept this immediate connection to the product. What does it achieve? Just as in Jefferson's house, the dumbwaiter kept the enslaved servants away from the dinner party, Amazon, for the custom-made T-shirts that the customer measures themselves using their smartphone, conceals the unspeakable grievances that can still be recognized in cotton production if one chooses to see them.

… more to come

Relevant Sources and Further Information

• Douglas Rushkoff on Suhrkamp Verlag: Survival of the Richest. Book by Douglas Rushkoff (Suhrkamp Verlag)

• Article at Titel, Thesen, Temperamente (ARD) from February 2025.

• Review on Spektrum der Wissenschaft: Book review of 'Survival of the Richest' – Spektrum der Wissenschaft

• Douglas Rushkoff's official website for the book: Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires - Rushkoff