Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff on Muskism

For those in the Global North, the twentieth century was the Fordist century—an era of mass production and mass consumption. But as Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff argue in their new book, there's another order afoot: Muskism . Elon Musk, they show, is an avatar for a whole range of phenomena that have shaped our world: from a vision of white supremacy fostered in South Africa; to a symbiosis between Silicon Valley and the warfare state; to a world where founders become technokings; to a dream of a posthuman future where man and machine have merged into a networked whole. Muskism, they reveal, is a new operating system for the twenty-first century. Listen in to this very special episode—recorded live and in person—to learn more.

You can listen to Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff on Muskism online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff on Muskism is an episode from Who Makes Cents?: A History of Capitalism Podcast by Jessica Levy.

This episode is 53:26 long.

This episode was published on Apr 1, 2026.

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