logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
20m 7s

The Killing Spree Tied to a Silicon Vall...

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL & GIMLET
About this episode

The Zizians, a cult-like group of militant vegans, has been connected to six killings across the country. The violence has sent shockwaves throughout Silicon Valley. WSJ’s Zusha Elinson explains how the Zizians splintered from a Bay Area intellectual movement concerned with AI safety.

  

Further Reading:

-A Silicon Valley Intellectual Society Kicked Them Out. Now They’re Tied to a Killing Spree. 

-How a Fervent Belief Split Silicon Valley—and Fueled the Blowup at OpenAI 


Further Listening:

-The Fall of Crypto’s Golden Boy 

-The Story Behind the Stabbing of a San Francisco Tech Exec 

-The Biotech Founder Facing Murder Charges  


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Oct 8
She Swore Off Legacy Media. Now She's Running CBS News.
Paramount has acquired news and opinion website the Free Press for $150 million. The company's co-founder, Bari Weiss, has a new job as editor in chief of CBS News. She's a polarizing figure, known for her outspoken support of Israel and strong views on topics like gun rights and ... Show More
18m 10s
Oct 7
They Won Millions for Life. Until They Didn't.
In 2021, Tamar Veatch won millions of dollars in a sweepstakes competition run by Publishers Clearing House, the company best known for delivering oversized checks to winners. But then last April, Publishers Clearing House went bankrupt. WSJ’s Akiko Matsuda explains why the compa ... Show More
20m 33s
Oct 6
Ben & Jerry's Co-Founder Wants to Be Set Free
Last month, Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield quit the brand after 47 years, accusing parent company Unilever of not allowing the company to speak out on social issues. Host Jessica Mendoza talks to Ben Cohen, the co-founder who stayed, about why he’s not leaving, what he ... Show More
23m 27s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
China Challenges Silicon Valley for A.I. Dominance
Financial markets went into a panic last week over an obscure Chinese tech start-up called DeepSeek. The company now threatens to upend the world of artificial intelligence and the race for who will dominate it.Kevin Roose, a tech columnist at The Times, discusses how DeepSeek ca ... Show More
23m 16s
Apr 2025
Adam Becker Takes Aim at Silicon Valley Nonsense
From visions of AI paradise to the project to defeat death, many dangerous and unscientific ideas are driving Silicon Valley leaders. Justin Hendrix spoke to Adam Becker, a science journalist and author of MORE EVERYTHING FOREVER: AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley’s ... Show More
40m 19s
Aug 29
WIRED Roundup: Meta’s AI Brain Drain
In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Leah Feiger to run through five of the best stories you need to know about — from how AI is eliminating entry level jobs to how a secretive Democrat group is funding high-profile influencers. Then, Zöe and Leah dive into the scoop that ... Show More
12m 51s
Sep 12
WIRED Roundup: How Charlie Kirk Changed Conservative Media
In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to discuss the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death — from the response of right-wing tech leaders, to how Kirk helped shape conservative media influencers and U.S politics as we know it. Articles mentioned in this episode: Rig ... Show More
16m 22s
Jan 2025
Monsignor Joe Rogan and the Tech Bro Confessions: Risk, Bubbles, and MAGA Tailwinds
This week, we’re talking risk. From California’s burning insurance markets to the fragile dominance of America’s “Magnificent Seven” tech giants. Are Apple, Tesla, and their crew as unshakable as they seem, or are we teetering on another financial bubble? Meanwhile, over in the c ... Show More
36m 12s
Jan 2025
DeepSeeking Power: China’s AI Gambit
A little-known Chinese AI startup just sent shockwaves through the global tech world—wiping off $593 billion from the market value of one of the world’s most valuable companies and challenging Silicon Valley’s dominance. How did DeepSeek, a newcomer, manage to rattle AI behemoths ... Show More
28m 53s
Mar 2025
Insiders React: Return of Digg + Wall Street Panic, Bitcoin Strategic Reserve, Apple Delays AI
Is the stock market's recent nosedive just the beginning of a larger economic shift? As tariffs and political uncertainty rock Wall Street, tech giants like Apple are facing unexpected hurdles in the AI race. Meanwhile, an old internet favorite is poised for a surprising come ... Show More
55m 54s
Jan 2025
How Democrats Drove Silicon Valley Into Trump’s Arms
The tech investor Marc Andreessen and his fellow Silicon Valley giant Elon Musk weren’t always the Donald Trump supporters they are today. In this episode, Ross asks Andreessen, a founder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, about what led to Silicon Valley’s rightwar ... Show More
1h 1m
Jul 2024
Social Media Reacts to an Attempted Assassination + Tech Elites for Trump + TikTok's Jawmaxxing Trend
This week, an assassination attempt for the social media age: what the platforms got right and wrong in the chaotic aftermath. Then we talk with the Times reporter Teddy Schleifer from this week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee about the wave of Silicon Valley billio ... Show More
1h 10m
Aug 2024
Trump, Elon, and Silicon Valley’s Political Sway
Audie talks with journalist Kara Swisher about the rise of Silicon Valley’s big donors and how Trump won some of them over. Plus, how Kamala Harris’ California roots have worked to her advantage with tech donors.Kara is the author of “Burn Book: A Tech Love Story.”  Learn more ab ... Show More
31m 7s