The Phoenix Project
@phoenixprojnow.bsky.social
Uncover the Bay Area’s astroturf network and dark money trail. Learn more: https://linktr.ee/phoenixprojectnow
😳 On August 6, Argentina will vote on a proposed Land Reform Law aiming to facilitate the purchase of rural land in Argentina by private investors. It seems they are preparing to “celebrate” with Peter Thiel. The bill was written by Sturzenegger who will appear at this Sept event with Thiel. 1/
🚨BREAKING🚨 A group called Concerned Citizens of San Francisco has filed allegations with the SF Inspector General claiming OpenAI evaded potentially $125m+ in SF taxes while converting from nonprofit to commercial enterprise. They’re pushing for a taxpayer lawsuit. 🧵
Anthropic and OpenAI are gearing up for IPOs (Anthropic in October, OpenAI early next year) that could value each company at over $1 trillion, more than Walmart. SF is bracing for its next tech gold rush. 🧶
New report from California Common Good finds a huge jump in political spending by CA billionaires this election cycle: donations up 147% vs. 2023-24. The spending is aimed largely at defeating a proposed Billionaire Tax on the Nov 2026 ballot. 🧵
Peter Thiel’s Dialog conference in Ireland shut down by grassroots action A former Google worker describes the #DropDialog movement and organizing against Big Tech in Ireland. therealnews.com/peter-thiels...
Peter Thiel’s Dialog conference in Ireland shut down by grassroots action
A former Google worker describes the #DropDialog movement and organizing against Big Tech in Ireland.
therealnews.com
👀 El Salvador's AI Agency has named Ginger Luckey Gaetz (Matt Gaetz's wife, Palmer Luckey's sister) as Strategic Advisor. Palmer’s firm Anduril is backed by Peter Thiel & partners w/ Palantir. El Salvador recently joined the Thiel-ally-led “Pax Silica” global initiative. They are moving fast...1/
Network State Cult Crushed in Malaysia! Balaji Srinivasan’s bizarre “Network School” sought to create a tech “micro-nation” on Malaysian soil. “No investor, company, or organisation can be placed above the sovereignty of the country’s law,” say local officials. www.msn.com/en-my/news/o...
I definitely get the feeling that there is more to the issues with Flock than we are hearing about, even from civil liberties advocates. LAPD's letting contract lapse comes as OPD is wary of executing contract
LAPD was one of Flock Safety's biggest government customers. Now it’s renegotiating its partnership over ‘serious concerns around civil liberties’ | Fortune
The department recently announced it would not renew its contract due to how Flock collects and shares data.
fortune.com
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The Phoenix Project@phoenixprojnow.bsky.social · 3w agoBackers include billionaires like John Arnold, Steve Ballmer, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Larsen. Their stated goal is to remake the Democratic Party by sidelining unions, small donors, and grassroots groups in favor of business-friendly deregulation.
The "abundance" movement, pitched as a fix for the housing crisis by relaxing zoning rules, has become a stalking horse for tech billionaires to seize local political power under a pro-housing banner.🪡
Silicon Valley money is reshaping California politics, but maybe not in the ways you'd expect. High-profile, tech-backed statewide bids (Mahan for Governor, Agarwal for the House of Reps) both flopped badly at the ballot box. Tech's brand has been shown to be toxic in big races.
Leaked documents obtained by The Phoenix Project and reported on by @revolvingdoorDC reveal how Zack Rosen, co-founder of California YIMBY and the Abundance Network, really feels about small-dollar political donors. It's not flattering.
NEW: Today, @thenation.com published a story from our very own @dylangyauchl.bsky.social and @juliepitta.bsky.social, President of @phoenixprojnow.bsky.social, about leaked documents from the Abundance Network's plan to take over the Democratic Party.
An Abundance of Influence
A group of YIMBY Big Tech donors took over San Francisco politics. Now they’re setting their sights on the rest of the country.
thenation.com
San Francisco’s YIMBY movement did not merely push for relaxed zoning—it became a stalking horse for Bay Area tech titans who used it as a political vehicle to seize local power. https://bit.ly/4y6vicZ
An Abundance of Influence
A group of YIMBY Big Tech donors took over San Francisco politics. Now they’re setting their sights on the rest of the country.
bit.ly
ICYMI: before the People’s Budget Coalition fought to restore 80% of budget cuts last week, Mayor Lurie’s budget was bleak. Although most of the cuts are restored, it’s important to remember that this is because of dedicated advocacy, not a change of heart by the administration🧵
In this News Brief, "Despite 9-Figure Infusion from Silicon Valley, Abundance Still Seeks Popular Support," we talk to @dylangyauchl.bsky.social about her recent report on the obscene amounts of money going into pushing Abundance and the PR hurdles the latest neoliberalism rebrand is facing.
News Brief: Despite 9-Figure Infusion from Silicon Valley, Abundance Still Seeks Popular Support
In this news brief, we catch up with Dylan Gyauch-Lewis, senior researcher at the Revolving Door Project, to discuss Abundance's PR problems, why this latest neoliberalism rebrand isn't catching on an
soundcloud.com
'Thinking He Can Fool Everyone,' Newsom Backs One Billionaires Tax But Not Another "The misdirect here is that Newsom is opposing a WEALTH tax on billionaires in his own state and insisting he supports a new national INCOME tax on billionaires."
'Thinking He Can Fool Everyone,' Newsom Backs One Billionaires Tax But Not Another
"The misdirect here is that Newsom is opposing a WEALTH tax on billionaires in his own state and insisting he supports a new national INCOME tax on billionaires. But billionaires make money off non-income sources."
commondreams.org
Billionaire money in US politics is exploding. In 2024, 300 billionaire families gave $3 billion in federal campaign contributions, nearly 1/5 of all donations. The cause? A 2010 Supreme Court decision called Citizens United v. FEC. 🧵
Daddy Thiel Knows Best: Peter Thiel, Ezra Klein, Dialog, and the Abundance Network @phoenixprojnow.bsky.social
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is reportedly scrambling to kill a ballot measure that would impose a one-time 5% tax on roughly 200 billionaires — raising an estimated $100 billion for Medicaid and social programs.
ICYMI: We reported for @prospect.org last week on documents obtained by @phoenixprojnow.bsky.social detailing how Silicon Valley elites view "abundance" as an avenue to advancing their political power. prospect.org/2026/06/12/n...
New Documents Detail Nine-Figure, Silicon Valley–Funded Abundance Movement - The American Prospect
The Prospect has obtained a fundraising pitch and historical manifesto from inside the movement.
prospect.org
the author boasts about having “Flipped San Francisco Democratic Party, Flipped San Francisco Board of Supervisors … [and] Flipped Santa Monica City Council.” "We helped organize the Moderate faction that has taken power" (2/2)
In new reporting for @prospect.org, our @dylangyauchl.bsky.social details internal documents from Bay Area abundance groups pitch the movement to tech elites as a way to take control of Democratic politics and describe a 9-figure funding stream from billionaires. (1/2) prospect.org/2026/06/12/n...
New Documents Detail Nine-Figure, Silicon Valley–Funded Abundance Movement - The American Prospect
The Prospect has obtained a fundraising pitch and historical manifesto from inside the movement.
prospect.org
Great piece by @dylangyauchl.bsky.social from @revolvingdoordc.bsky.social covering a leak we acquired that outlines the funding, political mission & agenda of the astroturf group the Abundance Network. Here’s what you need to know: 🧵 prospect.org/2026/06/12/n...
New Documents Detail Nine-Figure, Silicon Valley–Funded Abundance Movement - The American Prospect
The Prospect has obtained a fundraising pitch and historical manifesto from inside the movement.
prospect.org
Supervisor Connie Chan defied expectations in SF's congressional race, finishing a strong 2nd with 28.7% after Nancy Pelosi's last-minute endorsement flipped the script. She's headed to the November runoff.
Supervisor Connie Chan defied expectations in SF's congressional race, finishing a strong 2nd with 28.7% after Nancy Pelosi's last-minute endorsement flipped the script. She's headed to the November runoff.
Top recipients Adrian Smith (R-NE), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Thomas Suozzi (D-NY), and Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), have received a combined total of nearly $4 million in donations and super PAC support since 2023. But beyond these four, over a dozen members from both parties have received at least $10,000.
Ian Firstenberg has covered FLOCK surveillance for 48Hills AND @phoenixprojnow.bsky.social and we discussed why cities keep canceling their contracts with the shady company on the new Sad Francisco ep., up all the podcast platforms - and on YouTube: youtu.be/-G2cZDMDBqg?...
Help me buy some chapstick: Patreon.com/sadfrancisco & Follow @phoenixprojnow.bsky.social / pu.ml
