King Solomon and the Modern Oligarchy

A Digital Monarch in the Age of Democracy: Elon Musk, King Solomon, and the Illusion of Progress

I recently read a book by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a leader and Apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and in that book, in passing, he mentioned the immense wealth of King Solomon. That single sentence got me curious, and as I began researching Solomon’s wealth, I couldn’t help but notice eerie similarities to the world we live in today. It felt strikingly familiar—the concentration of power, control over key resources, and the influence over public life that Solomon wielded seemed to echo the kind of control billionaires like Elon Musk now have over our economy, politics, and media. Musk is just one example, but using him in this post is convenient because he is constantly in the news right now. He is influencing the votes of Congress directly; he has taken up residence with the President-Elect, reportedly living and sleeping about 300 feet from Trump's home. Others probably do more damage to public trust and discourse, but Musk’s omnipresence in today’s headlines makes him a straightforward illustration of these broader issues.

I might say this post is the first I co-wrote with an AI bot. That might be too strong, but I want to be honest here. I started a conversation with it, then together by suggesting edits, paragraphs, and changing items that came from it. While all the thoughts, words, edits, and concepts are mine, since I did not type it all out, it is hard to say I wrote this alone. I'm sure many authors use these tools as help as I did, and I'm sure credit is not always given, but I don't feel ready for that ethical leap yet. I also had AI create the images for me - might as well go all in huh?

Below are mostly my thoughts and words, but sometimes typed out and corrected with the help of Chatgpt.

Introduction: The New Oligarchy

We live in a time where wealth disparity has reached staggering levels, with billionaires wielding more power than many nations. We call our system a democracy, but is it really? When those with immense wealth control the levers of power—politics, media, and public discourse—can we still claim that the people rule? Recent developments, such as Elon Musk’s increasing control over public dialogue, his cozy relationship with political leaders, and his influence over government policy, force us to ask a critical question: Are we entering a new era of oligarchy disguised as democracy? This concern deepens when we consider that Musk is one of the largest government contractors, with billions flowing to his companies through federal contracts and subsidies. Ironically, he is being cheered on by much of the public to run his unauthorized "government division", DOGE, aimed at cutting costs and wasteful spending. Not only is DOGE also the name of a cryptocurrency in which Musk is heavily invested, but the staggering irony of this as a serious policy play is hard to ignore. His proximity to politicians who directly oversee these payments raises serious questions about conflicts of interest and the true nature of his influence.

To understand this troubling trend, let’s compare one of the wealthiest figures in history, King Solomon, and one of the richest individuals today, Elon Musk. Both men amassed vast fortunes and controlled key aspects of their societies, but while Solomon ruled openly as a monarch, Musk operates in a system that pretends to be meritocratic—yet the results are eerily similar.

Solomon’s Wealth and Power: Direct Control Over Resources

As the Bible describes, King Solomon was one of the ancient world's wealthiest and most powerful rulers. His wealth came from multiple sources:

1. Natural Resources: Solomon controlled vast amounts of gold, silver, and other precious metals. According to biblical accounts, he received 25 tons of gold annually over his 39-year reign. In modern terms, this would amount to over 1,000 tons of gold, valued today at approximately $1.17 trillion USD, highlighting the staggering scale of his wealth.

2. Trade Monopolies: He commanded key trade routes and imposed taxes on merchants.

3. Tributes: Neighboring rulers paid tributes in recognition of his power.

4. Labor Control: He conscripted labor to build monumental projects like the First Temple.

Solomon’s wealth was inseparable from his absolute power. He ruled by decree, shaped public life, and amassed wealth openly as the undisputed monarch. His control over resources and labor allowed him to concentrate power in a way that left ordinary citizens with little agency. This meant they had minimal influence over their own economic lives and were subject to the whims of the monarchy without real means to improve their circumstances.

In the Bible, Solomon is depicted as a king renowned for his wisdom, wealth, and grand projects. He famously asked God for wisdom to govern his people, which led to his reputation as a just and wise ruler. Solomon’s reign is marked by the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem, a monumental achievement symbolizing his spiritual and political authority. Despite his prosperity and accomplishments, biblical accounts also highlight his later years, when his many political alliances, sealed through marriages to foreign wives, led him to idolatry, ultimately bringing instability to his kingdom.

Elon Musk’s Wealth and Power: Indirect Control Through Markets and Influence

While operating in a vastly different context, Elon Musk exhibits strikingly similar power and wealth accumulation patterns. His wealth comes from inherited family assets tied to South African mines during an era of systemic racial exploitation, followed by strategic acquisitions of companies and significant government partnerships, leading to market dominance:

1. Corporate Control: Musk controls key industries of the future, including electric vehicles (Tesla), space exploration (SpaceX), and communication (Starlink).

2. Government Contracts and Subsidies: Many of Musk’s ventures have thrived thanks to billions in government contracts and subsidies.

3. Media and Public Perception: By acquiring a central social media platform, Musk has become a gatekeeper of public discourse, controlling the algorithms that shape what millions of people see and believe.

4. Political Influence: Musk’s growing closeness to political leaders directly influences policy, regulations, and national priorities. A notable example is SpaceX's dominance in U.S. space contracts, where Musk's influence has helped secure billions in government funding and shaped national space policy. Another controversial instance is Musk's decision to cut off Starlink access to parts of Ukraine during a critical point in their conflict with Russia, reportedly to avoid escalating tensions. This move potentially caused harm or death to thousands and underscored the immense, unchecked power Musk wields over international affairs.

Unlike Solomon, Musk doesn’t wield a crown or openly rule a kingdom—but his ability to control industries, influence politics, and shape public opinion makes him a modern monarch in all but name.

The Illusion of Democracy

At first glance, today’s world might seem fundamentally different from Solomon’s time. We live in democracies, not monarchies. We have free markets, not feudal economies. But appearances can be deceiving.

• Control Over Public Discourse

  • In Solomon’s time, rulers influenced public opinion through religion and state-controlled messaging. Today, Musk controls public discourse through social media algorithms that decide what information is amplified or suppressed.

  • This control over information is more dangerous because it’s invisible—people believe they are engaging in free debate, unaware that unseen forces are subtly shaping their perceptions.

• Buying Political Influence

  • While Solomon ruled by divine right, Musk gains influence by funding political campaigns, lobbying policymakers, and leveraging his status as a tech visionary. The result is similar: policies are shaped to serve the interests of the wealthy elite. Again, there are other examples of billionaires influencing policy and public life. Still, Musk is so visible now that I’m simply using him as a small piece of a big, influential pie that is usually invisible to the everyday person.

• Consolidation of Wealth

  • Just as Solomon amassed vast wealth through monopolistic control of trade and resources, Musk and others have built empires by dominating emerging markets and receiving government support. The growing gap between billionaires and ordinary citizens mirrors the wealth disparity of ancient times, with modern oligarchs exercising influence through economic dominance rather than royal decree.

Propaganda and Distraction: A Tale as Old as Time

One of rulers' oldest strategies has been to distract the populace by creating enemies and stoking division. Solomon maintained order by controlling religious narratives and unifying his people under a common faith. Today, Musk and other wealthy elites benefit from a polarized society where people are too busy fighting each other to question the concentration of wealth and power.

Modern propaganda doesn’t come in the form of royal edicts; it comes through memes, targeted ads, and algorithmically boosted content designed to inflame emotions and distract from systemic issues. A recent example of this is the deliberate amplification of contentious narratives around immigration, where political and economic problems are often blamed on migrants, particularly those coming from the southern border. By fostering division and scapegoating vulnerable populations, such narratives obscure deeper systemic issues such as wealth inequality. Even local TV stations, which many people trust for truthful reporting, are primarily owned by a handful of billionaires, further centralizing control over media narratives. Musk and other billionaires profit from this consolidation of media, where they shape narratives to serve their interests while limiting scrutiny of their actions. Musk profits from division by owning the platforms where these battles occur while avoiding scrutiny.

The most important thing we can do as individuals is to avoid all contention with anyone, especially those we disagree with. Falling into the trap of fighting and contention with each other is just a tool used by the powerful and, as taught by religious leaders, by the devil to distract us. President Russell M. Nelson, a prominent leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recently counseled, “Contention is a choice. Peacemaking is a choice. You have your agency to choose contention or reconciliation.” By choosing to engage with empathy rather than hostility, we deny the powerful their ability to manipulate us through division.

A Worrying Future: From Democracy to Digital Feudalism

If current trends continue, we may be heading toward a future where democratic institutions exist only in name, while real power is held by a small group of ultra-wealthy individuals who control both wealth and information. This trajectory was accelerated by the court case known as Citizens United, which opened the floodgates for unlimited sums of money to enter the political arena, effectively allowing the ultra-wealthy to buy influence without accountability. This could lead to a form of digital feudalism where:

• Billionaires act as modern lords, controlling key resources and industries.

• Governments become tools for legitimizing and protecting their interests.

• Public discourse is manipulated to maintain the status quo.

This isn’t a far-fetched dystopia—it is our current reality, one we urgently need to reverse. When wealth buys not only influence but also control over the means of communication and perception, democracy becomes an illusion.

Conclusion: Time for a Reckoning

The comparison between King Solomon and Elon Musk is more than just a historical curiosity—it’s a warning. History shows societies fracture when power becomes too concentrated and inequality deepens. A historical example can be seen in the Gilded Age of the late 19th century, when industrial magnates like Rockefeller and Carnegie amassed vast fortunes, leading to severe economic inequality and prompting significant social unrest and calls for reform. If we want to preserve any semblance of democracy, we must confront the growing power of the ultra-wealthy.

This means:

• Demanding transparency and accountability from tech giants should appeal to both sides of the political spectrum. True conservative thinking has historically valued free trade and limited government, ideals that are undermined when a small group of billionaires exert outsized control over markets and political processes.

• Limiting the influence of money in politics.

• Strengthening regulations that prevent monopolistic control is a goal that both liberals and conservatives can support. While liberals may focus on curbing corporate power to protect workers and consumers, conservatives have long advocated for preserving free-market competition, which monopolies undermine.

• Ensuring that public discourse remains free and fair and not dominated by the interests of a few - on either side of any debate.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Without action, we risk becoming a society where kings no longer wear crowns but control our lives all the same. King Solomon may have worn his wealth and power openly, but Musk’s modern-day version hides behind corporate facades and algorithms. Perhaps the only real difference is that Solomon’s subjects knew who their ruler was, while many today still see billionaires as heroic innovators rather than de facto monarchs. We must recognize these realities and stay vigilant before it’s too late.