Michael Calore: This is the strange Wired valley, a show on people, the power and the influence of Silicon Valley. I am Michael Calore, director of technology and consumer culture here at Wired.
Zoë Schiffer: I am Zoe Schiffer, Director of Wired Affairs and Industry.
Lauren Goode: I am Lauren Goode. I am a senior writer at Wired.
Michael Calore: Today we are talking about Marc Andreessen. It is one of the most eminent venture capital in Silicon Valley. He is also the co-founder of the Early Web Netscape web browser company and not so long ago, he was a high-level Democratic donor, but in recent years Andreessen has fully changed his political scratches. These days, he is an advisor to the Trump administration and helped recruit people from Silicon Valley to provide ideas to the Trump government department. He even called himself an unpaid trainee of Doge.
Lauren Goode: How does he eat at night?
Zoë Schiffer: Yeah, I have the impression that it is such a thing that it is someone who has never been an unpaid trainee would say: “Ha, ha, ha.”
Michael Calore: Imagine Andreessen who eats a lot of Ramen noodles, and I think you can get there. Now Andreessen is not only someone with a long and successful career in technology. He is also a figure similar to a sponsor in the industry which is known for having set the tone for culture in Silicon Valley. So how does Andreessen end up making a lively turn to the right in the fifties? How did it work in the past the Clinton / Gore, Kerry / Obama, to be an essential element of Donald Trump’s transition to the Oval Office? Zoe, let’s start this conversation with you. I want to ask you to tell us about the vision of the world of Mark Andreessen.
Zoë Schiffer: Fortunately, and I would simply say that we will slap a great “allegedly” on each comment that we make on this podcast, because in this political climate here, we should do it. Okay, I want to start by talking to you about something that Mark Andreessen calls the agreement. Have you heard of this?
Michael Calore: Yeah.
Zoë Schiffer: Do you know what I’m talking about?
Lauren Goode: Please enlighten us.
Zoë Schiffer: Okay, so the agreement is a concept of which Mark Andreessen spoke about a number of podcasts, including honestly with Bari Weiss in December.
Marc Andreessen [Archival audio]:: The agreement was that someone like me could essentially create a business. You can invent new technology, in this case, web browsers and all other things that Netscape has done. Everyone would think it was great.
Zoë Schiffer: He says that it is essentially a tacit agreement in which you are an entrepreneur and you make a business and that this company is really very good and that you earn a lot of money, and finally you give all this money, you are Considered an impressive figure in society and you will enjoy a sterling reputation.
Marc Andreessen [Archival audio]:: And then at the end of your career, you would end up with this giant money pot, then what you would do is give it to philanthropy. It takes all your sins, reclassifies you as a sort of suspicious affairs magnate to a virtuous philanthrope, and it’s the arc, and everything is great and wonderful.
