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My First Million

My First Million

The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.

Back to Takes

With enough capital (300-400 million), private individuals could realistically topple small dictatorships through economic and social media warfare rather than violence.

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The Reasoning

Countries operate like businesses with GDP as their breathing mechanism - money in, money out. By attacking economic access points and using social media influence, you could destabilize authoritarian regimes more effectively than traditional military approaches.

What Needs to Be True

  • Target countries have vulnerable economic dependencies
  • Social media can effectively organize resistance movements
  • International law allows non-violent economic intervention
  • Local populations are receptive to change

Counterargument

Dictatorships have proven remarkably resilient to economic pressure and social media influence, with many adapting to control information flows and maintain power through force.

What Would Change This View

Evidence that economic warfare alone has never successfully toppled established dictatorships, or proof that the cost and complexity far exceeds the estimate.

Implications for Builders

Extreme wealth creates options for social impact beyond traditional philanthropy

Economic leverage can be more powerful than political leverage

Technology platforms can be tools for geopolitical change

Alternative models of international intervention may be emerging

Example Application

Identify small country with vulnerable economy dependent on single export, coordinate economic pressure while funding social media campaigns and opposition movements to create regime change through non-violent means.