
About this episode
The episode explores how Saudi Arabia became a major investor in Silicon Valley and the implications of this relationship.
Elon Musk. Donald Trump. Bill Gates. Sam Altman. Larry Ellison. Alex Karp. Jared Kushner. Mr. Beast. Jeffrey Epstein… Those are just a few of the people who have been friendly with, and often done business with, Saudi Arabia over the last decade. Today on the show: how one of the world’s most authoritarian regimes became one of Silicon Valley’s biggest investors – and what that’s meant for the rest of us. To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
Topics covered
- Saudi Arabia
- Silicon Valley
- investment
- technology
- business relationships
Keywords
- Elon Musk
- Donald Trump
- Bill Gates
- Sam Altman
- Larry Ellison
- Jared Kushner
- Mr. Beast
- Jeffrey Epstein
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Saudi Arabia, Silicon Valley, Silicon Valley’s
More episodes of Throughline
- The shifting line between free speech and a criminal threat · June 11, 2026 · 36 min
- The uncensored war · June 9, 2026 · 18 min
- The World Cup was supposed to bring world peace · June 4, 2026 · 52 min
- Bayard Rustin and the March on Washington · June 2, 2026 · 23 min
- History's playbook for taming the beast of inflation · May 28, 2026 · 47 min
- Yuri Kochiyamas’s lifetime of activism · May 26, 2026 · 21 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Throughline podcast page.