Davidzmorris | Paragraph

Feb 12

In 3 months since release, "Stealing the Future," my book about SBF, has been steadily climbing sales rankings. It is now #14 in Corporate Finance on Amazon. Within spitting distance of being a "bestseller." If you've ever been tempted, buy it RIGHT NOW. https://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Future-Bankman-Fried-Elite-Techno-Utopia/dp/1917516088/

Stealing The Future: Sam Bankman-Fried, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopia

Stealing The Future: Sam Bankman-Fried, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopia

In 2024, Sam Bankman-Fried — once hailed as the future of finance and one of the richest men in America — was sentenced to 25 years in prison for stealing $11 billion and collapsing over a hundred companies. is the inside story of that unraveling, told by a member of the CoinDesk team that ...

Feb 6

Going live on Substack with Daniel Pinchbeck at 2pm ET: https://substack.com/home/post/p-187117136

Substack Live coming up in half an hour!

Substack Live coming up in half an hour!

Conversation with David Z Morris, author of "Stealing the Future"

Feb 2

I was in an art show over the weekend! https://www.instagram.com/p/DUQ_C4viZ12/

David Z. Morris on Instagram: "Big fat photo dump from #Godling, the amazing show spearheaded by @martin.mccoy.art. We got *a crowd* for most of four days, which is never to be taken for granted.

This is my personal highlight reel, including several shots of probably my favorite piece, by @redwetskeleton. Other amazing work by @totally_not_panicking @stone.jaw @wittlegoblin

I tried to include some of the playable text as well, at least to give a sense of the experience. Martin and team conceived the game side impeccably, creating a very flexible but coherent format that fit a huge diversity of style and content.

This feels like a pretty landmark event - many of us met in person for the first time, and I anticipate a lot of projects spawning out of those connections.

I also believe several of these pieces (including mine) are still available for purchase.

#warhammer #grimdark #sculpture #terrain #terrainbuilding #underthedice #hivescum @hivescumpodcast @underthedice #inq28 #indiewargame #blanchitsu #oldhammer"

Instagram

David Z. Morris on Instagram: "Big fat photo dump from #Godling, the amazing show spearheaded by @martin.mccoy.art. We got *a crowd* for most of four days, which is never to be taken for granted. This is my personal highlight reel, including several shots of probably my favorite piece, by @redwetskeleton. Other amazing work by @totally_not_panicking @stone.jaw @wittlegoblin I tried to include some of the playable text as well, at least to give a sense of the experience. Martin and team conceived the game side impeccably, creating a very flexible but coherent format that fit a huge diversity of style and content. This feels like a pretty landmark event - many of us met in person for the first time, and I anticipate a lot of projects spawning out of those connections. I also believe several of these pieces (including mine) are still available for purchase. #warhammer #grimdark #sculpture #terrain #terrainbuilding #underthedice #hivescum @hivescumpodcast @underthedice #inq28 #indiewargame #blanchitsu #oldhammer"

36 likes, 0 comments - moon.beast.z on February 2, 2026: "Big fat photo dump from #Godling, the amazing show spearheaded by @martin.mccoy.art. We got *a crowd* for most of four days, which is never to be taken for granted. This is my personal highlight reel, including several shots of probably my favorite piece, by @redwetskeleton. Other amazing work by @totally_not_panicking @stone.jaw @wittlegoblin I tried to include some of the playable text as well, at least to give a sense of the experience. Martin and team conceived the game side impeccably, creating a very flexible but coherent format that fit a huge diversity of style and content. This feels like a pretty landmark event - many of us met in person for the first time, and I anticipate a lot of projects spawning out of those connections. I also believe several of these pieces (including mine) are still available for purchase. #warhammer #grimdark #sculpture #terrain #terrainbuilding #underthedice #hivescum @hivescumpodcast @underthedice #inq28 #indiewargame #blanchitsu #oldhammer".

Feb 2

TFW you file the 1099s on time

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Jan 27

By the Effective Altruist and Longtermis logic shared by Sam Altman and much of Silicon Valley, Masayoshi Son has just killed God https://x.com/tomshardware/status/2016188716273049632

X (formerly Twitter)

Jan 20

For whatever reason, “Stealing the Future” is on added discount at Amazon right now, paperback is available for just $12. Good time to grab it! (And if you remember, drop a review after you read it!) https://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Future-Bankman-Fried-Elite-Techno-Utopia/dp/1917516088/

Stealing The Future: Sam Bankman-Fried, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopia

Stealing The Future: Sam Bankman-Fried, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopia

In 2024, Sam Bankman-Fried — once hailed as the future of finance and one of the richest men in America — was sentenced to 25 years in prison for stealing $11 billion and collapsing over a hundred companies. is the inside story of that unraveling, told by a member of the CoinDesk team that ...

Jan 14

Book talk TOMORROW NIGHT! I will be talking about “Stealing the Future,” my book about financial fraud and techno-authoritarian philosophy, in conversation with Adam Lowenstein, who reviewed the book for The American Prospect. January 15, 7pm at Codex Books in Manhattan! At 1 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012.

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Jan 14

I've started doing a bit of freelancing again after many many years, largely to rough out ideas for a forthcoming book about AI. In this piece for Design Observer, I spoke to experts in visual perception and cognition, who have found compelling early evidence that AI-generated images are less effective at holding viewers' attention, largely because they are less complex. Worse, that reduced complexity in turn reduces viewers' cognitive development, spreading simplified and stereotyped understanding through society - including individuals' understanding of their own lives. https://designobserver.com/suddenly-everyones-life-got-a-lot-more-similar-ai-isnt-just-imitating-creativity-its-homogenizing-thinking/

“Suddenly everyone’s life got a lot more similar”: AI isn’t just imitating creativity, it’s homogenizing thinking - DesignObserver

DesignObserver

“Suddenly everyone’s life got a lot more similar”: AI isn’t just imitating creativity, it’s homogenizing thinking - DesignObserver

Research suggests generative AI isn’t just imitating creativity, it’s reshaping attention, identity, and how people understand their own stories.

Jan 13

In today’s edition of Dark Markets, I trace some of the resonances between fascist political manipulation, and the tactics fraudsters use to attract and defraud the vulnerable. These include: -The Myth of the Heroic Genius -The Desire of the Other -Empowerment of the Worst -Appeals to the Disempowered -The Cruelty of Hope As we watch a known fraudster manipulate a great power, it’s time to reckon with the true consequences of rampant financial fraud: not just isolated losses, but an entire society psychically traumatized into handing power to its worst actors. https://open.substack.com/pub/davidzmorris/p/for-trump-fascism-is-just-another

👁️ For Trump, Fascism is Just Another Scam

👁️ For Trump, Fascism is Just Another Scam

By elevating bad people and selling out consensus reality for profit, a tolerance for grifters helped lead us to this collapse.

Jan 12

I barely freelance anymore, but I was excited to dig in to research design experts are doing on GenAI imagery. Bottom line: GenAI imagery is mathematically simpler than human-crafted images, and so fails to hold viewer attention. That is, it's likely very bad for advertising, perhaps its key commercial use case. https://designobserver.com/suddenly-everyones-life-got-a-lot-more-similar-ai-isnt-just-imitating-creativity-its-homogenizing-thinking/

“Suddenly everyone’s life got a lot more similar”: AI isn’t just imitating creativity, it’s homogenizing thinking - DesignObserver

DesignObserver

“Suddenly everyone’s life got a lot more similar”: AI isn’t just imitating creativity, it’s homogenizing thinking - DesignObserver

Research suggests generative AI isn’t just imitating creativity, it’s reshaping attention, identity, and how people understand their own stories.

Jan 12

Join me for a rescheduled book talk about how @SBF_FTX was a precursor of the techno-utopian authoritarianism whose consequences we are living with right now. In conversation with Adam Lowenstein of @TheProspect. Thursday January 15, Codex Books, 1 Bleeker Street, Manhattan.

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Jan 7

I recently sat down with Dierdre Woollard, host of New Books in Economics,mto talk about my new book “Stealing the Future: Sam Bankman-Fried, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopiia.” It was a particularly nuanced and idea-driven conversation. “I’ve read a couple books about Sam Bankman-Fried, but this one was different,” Dierdre said of the book. “It dives into the thought processes driving not just the behavior of Sam Bankman-Fried, but a lot of other tech elites.” https://megaphone.link/NBNK5466962448

David Morris, "Stealing The Future: Sam Bankman-Fried, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopia" (Watkins Media, 2025) by New Books in Economics

Megaphone.fm

David Morris, "Stealing The Future: Sam Bankman-Fried, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopia" (Watkins Media, 2025) by New Books in Economics

Jan 5

So why exactly did Farcaster do a big "we're not a social media platform anymore" when literally everything is exactly the same

Jan 5

Today, I wrote about one of the most bizarre connective webs in recent history: The lineage from Evril LeBaron, the mass-murdering “Mormon Manson,” and Hayden Davis, the memecoin scammer behind $Libra, which nearly led to the impeachment of Argentinian President Javier Milei. Evril LeBaron was Davis’ great-grandfather. Evril ordered the murder of Davis’ grandfather, Mark Chynoweth. Davis great-grandmother, Rena Chynoweth, was one of the assasssins who Evril manipulated into his service. And it goes even deeper: A 2019 massacre of members of Davis’ extended clan helped lay some of the groundwork for the Trump administration’s illegal kidnapping of Nicholas Maduro. https://davidzmorris.substack.com/p/the-libra-fraud-and-the-mormon-manson

👁️ The Libra Fraud and the "Mormon Manson": Hayden Davis, Donald Trump, and Cult Politics (Part 1)

👁️ The Libra Fraud and the "Mormon Manson": Hayden Davis, Donald Trump, and Cult Politics (Part 1)

A murderous Polygamist sect connects the kidnapping of Nicholas Maduro to cryptocurrency fraud.

Dec 11, 2025

Thanks to Adam Lowenstein for his great and perceptive review in the American Prospect, and this even more pithy and succinct summation:It’s all about power. It has always been about power. https://adaml.substack.com/p/tech-lies-and-power-the-american-prospect

Tech, Lies, and Power

Tech, Lies, and Power

A new book review for The American Prospect.

Dec 11, 2025

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed "Stealing the Future" on Amazon! After a couple of (possibly inorganic) early negative reviews, we've hit 4 stars, and back to climbing the ranks.. "One of the most important books of the year" - American Prospect https://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Future-Bankman-Fried-Elite-Techno-Utopia/dp/1917516088/

Stealing The Future: Sam Bankman-Fried, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopia

Stealing The Future: Sam Bankman-Fried, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopia

In 2024, Sam Bankman-Fried — once hailed as the future of finance and one of the richest men in America — was sentenced to 25 years in prison for stealing $11 billion and collapsing over a hundred companies. is the inside story of that unraveling, told by a member of the CoinDesk team that ...

Dec 10, 2025

Stealing the Future is "Among the Most Important Books of the Year" - The American Prospect I'm basically going to be posting this every day for ... the next year? The rest of my life? We'll see. https://prospect.org/2025/12/09/artifice-age-of-artificial-intelligence-silverman-morris-review/ https://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Future-Bankman-Fried-Elite-Techno-Utopia/dp/1917516088/

Artifice in the Age of Artificial Intelligence - The American Prospect

The American Prospect

Artifice in the Age of Artificial Intelligence - The American Prospect

To understand the tech mindset is to see that the ultimate goal is domination. Silicon Valley elites apply a different standard to themselves because, quite simply, they believe that they deserve a different set of rules and expectations.

Stealing The Future: Sam Bankman-Fried, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopia

Stealing The Future: Sam Bankman-Fried, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopia

In 2024, Sam Bankman-Fried — once hailed as the future of finance and one of the richest men in America — was sentenced to 25 years in prison for stealing $11 billion and collapsing over a hundred companies. is the inside story of that unraveling, told by a member of the CoinDesk team that ...

Dec 9, 2025

The American Prospect calls Stealing the Future "One of the most important books of the year." "Morris’s account of Bankman-Fried’s rise and fall is riveting. But the book is even more compelling for exposing the hollowness of the myths cultivated by 'techno-utopians' [and] enablers who cash in on their hype and look the other way (or double down) as the lies and inconsistencies pile up." I am absolutely floored. https://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Future-Bankman-Fried-Elite-Techno-Utopia/dp/1917516088/ https://prospect.org/2025/12/09/artifice-age-of-artificial-intelligence-silverman-morris-review/

Stealing The Future: Sam Bankman-Fried, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopia

Stealing The Future: Sam Bankman-Fried, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopia

In 2024, Sam Bankman-Fried — once hailed as the future of finance and one of the richest men in America — was sentenced to 25 years in prison for stealing $11 billion and collapsing over a hundred companies. is the inside story of that unraveling, told by a member of the CoinDesk team that ...

Artifice in the Age of Artificial Intelligence - The American Prospect

The American Prospect

Artifice in the Age of Artificial Intelligence - The American Prospect

To understand the tech mindset is to see that the ultimate goal is domination. Silicon Valley elites apply a different standard to themselves because, quite simply, they believe that they deserve a different set of rules and expectations.

Nov 7, 2025

My book on Sam Bankman-Fried and the honestly mostly equally hilarious FTX fraud comes out in four days. If you enjoyed this thread, please pre-order! https://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Future-Bankman-Fried-Elite-Techno-Utopia/dp/1917516088/

Stealing The Future: Sam Bankman-Fried, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopia

Stealing The Future: Sam Bankman-Fried, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopia

In 2024, Sam Bankman-Fried — once hailed as the future of finance and one of the richest men in America — was sentenced to 25 years in prison for stealing $11 billion and collapsing over a hundred companies. is the inside story of that unraveling, told by a member of the CoinDesk team that ...

Nov 3, 2025

Today is Sam Bankman-Fried's appeal. It barely matters. But last week his mother Barbara Fried published a lengthy argument for her son's innocence - it's at least inteteresting. Like all SBF defenses, it shows a massive, wilful blind spot. I broke down some highlights (or lowlights) for Dark Markets. https://davidzmorris.substack.com/p/why-sbfs-mom-still-thinks-hes-innocent

👁️Why SBF's Mom Still Thinks He's Innocent

👁️Why SBF's Mom Still Thinks He's Innocent

Sam Bankman-Fried's appeal hearing is today. Barbara Fried has her own lengthy take.

Davidzmorris | Paragraph