1. “Put them in their place” ≠ “murdered”. It obviously did, eventually, but it’s not how Putin discovered his monopoly on the use of government levers could beat the money guys.

2. Silicon Valley is *more* ideological and less transactional? Maybe it’s because I worked there, but I don’t see it. Each individually may think they have big ideas, and they may be attracted to Curtis Yarvin etc. because they want to feel like they’re involved in some big project, but can you describe the ‘-isms’ or issues that the tech CEOs are motivated by like, say, Leonard Leo or even Bill Gates are?

3. You think Trump’s been responsive to the markets in any way helpful to long-term retirement investors? I haven’t seen any evidence of that.

4. That was Sarah’s point. But no one has any use for “the 76th richest man in the world who was once the 1st”. Trump could deliver the “killing blow” (though again, I am *not* assuming murder, just, anything that could sap Elon’s relevancy and turn his life upside down) long before either his term or his life is up.

But overall you’re hewing much closer to the analogy than I was when I wrote my comment. My point was, Putin felt empowered by taking action against his oligarchs who crossed him when he discovered it worked. Trump has often shown he’s takes actions in a fit of pique, discovers they are working politically, and pushes. There’s a parallel there that doesn’t require him to start poisoning people with polonium to see it.