By Introducing the Series and Defining Oligarchy
This is the beginning of a powerful investigative journey: a 15-part series produced by The Right Narrative to uncover how oligarchy has reshaped our world and threatens the very foundations of democracy. Over the coming weeks, we will examine how the ultra-wealthy have captured governments, manipulated wars, hijacked media, and undermined the daily lives of billions. Our goal is simple yet urgent: to provide clear evidence, compelling stories, and undeniable truths about how concentrated wealth has become concentrated power. And in doing so, we aim to inspire resistance, solidarity, and action.
So, what do we mean by “oligarchy”? The term originates from ancient Greece, literally meaning “rule of the few.” Historically, oligarchies were led by noble families, powerful generals, or religious elites. In modern times, however, the oligarchy is not defined by noble titles but by vast wealth and the ability to turn that wealth into political and social dominance. The United States—once seen as the world’s strongest democracy—now shows unmistakable signs of oligarchic capture. A Princeton and Northwestern University study found that while ordinary citizens have little or no independent influence over policy, economic elites and business groups have a decisive impact. Even President Joe Biden, in his January 2025 farewell address, admitted that “an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy.”
This first article sets the stage. By defining oligarchy in its modern form, we begin to reveal how power is no longer in the hands of the people, but in the boardrooms and private jets of billionaires. And this is not a theoretical issue—it shapes every vote you cast, every price you pay, and every headline you read.
Wealth Concentration and the Hollowing of Democracy
To understand oligarchy, one must look first at wealth inequality. Numbers tell the story of how democracy has been hollowed out. In the United States, the top 1% of households now control nearly 30% of all wealth, while the bottom half of the population owns just 2.5%. This gap is larger than in most other wealthy nations, placing America closer to fragile economies in terms of inequality. It means that the political influence of billionaires is not just greater—it is overwhelming.
Why does this matter for democracy? Because money translates directly into power. Campaign financing laws, particularly the 2010 Citizens United ruling, opened the floodgates for unlimited corporate and billionaire spending in elections. Today, a small group of mega-donors essentially decides who gets elected and what policies are prioritized. Research shows that if the wealthy oppose a policy, it almost never passes, no matter how many millions of ordinary people support it. If elites support it, the odds of passage nearly double. Democracy, then, is an illusion when policies are dictated by wallets, not ballots.
This wealth concentration has very real consequences for ordinary people. While corporations secure tax loopholes and subsidies, working families face soaring housing prices, medical debt, and stagnating wages. College graduates enter life shackled by student loans, while billionaires send their money to tax havens. Governments plead “there is no money” for healthcare or infrastructure, yet billions are handed to corporations and defense contractors. This is not a failure of the system—it is the system working exactly as designed: enriching the few at the expense of the many.
Oligarchy thrives on this imbalance. When wealth piles up at the top, so does influence, access, and control. Democracy becomes less about the will of the people and more about managing appearances while oligarchs pull the strings behind the curtain.
Tech Titans and the Rise of Informational Oligarchy
Every age produces its own oligarchs. In the late 19th century, it was oil barons and steel magnates like Rockefeller and Carnegie. Today, it is the tech titans: Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos. What makes them different is not only the size of their fortunes but the unique nature of their power. Unlike traditional oligarchs who influenced governments through lobbying or donations, these men control the infrastructure of information itself.
Platforms like Facebook, Twitter (X), and Amazon are not just companies—they are ecosystems that shape how billions of people communicate, shop, and think. Algorithms decide what news we see, what voices are amplified, and what ideas are silenced. Scholars call this “algorithmic censorship,” describing it as an unprecedented degree of control over both public and private communication. In effect, the oligarchs of Silicon Valley don’t just influence the conversation—they curate and command it.
The implications for democracy are immense. When social media platforms amplify outrage and division because it is profitable, societies fracture. When search engines bury dissenting viewpoints, public debate narrows. When billionaires use their platforms to promote political allies, the line between democracy and manipulation vanishes. Daniel Kinderman, a professor at the University of Delaware, put it bluntly: “Because the online universe shapes what we think we know and how we think, tech moguls wield unprecedented influence over democratic discourse.”
This informational oligarchy is subtle yet suffocating. Unlike dictatorships, it doesn’t silence opposition with brute force. Instead, it floods us with distraction, amplifies division, and rewards conformity to elite-approved narratives. The result is a society where freedom of expression exists in theory but is controlled in practice by a handful of unelected, unaccountable billionaires.
A Global System of Exploitation
Modern oligarchy does not stop at national borders—it is a global system. From Washington to Moscow, London to Khartoum, the patterns repeat: wealth concentrates, elites capture power, and the majority are left to struggle. Russia’s oligarchs are infamous, their fortunes tied directly to political power. Hungary demonstrates how oligarchs can align with government to hollow out institutions. But perhaps the starkest impacts are seen in the Global South, where oligarchic exploitation means poverty, hunger, and war.
Take debt as an example. At least 79 countries are currently in or near debt distress, forced to spend more on repaying international lenders than on healthcare or education. Structural adjustment programs demanded by the IMF or World Bank often require countries to privatize public assets, slash social spending, and open markets to foreign corporations. The result? Local populations are stripped of resources while multinational corporations extract wealth, often paying little or no tax.
In Sudan, these patterns are painfully visible. Foreign oligarchic powers, particularly in the UAE, fuel proxy wars to control gold mines and trade routes. The result is famine, mass displacement, and a collapse of sovereignty, all while elites abroad profit from suffering. Similar stories unfold in Latin America, where mining giants ravage rainforests, or in Africa, where oil wealth enriches elites while leaving millions in poverty.
The global nature of oligarchy shows us a hard truth: this is not simply an American problem. It is a system of domination that unites elites across borders, creating an international web of power. To resist oligarchy, people everywhere must recognize that their struggles—whether in Detroit, Darfur, or Delhi—are connected.
Why This Series Matters and Why Everyone Should Care
It would be easy to dismiss “oligarchy” as an abstract academic concept, something distant from everyday life. But nothing could be further from the truth. Oligarchy is the invisible hand that keeps wages low while prices soar. It is why young families cannot buy homes, why students drown in debt, and why workers labor without security or benefits. It explains why wars drag on despite public opposition—because war is profitable for the defense industry. It is why your social media feed is flooded with outrage and distraction—because division keeps populations weak and pliable.
For people in the Global South, the stakes are even higher. Oligarchy means debt crises, sanctions, and resource plunder. It means watching local wealth flow outward while communities are left with hunger and conflict. It means foreign elites dictating domestic policies, undermining sovereignty, and propping up corrupt regimes. For Sudanese families, it means enduring displacement and starvation while foreign oligarchs profit from stolen gold and oil.
This series is not just about exposing injustice. It is about connecting the dots—showing how the billionaire in Silicon Valley, the defense contractor in Washington, and the ruling elite in Abu Dhabi are part of the same system. Oligarchy thrives on division, ensuring that ordinary people fight among themselves rather than uniting against those who truly hold power.
Episode 1 lays the foundation: defining the new oligarchy and showing how it already governs much of our world. In the coming episodes, we will investigate how oligarchs control media, fuel wars, manipulate economies, and crush democratic institutions. We will also highlight stories of resistance, solidarity, and alternatives. Because if people understand the system, they can fight it. The stakes are nothing less than democracy itself—and the future of freedom for billions.