{
  "id": 10652518,
  "title": "It’s the end of the world – and I don’t feel fine",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/its-the-end-of-the-world-and-i-dont-feel-fine-10652518",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-29T08:30:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SCMP Tech",
    "slug": "scmp-tech",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3369007/its-end-world-and-i-dont-feel-fine"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the book \"End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World,\" Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor argue that some of the world's most powerful people are actively working against the interests of humanity. They believe that billionaires are building secret shelters in preparation for a human-extinction event, which could be caused by a rogue AI, a new world war, or runaway climate change. These ultra-wealthy individuals include Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, and Jeff Bezos, who have all invested in disaster-resistant bunkers and properties in remote locations. The authors suggest that Western billionaires actively run against the interests of humanity, as their interests directly conflict with the well-being of the majority of people. They assert that the current White House is the political institution most blatant about serving these interests. The authors identify three groups that are working together: religious end-timers, technologists who believe in a digital superintelligence, and ethnonationalists. They argue that Donald Trump's administration has helped bind these groups together, with heavy funding from Silicon Valley and key appointments like Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel. The authors cite several examples of billionaire actions that align with their agenda, such as Peter Thiel's 2009 essay on the incompatibility of democracy and freedom, Elon Musk's remarks on humanity's evolution into a biological bootloader for digital superintelligence, and Musk's federal budget cuts at the Department of Government Efficiency. These actions demonstrate the deep connections between tech fascism and white supremacist ideology, as argued by Gil Duran in \"The Nerd Reich.\" The authors contend that the loss of belief in a common future for humanity or even among one's own citizens has left the world unfit to lead, as those who hold the levers of power plan only for the privileged few who can afford an exit.",
  "summary": "Armageddon is what will happen when billionaires, or even trillionaires, are given free rein. Could this be the final outcome of late-stage American capitalism and democracy? Imagine a human-extinction event: a rogue artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, a new world war or runaway climate change. You likely already have a fair idea of where the safest places on earth and beyond are, if you…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "It’s the end of the world – and I don’t feel fine",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/its-the-end-of-the-world-and-i-dont-feel-fine",
        "published": "2026-09-29T08:30:09.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}