Due Dissidence
KEATON WEISS • RUSSELL DOBULAR

Editor's Note—
Summary of Historical Elite Gatherings
- The video opens discussing exclusive, mysterious gatherings of the ultra-rich and powerful groups, highlighting Bohemian Grove as an emblematic example.
- Notable figures like Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon were attendees; Nixon reportedly did not enjoy the atmosphere, describing it as uncomfortable, dominated by an "old WASP" vibe and crude humor, reflecting nostalgia for fraternity culture at Ivy League universities.
- The Trilateral Commission, founded by David Rockefeller in the 1950s, and the Bilderberg Group are also mentioned as elite, secretive organizations with off-the-record meetings. The Bilderberg Group follows “Chatham House rules”where attendees cannot disclose discussions — famously "You don’t talk about Bilderberg."
- These traditional gatherings are rooted in older elite social networks (old money, WASP culture), which appear out of touch with newer elites.
[03:24] Emergence of Dialogue – A New Hybrid Elite Society
- In contrast to these older clubs, a new secretive society called Dialogue has existed for 20 years, co-founded by billionaire Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel in 2006.
- Dialogue hosts private, invitation-only gatherings that bring together figures from US politics, finance, and tech sectors, blending old elite traditions with Silicon Valley’s new oligarchs.
- A major data leak exposed internal records and membership directories of Dialogue, confirming its membership and revealing highly sensitive personal and political data.
- The 2026 retreat is set to occur near Dublin, Ireland, with 222 attendees already registered, including a mixture of guests, active members, and first-timers.
- Topics covered at these retreats include highly eclectic and provocative themes such as "Money Does Happiness?", "Nuclear," "Navigating WWII Battlefield Technologies," "How’s Your Sex Life," and "Build a Cult."
[06:04] Powerful Attendees and Influence Over Policy
- The leaked attendee roster shows a significant convergence of power among military, government, tech, and finance figures:
- General Alexis Grinkavitch, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe since July 2025, has attended since 2021.
- Orin Hoffman, Dialogue chairman, co-founder alongside Peter Thiel, has deep connections with data brokerage firms like Safegraph and LiveRamp.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bent, who oversees financial data regulation, appears alongside Senator Ted Cruz, Chair of the Commerce Committee responsible for data privacy oversight.
- Joe Lansdale, co-founder of Palantir, a company with contracts for immigration enforcement and Pentagon intelligence, attends with top government officials whose committees oversee these agencies.
- None use government email addresses for registrations, indicating an intent to avoid public records laws.
[08:35] Shared Focus on AI, Longevity, and The Near Future
- The primary intellectual preoccupations of Dialogue members center on:
- Artificial Intelligence’s transformative impact on work, war, education, and belief systems.
- Speculations include mass labor displacement, resurgence of unions and government programs, fears of an AI winter, domestic terrorism targeting data centers, and AI lawyers replacing public defenders.
- Some foresee religious revivals triggered by societal disruption, along with accelerating societal degeneration.
- The group shares a quasi-religious, techno-utopian worldview, focused on cyborg neural implants, technological immortality, and end-of-civilization scenarios — echoing a cult-like mentality reminiscent of Scientology.
[10:43] Dialogue as a Matchmaker and Secret Data Collector
- Dialogue also acts as a discreet matchmaking service for “exceptional people,” collecting data on attendees’ political leanings and personal relationship status. This data was part of the leaked information.
- Despite assurances that this information would remain private, the leak highlights inherent privacy risks.
- The political spectrum of attendees formally includes "far left," "left," "right," and "far right," but the real division is less ideological and more about class solidarity among elites.
[12:03] Class Solidarity Trumps Ideological Divides
- The video stresses how class interests dominate apparent political or ideological differences.
- Financial firms, despite public claims of supporting equity and inclusion, have invested in controversial figures like Elon Musk, noted for divisive public behavior and a family history controversial for racial policies.
- The elite network embraces a broad political spectrum united by class, wealth, and power, not actual ideological coherence.
[12:39] Hollywood and Media Figures Within Dialogue
Surprisingly, several Hollywood actors, producers, and media figures are linked to Dialogue:
Name Profession Known For Notes Josh Brolin Actor No Country for Old Men Unaware of what he joined; low ranking on acceptance Joseph Gordon-Levitt Actor One Tree Hill Worked on Capitol Hill lobbying for Section 230 repeal Sophia Bush Actor One Tree Hill Not further specified Scooter Braun CEO HB America Not immediately responsive Isaac Lee CEO HB America Not immediately responsive Scott Belsky Partner A24 Involved in media production Benj Pasek Composer/Producer La La Land Not further specified Teresa Xiao Writer/Producer Nora from Queens, Family Guy Not listing all creds Zack Shields Exec Producer/Writer Godzilla: King of the Monsters Not further specified Nick Thompson CEO The Atlantic In media leadership Ezra Klein Journalist The New York Times Prominent left-leaning Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s involvement in lobbying for Section 230 repeal is highlighted as peculiar and possibly orchestrated by powerful lobbyists.
The retreats attract a fusion of entertainment, government, tech, and finance figures, showing deep interconnection across industries and sectors.
[14:41] Additional High-Profile Participants
- The roster includes:
- Elon Musk
- Jared Kushner
- Senator Ted Cruz
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bent
- YouTube CEO Neil Mohan
- Xbox President Sarah Bond
- OpenAI President Greg Brockman
- Anthropic Global Affairs chief Michael Solidos
- Many high-profile figures did not respond to inquiries; some, like Josh Brolin, were surprised by their membership.
- The group includes prominent Democrats such as Senator Cory Booker, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, and Colorado Governor Jared Polis, demonstrating bipartisan membership.
[16:38] Comprehensive Membership Listing and Reflections on Elite Networks
- Another list extracted by activist Maya Arson Kryu details 113 confirmed members verified via internet archives, including:
- Garry Kasparov (chess grandmaster and democracy advocate)
- John L. Hennessy, President of Stanford University
- Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis
- Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform (representing wealthy interests)
- Steven Pinker, intellectual figure often supporting technoutopian ideals
- Robert Rubin, former Treasury Secretary and Goldman Sachs co-chairman
- Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google and Alphabet
- Lawrence Summers, former Harvard University president
- Julian Castro, former HUD Secretary
- Jonathan Haidt, writer on societal wellness and youth resilience
- Sam Harris, author and commentator
- Schilvon Zillis, director of Neuralink (neurological implant company)
- Randy Quarles, former Federal Reserve governor
- Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League
- The commentary notes high overlap of people publicly opposing authoritarianism with involvement inside highly controlled, “authoritarian” elite networks. This reveals contradictions between public personas and private alliances.
[22:17] Unified Elite Interests Behind Political Theater
- The video argues that public political divisions are superficial, comparing the elite network to a “West Wing” drama where cultural disagreements mask fundamental agreement on maintaining power and privilege.
- These elites convene at places like Dialogue and Bohemian Grove to strategize maintaining their dominance, while ordinary people are marginalized as “peasants.”
[22:58] Jeffrey Epstein’s Tangential Connection and Dialogue's Broader Network
- Epstein was invited to Dialogue in 2014, though insiders report Peter Thiel himself reportedly barely attended and distanced himself from the group.
- Other related events such as Hereticon are mentioned as “tiered” or overlapping networks with more radical themes, including:
- Cyborg brain-computer interface research
- Eugenics-focused talks
- UFO summoning and parapsychology sessions
- Biohacking and homemade vaccine demonstrations
- Drag tutorials reflecting the "peak wokism" of 2022
- Discussion of polyamory and family values
- Psychedelic and burlesque performances
- Debates on nuclear issues and sex work markets
- These events underscore a blend of techno-utopianism, fringe science, and cultural spectacle, illustrating the complexity of elite “team building.”
[32:07] Gender Imbalance and Tech Culture Reflection
- Women are underrepresented, comprising roughly 10% of membership, reflecting the male-dominated nature of Silicon Valley and elite tech circles.
- The gender imbalance persists despite progressive public narratives, emphasizing how “networking and power” dynamics perpetuate exclusion.
[33:21] Legacy Elite vs Silicon Valley Elite
- The traditional elite clubs like Bohemian Grove and Bilderberg are described as “old-fashioned, WASP, and Ivy League-based,” whereas Dialogue represents a postmodern, Silicon Valley hipster version of elite gatherings.
- Despite apparent conflicts, all elite factions cooperate behind the scenes, sharing goals of maintaining socioeconomic control.
[34:31] Rituals of Elite Bonding and Aberrant Behavior
- The video discusses how elite bonding involves “team-building activities” that escalate into aberrant, secretive behaviors to reinforce loyalty and mutual blackmail potential.
- Analogies include opulent retreats, dangerous adventures, and secret initiation rituals.
- References to scandals such as Skull and Bones suggest that shared transgressions strengthen elite solidarity and prevent defections.
[36:38] The Godlike Self-Perception of Elites
- These elites often perceive themselves as literal gods or architects of humanity’s future, a mindset transcending class and material wealth.
- Hollywood figures included act as status validators for the rich, offering cultural cachet and creative association.
- The video highlights how many artists join these networks not from convictions but for opportunity and survival in an interconnected system.
[38:46] Closing Remarks and Contextual Note
- The segment closes acknowledging external distractions (a tornado watch), with the hosts maintaining composure and continuing discussion.
- The overall tone of the content critically analyzes elite societies and reveals the interlocked nature of power, technology, media, and government, often masked by public ideological conflict but unified by shared interests in control and privilege.
Key Insights
- Elite gatherings are longstanding mechanisms for power consolidation among wealthy and influential figures, transitioning from old WASPy clubs to Silicon Valley tech-dominated secret societies.
- Dialogue represents a new iteration of elite networks blending government, finance, tech, and entertainment sectors, engaged in planning and strategizing for future societal shifts, especially AI and biotechnology.
- The veneer of ideological conflict amongst elites masks profound class solidarity and coordinated control efforts.
- Membership lists reveal a bipartisan mixture of powerful figures, including surprising Hollywood and media participants.
- The group exhibits cult-like, techno-utopian beliefs intertwined with esoteric and fringe science interests.
- Critical issues include data privacy breaches from the leak, highlighting susceptibility of private elite organizations to external scrutiny.
- Aberrant rituals and extreme bonding behaviors are integral to maintaining elite cohesion through mutual blackmail and secrecy.
- Women are significantly underrepresented, mirroring the male-dominated nature of Silicon Valley and old power elites.
Terminology & Definitions
| Term | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bohemian Grove | A secretive, elite gathering primarily of old WASP men mingling in Northern California | Associated with political and business elites |
| Trilateral Commission | Founded in the 1950s by David Rockefeller; a private institution aimed at fostering cooperation between North America, Europe, and Asia | Closed-door meetings |
| Bilderberg Group | Annual global elite meeting following “Chatham House rules” and strict confidentiality | Focuses on international policy cooperation |
| Dialogue | Private, invitation-only society founded in 2006 by Peter Thiel blending tech, political, and financial elites | Leaked membership list in 2023 revealed detailed info |
| Hereticon | Related, more radical conference tied to Peter Thiel and similar circles, featuring fringe topics | Focus on biohacking, eugenics, UFOs, parapsychology |
| Safegraph / LiveRamp | Location data brokerage firms co-founded by Dialogue chairman Orin Hoffman | Critical players in consumer data economy |
| Palantir | Data analytics company with major government contracts for immigration and defense | Co-founded by participant Joe Lansdale |
Quantitative Data: Dialogue Membership & Attendance
| Data Point | Value/Detail |
|---|---|
| Total registrants (2026 retreat) | 222 persons |
| First-time attendees | 87 persons |
| Membership history | Some dating back over 10 years |
| Gender imbalance | Estimated ~90% male |
| Location of 2026 retreat | Near Dublin, Ireland |
Themes and Topics Discussed at Dialogue Retreats
- Impact of Artificial Intelligence on labor, law, education, and warfare
- Longevity and biohacking, including neural implants and homemade vaccines
- Societal disruption and apocalyptic scenarios
- Cult-building and manipulation of social structures
- Discussion of sex life, party building, and relationships, including matchmaking for elites
- Fringe science topics such as UFO summoning and parapsychology
- Cultural workshops like drag tutorials reflecting shifting political landscapes
- Economic and social upheavals, including swinging back to unions and government programs
Notable Quotes Highlighting Key Ideas
- "It's a big club and you ain't in it." — underscoring exclusivity and unity of elites beyond ideological lines.
- "Very cultish. It's very Scientology, frankly." — describing the nature of elite techno-utopian beliefs.
- "Class solidarity trumps every other type of solidarity or conflict." — stressing the primary unifying factor among elites.
- "They think you are peasants and your job is to follow their lead." — a critical observation of elite-periphery dynamics.
Concluding Remarks
This detailed exposé reveals how elite societies such as Dialogue blend old power mechanisms with new technological and cultural paradigms to maintain influence over global policy and culture. It highlights the illusion of division within elites, revealing instead a coordinated effort to secure their status and shape the future, often through secretive and sometimes disturbing means. The leaks provide rare data allowing insight into these closed networks, exposing a convergence of interests across politics, finance, technology, and entertainment that dictate the socio-political landscape beyond public scrutiny.
