Marx Zedong Inc
An unconventional startup, proudly waving the Marxist banner, has attracted a staggering $800 million from investors scratching their heads in disbelief. Meanwhile, China's economic landscape is witnessing a surge in billionaires, but this success...
By ET Bureau |
BCCL
A startup claimed to be 'the first Marxist unicorn'. It promised to redistribute profits, abolish hierarchy, and replace HR with dialectical materialism. It raised $800 mn from confused VCs who thought it was a crypto play.
The founder now lives in a commune with 40 interns and a goat named Engels. The app doesn't work, but the ideology is scalable.
China's Circular Economy
In China, becoming a billionaire is like getting a driver's licence. You just need a startup, a vague AI pitch and a cousin in the Party. One guy launched a company selling virtual tofu NFTs and was worth $3 bn by lunch.
By dinner, he was under house arrest for 'economic spontaneity'. His assets were seized and repurposed into a state-run metaverse where avatars wear Mao suits and quote Deng.
Loosening the Belt
China launches a dating app to promote its Belt and Road diplomacy. You swipe right on infrastructure projects. 'Hi, I'm a port in Sri Lanka. I'm deep, strategic and 99% yours.' 'Hey, I'm a highway in Kenya. I'll take you places - slowly, with debt.'
The app crashes when Italy swipes left and demands reparations in espresso.
The founder now lives in a commune with 40 interns and a goat named Engels. The app doesn't work, but the ideology is scalable.
China's Circular Economy
In China, becoming a billionaire is like getting a driver's licence. You just need a startup, a vague AI pitch and a cousin in the Party. One guy launched a company selling virtual tofu NFTs and was worth $3 bn by lunch.
By dinner, he was under house arrest for 'economic spontaneity'. His assets were seized and repurposed into a state-run metaverse where avatars wear Mao suits and quote Deng.
Loosening the Belt
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China launches a dating app to promote its Belt and Road diplomacy. You swipe right on infrastructure projects. 'Hi, I'm a port in Sri Lanka. I'm deep, strategic and 99% yours.' 'Hey, I'm a highway in Kenya. I'll take you places - slowly, with debt.'
The app crashes when Italy swipes left and demands reparations in espresso.
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