Pluralistic: How the Epstein Class recruits (20 Jun 2026)
Author Cory Doctorow reveals he was repeatedly invited to pay thousands to join Dialog, a secret society linked to Peter Thiel. He explains this violates "Yog's Law" (money flows toward the creator) and suggests many members may have fallen for this scheme.
Background
- Cory Doctorow is a prominent Canadian-British author, journalist, and activist who writes extensively about technology, monopoly power, and digital rights (he coined the term "enshittification"). His blog Pluralistic is a long-running daily newsletter on these topics.
- "Dialog" is a secretive, ultra-exclusive club reportedly founded by billionaire Peter Thiel (co-founder of PayPal, Palantir; early Facebook investor; controversial right-wing political donor). According to a recent leak, members secretly rank each other — a structure that evokes the "Epstein Class" (a term Doctorow uses for the network of wealthy, powerful people connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein).
- Yog's Law ("money flows toward the writer") is a principle from science fiction fandom: if someone asks a creative professional to pay *them* for the privilege of exposure or participation, it's a scam or exploitation. Doctorow argues this is how Dialog recruited many members — not through merit, but by targeting people vain or naive enough to pay for entry into elite circles.