In this opening episode of Boardroom Statecraft, we explore the parallels between America’s first Gilded Age and the turbulent environment facing companies today.

From the rise of robber barons and labor uprisings in the late 1800s to the concentration of economic power in today’s technology giants, the episode traces how inequality, technological disruption, and collapsing public trust have repeatedly sparked social and political backlash.

We examine why CEOs have become symbolic targets, how anti-elitist conspiracy culture is fueling new threats, and why the lines between protest and violence are blurring in the 21st century.