Theo Baker Cracks Open Stanford’s Faustian Bargain With Silicon Valley

On with Kara Swisher

New York Magazine

Society & Culture

4.2 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 4 June 2026

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Kara talks to Theo Baker, a Stanford University student journalist and the youngest-ever George Polk Award winner, about his new book, "How to Rule the World." In it, Baker unpacks his investigation into former Stanford president, Marc Tessier-Lavigne over research misconduct in labs he oversaw. He breaks down how the university reacted and what it says about power at Stanford and in the Valley Theo reveals the “Stanford inside Stanford” and the university’s lucrative, no-boundaries relationship with Silicon Valley’s tech entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. He and Kara discuss secret power networks, “builders” versus “wantapreneurs” and whether Stanford is a university or, as one professor put it, an “incubator with dorms.” Plus: Theo weighs in on the backlash against AI among young people. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I called the mistakes were made.
0:02.1	Oh, well, Kara.
0:03.5	I had a similar thing where someone,
0:05.2	I took down some idiot entrepreneur,
0:08.2	and then when I was looking for money,
0:10.1	I didn't take any venture money,
0:11.8	but one of them took me to lunch and offer me money,
0:13.9	and I said I'd rather poke my eye out with a dry stick
0:16.1	than take money from you.
0:17.3	But no.
0:19.4	It's on. from you, but no.
0:35.1	Hi, everyone from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network, this is on with Kara Swisher,
0:36.3	and I'm Kara Swisher.
0:39.4	My guest today is Theo Baker, a journalist who's graduating from Stanford University next week and the youngest ever recipient of the George
0:44.0	Polk Award, which he won for his investigative reporting at the student newspaper, The
0:48.4	Stanford Daily. Over the course of his freshman year, Theo wrote a series of articles
0:52.8	investigating the university's
0:54.3	former president, Mark Tessier Levine, a wealthy and influential neuroscientist and biotech
1:00.3	executive. By the summer, Tessier Levine resigned over allegations of research misconduct
1:05.7	in his labs. Now Theo's written a book about his work and his college experience called How to Rule the World, an education in power at Stanford University.
1:15.2	It probes the veneer of perfection at one of the most elite universities and uncovers the world of excess and absurd wealth that's intertwined with the powerful tech oligards of Silicon Valley.
1:25.8	What bad could happen with that? A lot. I've been privy to
	...

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