Investigating The Mormon's $100 Billion Hedge Fund (#424)

Psyops Service

Psychological operations, or psyops, have evolved into a service offered by companies like Team Jorge, an Israeli firm specializing in such tactics. Sam Parr explains how Team Jorge operates by charging clients between $50,000 to $6 million for services ranging from phone hacking to election meddling 1. The company's founder, Tal Hannan, demonstrates their capabilities by hacking into a journalist's Telegram account during a meeting, showcasing their ability to manipulate narratives through fake social media profiles 2.

They do these crazy things where they offer these ridiculous services. So they have this tool called a profiler, which it can create all these different fake social media accounts.

--- Sam Parr

This illustrates the extent to which psyops can influence public perception and decision-making.

   

Election Manipulation

The influence of psyops extends to manipulating elections, as companies like Team Jorge offer services to sway electoral outcomes. Shaan Puri highlights the surprisingly low cost of such operations, with prices as low as $6 million to meddle in an election 3. This manipulation isn't limited to elections; it also affects influencer marketing, where social media narratives are crafted to promote products or ideas 3.

It's only $6 million to meddle in an election. That's it. I'm thinking shit's bigger than that.

--- Shaan Puri

The viral spread of false information, such as the fabricated death of Emmanuel the Emu, underscores the power and reach of these tactics 4.

   

Viral Tactics

Creating viral content through psychological tactics involves manipulating social media to spread fake news and influence public opinion. Shaan Puri describes a method called "Thunderclap," where multiple accounts simultaneously promote a narrative, making it appear organically popular 5. This technique can lead to widespread belief in false stories, as seen with fabricated news about non-existent individuals or events 6.

When you hear five people talk about something on social media, the same thing in a day that you hadn't heard about, it feels like everybody's talking about it.

--- Shaan Puri

Such strategies highlight the ease with which public perception can be manipulated, raising concerns about the integrity of information in the digital age.