1. Own the Infrastructure, Not the Algorithm
“We don’t need to build AI. We own the land, data, and relationships it runs on.”
Tactic Example Buy land under data centers Blackstone & other PE arms of old money quietly acquiring industrial parks near power grids. Control legacy datasets Private banks (e.g., JPMorgan’s Rothschild roots) own 100+ years of transaction data — gold for training financial AI. Fund AI quietly Vanderbilt descendants via family offices seed AI startups with board seats, not press releases.
2. Gatekeep Human-Only Networks
AI can’t join the country club.
Exclusive Circle AI Can’t Enter Porcellian Club (Harvard) Final Clubs ban tech bros; legacy admits only. Bohemian Grove 2-week camp for presidents & CEOs — no Zoom. Davos “closed sessions” Invite-only dinners where AI policy is shaped.
Result: AI founders beg for intros. Old money grants them — on their terms.
3. Weaponize Regulation & Legacy Law
“If AI threatens dynasties, we’ll legislate it into submission.”
Move Impact Lobby for “heritage IP” protections Copyright extensions for 150-year-old brands (e.g., Hermès, Rolls-Royce). Push fiduciary laws favoring human trustees AI can’t legally manage ultra-high-net-worth trusts in most jurisdictions. Fund anti-AI think tanks Endow university chairs to study “AI risk to social cohesion.”
4. Bet on “Un-AI-able” Assets
Some things AI can’t replicate — yet.
Asset Class Why AI Struggles Trophy real estate 740 Park Ave co-op board rejects crypto buyers. Fine art & rarity $450M Leonardo painting — AI can fake, but not own the original. Bloodline credentials “Skull & Bones” lineage > GPT-5 resume.
5. Train the Next Generation in “AI-Resistant” Skills
Old money sends kids to finishing schools, not coding bootcamps.
Curriculum Purpose Rhetoric & classics Out-argue AI in boardrooms. Art of discretion Never leave a digital footprint. Philanthropy as power Chair museum boards AI can’t buy into.
6. Use AI as a Moat, Not a Threat
“We’ll hire the best AI talent — then lock them in golden handcuffs.”
Strategy Example Family office AI labs Rockefeller family office testing AI for estate planning — in-house only. AI for defense Use deepfake detection to protect reputation; AI voice cloning banned in trusts. Succession via algorithm AI models predict which heir will preserve wealth longest — but human vetoes.
7. Outlast the Hype Cycle
“AI winters come and go. We’ve survived 1929, 1973, 2008…”
Cycle Old Money Response AI bubble (2026–2030?) Short overvalued AI stocks via family hedge funds. AI winter Buy distressed AI assets at 10¢ on the dollar. AI plateau Re-invest in timeless assets: land, art, influence.
Final Paradox
Old money doesn’t resist AI — it absorbs it.
Like they absorbed radio, TV, and the internet.
They’ll let Silicon Valley fight over GPUs…
while they own the power plants, the lawyers, and the dinner parties where the real rules are written.
Prediction (2035):
The first trillion-dollar AI company will be quietly advised by a 7th-generation DuPont heir who never tweets.
Old money doesn’t adapt. It waits.