Mother Jones - January/February 2024

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Thanks to an accrual of personal wealth not seen since the Gilded Age, America’s billionaires are tightening their grip on our democracy and shaping practically every facet of our lives. Senior reporter Tim Murphy kicks off this special Mother Jones issue with a feature that makes the case that America’s plutocrats—emboldened to use the nation and its resources and people as their play toys—are starting to resemble their more infamous counterpart: Russian oligarchs. Casey Michel, author of “American Kleptocracy,” reports on how the United States has become a haven for the world’s shady cash through anonymous shell companies, secret trusts, and money-laundering enablers. Senior editor Michael Mechanic, author of “Jackpot: How the Super-Rich Really Live and How Their Wealth Harms Us All,” sheds light on how philanthropy in America is broken—and we’re all paying the price. Politics reporter Abby Vesoulis reveals how Elon Musk is transforming the Lone Star State into a company town. And Washington bureau chief David Corn writes that Donald Trump doesn’t just want to be an oligarch; he wants to rule them.