Nick Clegg, the former UK deputy prime minister and ex-president of global affairs at Meta, has delivered a strong condemnation of the culture in Silicon Valley. Ahead of the release of his new book, How to Save the Internet, Clegg characterized the tech hub as arrogant and conformist, filled with ‘tech bros’ who perceive themselves as victims despite their considerable advantages. In an interview with The Guardian, Clegg articulated his frustration over what he sees as a distorted sense of victimhood among some of Silicon Valley’s elite.
He stated, ‘In Silicon Valley, far from thinking they’re lucky, they think they’re hard done by, [that] they’re victims.’ He added, ‘I couldn’t, and still can’t, understand this deeply unattractive combination of machismo and self-pity.’ Clegg, who left Meta in January and returned to London, expressed that the self-pitying attitude among affluent tech leaders is difficult to accept. He further described the area as ‘cloyingly conformist,’ indicating that many in the Valley exist in an echo chamber of wealth and trends. ‘Everyone wears the same clothes, drives the same cars, listens to the same podcasts, follows the same fads,’ he noted.
Despite his criticisms, Clegg made a point to differentiate between the overall culture and his former boss, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, whom he praised as ‘thoughtful and endlessly curious,’ even regarding topics beyond his expertise. However, other figures like Tesla CEO Elon Musk were not spared from his criticism. Clegg remarked, ‘It is a cultural thing, from Elon Musk’s chainsaw-wielding stuff to any Silicon Valley podcast. If you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.’ His comments come at a politically sensitive time, as several prominent figures in Silicon Valley, including Zuckerberg, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Apple CEO Tim Cook, have shown increased alignment with former U.S. President Donald Trump, marking a significant shift in the industry’s political alignment.
Clegg departed from Meta just before this trend began to emerge. His upcoming book aims to provide unique insights into the operations of one of the world’s most influential companies. Since joining Meta (then Facebook) in 2018 as vice president of global affairs and later becoming president of global affairs in 2022, he managed significant matters such as content moderation, election integrity, and international government relations. Now back in the UK, Clegg seems poised to illuminate not only the internal dynamics of Meta but also the cultural currents influencing Silicon Valley, emphasizing his concerns regarding its culture of conformity and self-pity as a warning for the tech industry’s future.