Prabowo Widodo
Theo Baker, a graduating member of Stanford’s Class of 2026, has already etched his name into journalistic history, a feat accomplished before most of his peers even contemplated their career trajectories. As a freshman, Baker broke the seminal story that ultimately led to the resignation of Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, an achievement that garnered him a prestigious George Polk Award, one of journalism’s highest honors. The dramatic narrative of this investigation has even captured the attention of Hollywood, with Warner Brothers and producer Amy Pascal optioning the rights for adaptation. Now, as his collegiate journey concludes, Baker releases his highly anticipated book, How to Rule the World, a comprehensive exposé that delves into his experiences at Stanford and critically examines the university’s intricate, often problematic, relationship with the powerful venture capital industry. Early indications suggest the book is poised for significant commercial success, offering an unprecedented look behind the gilded gates of one of America’s most influential institutions.
Baker’s path to becoming an award-winning investigative journalist was far from predetermined. He arrived at Stanford with aspirations rooted firmly in the tech world, envisioning a future as a coder and entrepreneur. His initial immersion saw him participate in the student hackathon, Tree Hacks, and fast-track through advanced computer science courses. However, a personal connection unexpectedly diverted his course. The recent passing of his grandfather, a man who frequently spoke of his time on a student newspaper, inspired Baker to join The Stanford Daily. What began as a hobby—a way to connect with his grandfather’s memory, meet new people, and explore campus life—quickly transformed into a singular focus. His early stories rapidly gained traction, leading to an influx of tips that eventually guided him to PubPeer, a pseudonymous website where scientists scrutinize published research. It was there, amidst comments dating back seven years, that Baker uncovered disturbing allegations: papers co-authored by Stanford’s then-president, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, displayed evidence of duplicated, spliced, or otherwise irregular images. This revelation ignited an investigation that began merely a month into Baker’s freshman year and culminated in the president’s resignation by the time Baker returned for his sophomore year.
Unraveling the Tessier-Lavigne Scandal: A Chronology of Scientific Integrity and Institutional Scrutiny
The allegations against Marc Tessier-Lavigne struck at the heart of scientific integrity and rocked Stanford’s reputation. Tessier-Lavigne, a renowned neuroscientist, had been heralded as a visionary leader, having previously served as president of Rockefeller University and as a senior executive at Genentech. His academic and professional background lent significant weight to his presidency, making the claims of scientific misconduct particularly explosive. The accusations centered on multiple papers published by Tessier-Lavigne and his research teams, alleging image manipulation and data misrepresentation, raising profound questions about the validity of foundational research and the ethical standards of a top academic leader.
Baker’s initial foray into reporting these allegations was met with immediate and substantial resistance. Even before his first article was published, he received multiple warnings, with individuals emphasizing Tessier-Lavigne’s "very high integrity" and "sterling reputation." He was cautioned that pursuing the story would place him in an "uncomfortable position within the institution"—a prediction that proved accurate. The pushback intensified dramatically as Baker’s investigation widened over the subsequent ten months.
A Timeline of Events:
- Late 2022 (Baker’s Freshman Year): Theo Baker uncovers allegations on PubPeer regarding image manipulation in papers co-authored by Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne. His investigation begins.
- November 2022: The Stanford Daily publishes Baker’s initial findings, detailing the scientific integrity concerns.
- Within 24 Hours of Publication: Stanford’s Board of Trustees announces its own investigation into the allegations. This announcement, however, simultaneously praises Tessier-Lavigne’s "integrity and honor," sparking immediate criticism regarding the impartiality of the inquiry, especially as one of the board members overseeing it was revealed to have an $18 million investment in Denali Therapeutics, a biotech company Tessier-Lavigne co-founded.
- Ongoing Freshman Year: Tessier-Lavigne consistently avoids direct responses to Baker’s requests for comment. Instead, he begins sending university-wide missives to faculty, including Baker’s professors, denouncing the reporting as "breathtakingly outrageous and replete with falsehoods." Legal representatives for Tessier-Lavigne also begin communicating directly with Baker and The Stanford Daily.
- December 2022: Stanford appoints a special committee of the Board of Trustees, which then engages an external law firm and scientific experts to conduct an independent review of Tessier-Lavigne’s research.
- July 2023: The independent review committee releases its findings. The report concludes that Tessier-Lavigne committed "misconduct" in some of his research and found "serious flaws" in others, though it cleared him of outright fraud. Specifically, it identified instances of manipulated research data and a failure to correct errors in scientific literature, undermining his scientific integrity.
- July 2023: Following the release of the damning report, Marc Tessier-Lavigne announces his resignation as Stanford President, effective August 31, 2023. He acknowledges the report’s findings, stating he could not effectively lead the university given the "distraction" created by the controversy.
- August 2023: Richard Saller, a professor of classics and former dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences, is appointed interim president.
The fallout from the scandal extended beyond Tessier-Lavigne’s resignation. It ignited a campus-wide debate about academic integrity, institutional oversight, and the ethical responsibilities of university leadership. The university, while initially defensive, ultimately accepted the findings of its independent review, vowing to uphold the highest standards of research and governance. For student journalism, the event served as a powerful testament to its capacity to hold even the most powerful figures accountable, demonstrating that diligence and integrity can prevail against immense institutional pressure. The George Polk Award, presented to Baker for his tenacious reporting, underscored the national significance of his work and the critical role of a free and unburdened press, even at the collegiate level.
Beyond the President: Exposing "The Stanford Inside Stanford"
While the Tessier-Lavigne scandal forms a compelling narrative within How to Rule the World, Baker’s book ventures far beyond, offering a sweeping critique of what he terms "The Stanford Inside Stanford." This refers to a parallel, often obscured, reality within the university where a distinct ecosystem thrives, geared towards identifying and cultivating the "next trillion-dollar startup founders" from a very young age.
Stanford’s storied history is inextricably linked with Silicon Valley. The university has long been a hotbed for innovation, churning out entrepreneurs and technologies that have reshaped the global landscape. This legacy, however, has fostered a culture where the pursuit of startup success can overshadow traditional academic endeavors. Baker describes an "inside world" where selected students are granted unparalleled access to resources, networks, and opportunities: exclusive yacht parties, informal slush funds, and direct lines of communication with influential billionaires for advice on weekends. This environment, while seemingly offering unparalleled opportunities, also creates a highly competitive and often opaque system.
Talent Extraction and the "Wantrepreneur" Trap
In this hyper-entrepreneurial climate, Stanford has become a magnet for aspiring innovators. Baker contends that the sheer volume of students arriving with the ambition to become the "next billion-dollar dropout" has led to the development of an intricate system designed to separate genuine talent from those merely chasing a trend. This system, operated by "hangers-on" and seasoned industry players, aims to distinguish "wantrepreneurs"—individuals pursuing entrepreneurship for superficial reasons or status—from "builders" who possess true potential and drive. The goal, Baker asserts, is to "sniff out the teenagers you can make a buck off of as early as possible."
This talent-scouting system often operates with purposeful obscurity. Venture capitalists, eager to identify future unicorns, employ older Stanford upperclassmen to scout freshmen as soon as they arrive on campus. Baker notes the paradox that joining established, large entrepreneurship clubs can be seen as an "anti-signal," suggesting a pursuit of titles rather than genuine innovation. Instead, the "true builders" are believed to congregate in more secretive "feeder groups," where access is granted not through merit alone, but primarily through "who you know" – being "tapped on the shoulder."
Baker recounts a telling anecdote: a CEO cold-emailed him during his freshman year, inviting him to dinner. The setting was the upscale Rosewood Hotel, where the CEO casually fed his eight-month-old child caviar while mentioning that his first-ever contract was with Muammar Gaddafi. This casual display of extreme wealth and unconventional connections, Baker suggests, is a fascinating hallmark of this inner circle. Such a system, by vesting immense authority, money, and power in the hands of teenagers without adequate safeguards, inherently risks fostering the conditions for "big frauds" to develop. It can encourage a culture of unchecked ambition and a lack of accountability, mirroring some of the ethical lapses seen in the broader tech industry.
The "How to Rule the World" Class: A Glimpse into Elite Networking
The provocative title of Baker’s book is not merely metaphorical; it refers to an actual, so-called "secret class" at Stanford. Taught by a Silicon Valley CEO, this informal seminar functions more like a "Skull and Bones for the aspiring tech elite" than a traditional academic course. Students receive no course credit, yet they convene weekly during the winter quarter for lectures, discussions, and guest speakers. Knowing of its existence, let alone gaining entry, became a significant status symbol, allowing individuals to be considered "rule-adjacent."
Baker explains that the CEO, whom he refers to as Justin, aimed to do what many in this ecosystem strive for: to network early with promising teenagers who could be useful in the future. What made this "class" particularly poignant, according to Baker, was the mystique Justin cultivated. He promised to gather the "most brilliant students at Stanford" in this exclusive 12-person seminar, implying that the secrets to "ruling the world" could only be learned through his tutelage. This phenomenon, Baker argues, is a stark example of how the system of talent extraction manifests itself in peculiar ways, transforming education into a commodity for networking and future financial gain.
Cycles of Hype: From Crypto’s Fall to AI’s Rise
Baker’s arrival at Stanford was serendipitous, coinciding with two monumental shifts in the tech landscape: the dramatic collapse of FTX and the public launch of ChatGPT. This unique vantage point allowed him to observe, up close, the rapid cycles of hype and disillusionment that characterize Silicon Valley.
He arrived at the "tail end of the crypto craze," where the prevailing assumption among ambitious students was that cryptocurrency was the definitive path to immense fortune. The timeline of events was almost absurdly precise: Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX empire began its descent around November 2nd, while ChatGPT burst onto the scene on November 30th. This swift succession triggered an immediate and profound pivot within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Baker recalls a dinner shortly after ChatGPT’s release, sitting with one of the campus’s most fervent crypto boosters. The booster, far from being chastened by FTX’s downfall, rationalized SBF’s actions as "directionally correct," asserting that the challenge was simply to navigate the legalities. Almost instantly, many of these same individuals redirected their focus, recognizing AI as the new, ascendant craze. They expressed confidence in their ability to achieve similar heights to SBF, albeit "preferably without the fall," by leveraging the newest technological frontier. This rapid, almost uncritical, shift from one paradigm to the next, driven by the pursuit of unfathomable scale and wealth, highlights the often opportunistic and volatile nature of Silicon Valley’s innovation cycles.
Anxiety and the Modern Gold Rush
This relentless pursuit of the "next big thing" is compounded by a palpable anxiety among students about the job market. The AI boom, while creating unprecedented value for top researchers and founders, has simultaneously begun to erode traditional entry-level positions. This dynamic has led to a common, yet remarkable, refrain among aspiring entrepreneurs: it is currently "easier to raise money for a startup… than to get an internship."
This phenomenon fundamentally alters the nature of entrepreneurship. What was once seen as a non-conformist, outsider path has evolved into an "expected path," almost a default for ambitious students. This shift, Baker suggests, changes entrepreneurship entirely, raising questions about whether students are genuinely driven by innovation and impact, or by the perceived necessity to conform to a dominant cultural narrative, especially in the face of a tightening conventional job market.
Lessons for the Next Generation
As Theo Baker prepares to graduate, his experiences have distilled into profound advice for incoming students at Stanford or any elite university. His central message emphasizes the importance of intentionality and authenticity: "You have to be really conscious about whether you’re doing what you’re doing because you believe in it and because it’s the right thing — or because it’s the easy thing."
He warns against the perils of being "buffeted by trends and the tech whirlpool," which can lead young individuals to "waste away at a job you don’t actually want because you followed the expected path." Baker champions individuality and genuine purpose, asserting that "following the expected path is way less interesting than going out and doing something for yourself." While he admires founders who are genuinely empowered to make a difference, he cautions that motivations must be pure, not solely driven by the desire for wealth.
Baker’s personal journey has also forged an unexpected but deeply cherished professional identity. Having arrived at Stanford with entrepreneurial ambitions, he found himself captivated by journalism. "Honestly, I haven’t thought about it that much," he admits regarding his future entrepreneurial endeavors, noting the intense focus required to finish his book and navigate graduation. However, he unequivocally states, "I really did fall in love with journalism. It’s a temperament, almost an affliction, more than a career. Whatever I do, it will intersect with that." This commitment underscores the vital role of investigative journalism in ensuring transparency and accountability, particularly within powerful institutions and the rapidly evolving tech landscape.
Theo Baker’s How to Rule the World is more than a memoir of a college investigation; it is a meticulously reported and incisive examination of the complex interplay between elite higher education and the forces of venture capital. His work not only exposed a presidential scandal but also illuminates the often-hidden mechanisms that shape the ambitions and trajectories of a new generation of leaders. As Silicon Valley continues to exert its influence, Baker’s insights offer a timely and critical lens through which to understand the evolving culture of innovation, wealth, and power.
