This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #642 - James Li
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Feb 26, 2026 James Li, an independent journalist known for digging into corruption and fraud, joins to discuss his shift from consulting to decentralized investigations. He talks about ethical issues inside Big Pharma, foreign influence and moderation on social media, and startling threads in the Epstein files. Multiple short, candid conversations explore private equity, surveillance concerns, and media manipulation.
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Decentralized Investigative Network Replaces Traditional Newsroom
- James Li describes a decentralized network of independent creators who share investigative work instead of traditional newsroom hierarchies.
- He says creators pool findings, reuse documents, and publish clips that spread faster than legacy outlets.
Private Equity Paywalls Ordinary Parental Moments
- Private equity is turning community activities into subscription revenue, e.g., youth hockey rinks requiring parents to pay for game footage.
- James Li warns this price‑gouging monetizes parents' moments and could escalate toward paywalled everyday footage.
Consultant Quit After Vaccine Inventory And Booster Pitch
- James Li left his supply-chain consulting role after a 2022 project showed hundreds of millions in leftover COVID vaccine inventory and a CEO publicly pushed boosters.
- He concluded boosters looked like a financial decision, felt complicit, and quit after internal pushback and a performance plan.