Power Hour with Alex Epstein Defense tech prodigy Ethan Thornton on how to quickly deter China from invading Taiwan
Jan 14, 2026
Ethan Thornton, a 22-year-old defense tech entrepreneur and CEO of Mach Industries, dives into urgent discussions about U.S. strategies to deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. He shares insights on the implications of rapid unmanned systems development, highlighting the need for a modernized weapons procurement process. Ethan warns about China's advantages in military production and logistics, advocating for innovative stockpiling of unmanned weapons. His vision emphasizes agility and cost-effectiveness to enhance survivability on the battlefield.
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Dropping Out To Build Defense Tech
- Ethan dropped out of MIT during his first semester driven by urgency to build unmanned defense tech.
- He risked an Air Force ROTC scholarship to found a company now employing hundreds and holding DOD contracts.
Quantity Creates Survivability
- Survivability can be achieved via cost asymmetry and quantity rather than single-asset invulnerability.
- Mass-produced cheap assets change the economics of defense, making them hard and expensive to counter.
Set Clear, Mission-Focused Requirements
- Define the fight clearly and set top-down requirements for unmanned systems tailored to that fight.
- Evaluate systems by survivability, manufacturability at scale, and downrange performance, not just novelty.