How to Rule the World: An Education in Power at Stanford University

Marc Tessier-Lavigne, Stanford’s president during Baker’s freshman year, functions as the narrative’s antagonist as his fraudulent research is the subject of Baker’s journalistic investigation. A world-renowned neuroscientist and former biotech executive, MTL maintains an image of unimpeachable integrity and a reputation for scientific brilliance. Baker notes that in “Every article, every profile, every speech. He was so…spotless. I could not find a negative word about him anywhere […] a fellow scientific powerhouse describ[ed] him as essentially…perfect” (87). This reputation makes the allegations against MTL more difficult to prove and publish. He becomes the ultimate case study for the book’s exploration of institutional power, reputation management, and the failure of accountability in elite circles.

Baker’s reporting, prompted by anonymous online posts, uncovers a pattern of alleged data manipulation in over a dozen scientific papers co-authored by MTL, including a 2009 Alzheimer’s study. The investigation reveals that concerns about his research had been raised internally for years, both at Stanford and at the biotech firm Genentech, but were never publicly addressed. MTL’s response to the allegations—a combination of stonewalling, aggressive legal threats, and carefully worded denials—exemplifies the protective machinery that insulates powerful figures from scrutiny.

Through his investigation into MTL’s misconduct, Baker argues that Stanford’s obsession with maintaining a flawless public image enables a culture where ethical corners are cut, and accountability is avoided. He positions MTL as the symbol of an institution that prioritizes prestige over truth. His eventual resignation, forced by the board of trustees, shows a rare victory for accountability, but his ability to immediately raise a billion dollars for a new startup demonstrates the resilience of the very system Baker critiques.

Justin is a Silicon Valley CEO and the charismatic, manipulative leader of the secret, invitation-only class from which the book takes its title, How to Rule the World. With his “techno-Jesus” appearance and intense, unblinking stare, Justin embodies the cynical and elitist philosophy of the “Stanford inside Stanford” (297). He recruits a dozen of the university’s most ambitious students each year, seeking to create what he calls a “network of the most brilliant people at Stanford” (2). The class, referred to as “Rule” by its members, is a secret society for the aspiring tech elite that Justin mines for his own gain.

Justin’s pedagogy is based on amoral frameworks for gaining power, negotiating ruthlessly, and extracting value from others. He teaches that for a select few “high-agency” individuals, the normal rules do not apply, and success is a matter of bending the universe to one’s will. The clandestine nature of the class and its cloak-and-dagger admissions process are designed to appeal to the students’ desire for exclusivity and insider knowledge. In reality, the class is a networking tool for Justin himself, allowing him to identify and cultivate useful young talent early in their careers, highlighting the text’s thematic interest in The Commodification of Talent in an environment like Stanford and, by extension, Silicon Valley. While the university officially promotes innovation for the public good, figures like Justin teach a more transactional and self-serving gospel. He is a key figure in Baker’s disillusionment with the world of the tech elite that he once aspired to join.

Will Curry is a high school graduate from Alabama who successfully impersonates a Stanford student for over a year, living in multiple dorms and integrating himself into the campus community. Baker’s investigation into Curry is his second major story for The Stanford Daily and becomes a national news sensation. Initially seen as a harmless and charming interloper, Curry is later revealed to be a serial manipulator who stole property, harassed a former girlfriend, and repeatedly evaded removal by campus authorities.

Curry’s ability to fit in so easily highlights the university’s focus on performance and appearance over substance. As one student remarks, “He was fucking normal as shit” (44). His story reveals deep institutional failures at Stanford, whose security and administrative systems are unable to detect or deal with his presence, prioritizing the avoidance of “scar[ing] people too much” (49) over ensuring student safety. Curry’s con game is a low-stakes version of the high-level deceptions Baker uncovers elsewhere, from startup founders with no product to a university president with a history of falsified research.

More than just a campus curiosity, Curry embodies the “fake-it-till-you-make-it” (297) ethos of Silicon Valley in its most literal form. His story connects with the pervasive impostor syndrome felt by actual students, and his brazen deception is even celebrated by some as a display of the “high-agency” behavior that the tech world prizes.

Dr. Elisabeth Bik is a Dutch microbiologist and a world-renowned scientific integrity consultant, whom The New Yorker called “Biology’s Image Detective” (83). She becomes Baker’s first and most important source in the investigation into MTL. After Baker reaches out to her with questions about anomalies he found on the science forum PubPeer, Bik meticulously analyzes MTL’s research papers and confirms that several contain manipulated images and other serious issues.

Bik represents the ethical and rigorous counterpoint to the scientific misconduct Baker uncovers. Unlike the institutional players who seek to protect their reputations, Bik is an independent sleuth dedicated to cleaning up the scientific record. Her expertise provides the foundation of credibility for Baker’s reporting, giving him the confidence to pursue a story against one of the most powerful figures in academia. Her methodical, evidence-based approach stands in stark contrast to the stonewalling and legal threats deployed by MTL’s team.

Bik’s role in the book emphasizes the importance of independent oversight and the power of individuals to hold institutions accountable, demonstrating that scientific integrity is a practice requiring courage and due diligence. As a volunteer whistleblower who has reviewed over 100,000 papers, she embodies a commitment to truth that Baker comes to admire and emulate.