The Low-Trust, Me-First Society
Pardha Ponugoti@pardzz_
+0.6%
since Oct 16
The idea
I believe trust between people keeps eroding while self-focus keeps rising, and AI accelerates both by making fakes cheap and self-promotion easy. So I own the trust tax: credit bureaus, identity verification, and fraud defense that get paid whenever someone has to prove they're real. I pair that with the mirror, companies tied to weight-loss drugs and cosmetic procedures, and the stage, the apps people use to perform for an audience. It's mostly large, established names with a meaningful cash cushion, built to hold for years as this slow shift plays out.
What it owns
- When trust between strangers breaks down, lenders, landlords and employers pay to verify who people are and whether they can be trusted. · EquifaxIt gets paid every time a lender, landlord or employer checks someone's credit or background, so declining trust between strangers means more checks., TransUnionIt sells credit files plus fraud and identity data to banks and retailers, so AI-made fake identities push companies to buy more verification., RELX plcIts risk division provides identity and background verification to insurers, banks and governments, demand for which grows as forged documents become easier to create., Fair Isaac CorporationIts credit score is the standard number most US lenders use to decide whether to trust a borrower, making it the central price of trust in lending., First AdvantageIt runs background checks for employers, and AI-enhanced resumes and fake identities make those screenings harder to skip.27%
- Deepfakes and AI make it harder to know if a person behind a login or payment is real, so companies pay more for proof of identity and fraud detection. · MastercardIt runs fraud scoring and identity verification on every card payment, so as fraud becomes cheaper to commit, banks pay more for those services., OktaIt handles login and identity verification for companies, which becomes more critical when voices and faces can be faked by AI., CrowdStrikeIt stops break-ins before attackers get inside, and the rising cost of AI-powered attacks expands the addressable market for endpoint defense., Palo Alto NetworksIt sells a broad security platform that companies buy more of as cyberattacks become cheaper and more convincing.22%
- As people focus more on their own image, they spend more on changing how they look, from prescription weight-loss drugs to cosmetic procedures and skincare. · Eli LillyIt leads the market in prescription weight-loss drugs, the primary way people now spend to change their bodies., AbbVieIt owns Botox and Juvederm, the standard products people buy to look younger, and aesthetics sales grow as appearance spending rises., Hims & Hers HealthIt sells weight-loss, hair and skin treatments through an app, turning self-improvement into a subscription model for people changing their appearance., e.l.f. BeautyIt sells affordable makeup and skincare to people who want to look good on camera daily, taking share from higher-priced beauty brands., EvolusIt sells Jeuveau, a cheaper Botox alternative designed only for cosmetic use, capturing spending on cosmetic injectables at a lower price point., InModeIt makes the machines clinics use for non-surgical skin tightening and body contouring, showing ongoing demand for clinically administered appearance procedures.21%
- The more people care about their image, the more time they spend performing and building personal brands on social platforms and virtual worlds. · AlphabetYouTube lets people build personal brands and monetize audiences, which is the core platform for individuals performing for large audiences., PinterestIt is where people plan and curate the look, home and life they want others to see, attracting advertisers who want to reach image-focused users., Snap Inc.Its Snapchat platform is built around the selfie camera and sharing daily moments, the most personal form of performing for friends., RobloxIt lets young people buy avatar outfits and items to show status online, which is self-presentation for a generation that grew up on screens.13%
- Cash17%