Inside The Billionaire Network Shaping MAGA’s Post-Trump Future
Chris Buskirk lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, and he is a co-founder of the Rockbridge Network and 1789 Capital. Those affiliations put him in a small circle of well-funded operatives and media figures who are thinking about what comes after Donald Trump. That group has become a focal point for anyone tracking the strategic direction of the MAGA movement.
Rockbridge’s roots trace back to Buskirk, and its web has grown to include names many on the right already know. Charlie Kirk and Blake Masters, both with Arizona ties, have been linked into that orbit, along with J.D. Vance and Tucker Carlson. The network mixes grassroots personalities with donors and strategists who can bankroll long-range projects.
Charlie Kirk’s long-standing ties to Peter Thiel’s network date back to his college days, and those connections shape how resources flow into conservative media and organizations. Kirk was one of the original investors in 1789 Capital, the fund founded by Buskirk and Omeed Malik. Omeed Malik is Muslim, a detail that highlights the ideological and demographic diversity inside some funding circles.
Peter Thiel’s intellectual influence is often described with the phrase Dark Enlightenment, a label that makes headlines and raises eyebrows in equal measure. That concept helps explain why certain donors and thinkers favor big-picture technological and institutional change over incremental politicking. For conservative readers, the mix of high-minded theory and hard cash is something to watch closely.
Blake Masters’ and J.D. Vance’s involvement shows how the same network can straddle both policy and politics. Their public profiles give weight to the policy debates these backers care about, from judiciary picks to regulatory shifts. That influence is not subtle, and it can steer movement priorities in ways grassroots voters may not expect.
Tucker Carlson’s name appearing around these circles surprised some observers and thrilled others, depending on your view of media influence. Carlson’s reach can amplify narratives and push strategic lines across a broad audience. When media figures and funders align, the result is an ecosystem that moves faster than traditional political organs.
People on the right should welcome organization and smart money that helps conservative ideas take root, but they should also demand transparency. When donors, operatives, and media personalities coordinate, accountability matters. Voters should know who is shaping platforms and funding the next wave of messaging.
The presence of ideological diversity, including figures like Omeed Malik, complicates simple stories about the network. It shows that modern conservative coalitions can include unexpected partners when strategic goals align. That reality is both a strength and a risk for a movement that prides itself on populist authenticity.
For Republicans committed to a post-Trump future that still honors the movement’s core instincts, this network offers tools and headaches. Tools include funding, strategy, and media amplification; headaches include elite influence and possible mission drift. The key test will be whether leaders keep ordinary voters in the loop as plans are made.
Some critics see an elitist cabal shaping policy and personnel behind closed doors, and those concerns deserve scrutiny. Others argue that developing infrastructure and investing in long-term campaigns is simply smart politics. Both critiques can coexist, and both underline the need for clearer lines between donors and democratic accountability.
At the center of that tension is a human truth captured in an old line of verse: “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” (Sir Walter Scott, 1808) The warning is apt if influence operates without openness, and it matters as the network tries to convert money and ideas into political power. Republicans should insist on clarity while embracing the energy that keeps the movement competitive.
Watching how Rockbridge, 1789 Capital, and their associated figures operate will tell us a lot about where MAGA goes next. The mix of media, money, and message is changing the game, and conservatives have to be both strategic and skeptical. That balance will decide whether this network strengthens the movement or steers it away from the voters who made it powerful.