Talks to Watch

Billionaire Holocaust

638K views · Jun 14, 2015 · 1:21 · 0 HN recommenders · 5 mentions · discussed 2016–2026

A one-minute clip from HBO's Silicon Valley in which Gavin Belson describes the supposed persecution of billionaires in modern America by comparing it to the Holocaust. It is a satirical scene about tech-executive self-pity.

Why Hacker News points people here: Used as a joke reference whenever a thread features a tech billionaire or CEO complaining about being vilified.

What Hacker News said 5

JokeezlJan 2016

“I'll take the downvotes I deserve for trolling.”

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From HBO's Silicon Valley -- this video -- I'll take the downvotes I deserve for trolling. Though for the record, I'm fairly certain the hunters and wild animals analogy isn't intended as a complaint that he feels "hunted" or that he thinks people are out to hunt or kill startup founders in any literal or figurative sense [1]. The point of that anecdote in PG's essay is just that the counterparty to the argument doesn't have a clear objective. The Rick Webb open letter obviously uses it out of context to make PG look as if he's whining about being rich. [1] fun aside: yay those 2 words mean the same thing anyways now apparently anyways. link

in “An open letter to Paul Graham” · view on HN
JokekrisdolAug 2016

“reminds me of a Silicon Valley scene [1] where the CEO of the pseudo-Google company in the show gets vilified”

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> and partly because billionaires get less than zero sympathy if they talk about having difficult lives That quote from the essay reminds me of a Silicon Valley scene [1] where the CEO of the pseudo-Google company in the show gets vilified (rightfully so in the show) for complaining about how hard billionaires have it in this country. I bet the creator's read PG's essay and were inspired by it. [1]: this video

in “Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’” · view on HN
JokeadtacJun 2018

“I found it hilarious when Gavin compared his treatment to the plight of the Jews in Nazi Germany [1].”

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I found it hilarious when Gavin compared his treatment to the plight of the Jews in Nazi Germany [1]. And then I found out it was actually based on this guy [2]. [1] this video [2] link

in “Man dies on Mount Everest during cryptocurrency promotional stunt” · view on HN
JokeBarrin92Jul 2020

“It reminds me of that bit in the Silicon valley TV show”

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>These laws exist to promote free thought. They punish those who seek to pry into our most private spaces and turn America into a place like East Germany. If you're going to argue that journalists blowing the whistle on the private conversations of the ultra-rich and powerful about how to reign in journalism with the Stasi, that's a great recipe for getting people sold on the idea that privacy itself is a tool used by the powerful to escape scrutiny. It reminds me of that bit in the Silicon valley TV show ( this video )

in “You shouldn’t record Clubhouse calls” · view on HN
JokevunderbaFeb 2026

“Anyone else getting Gavin Belson interview vibes from this?”

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Anyone else getting Gavin Belson interview vibes from this? this video And also the actual CNN interview that the parody was based on: link

in “"Yes, It's Happening. Yes, it's real." March For Billionaires, SF, 02/07/2026” · view on HN