Big Tech Rentiership and the Techno-Feudal Hypothesis

Abstract

This paper explores the techno-feudal hypothesis in relation to five prominent US technology firms. The companies’ revenue streams, expenditures, and asset compositions are analyzed and compared with a sample of large US corporations. Techno-feudal interpretations are contrasted with insights drawn from the research fields of intellectual monopolization, platformization, assetization, and corporate financialization. The findings suggest that, rather than exhibiting distinctively feudal characteristics, Big Tech firms operate as capitalist monopolies engaged in active processes of rentiership, leveraging both intellectual capital and physical infrastructure. This perspective enhances our understanding of the material foundations behind Big Tech market power.