The Four by Scott Galloway: 9780735213678 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

by Prof. Bharathi S Gopal

The Four, named after the Biblical characters of yore, is a product of the author, Scott Galloway’s research on the giants in Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. Through this book, Scott stimulates interest among readers on the emergence of these companies as global powerhouses and their impact on individuals, societies and even governments. They have organized the book into three parts. The first part charts the journey of growth of each of these horsemen (companies) and their respective strategies. In the second part, the author describes how each of the horsemen exploited their markets and defended their turf. In the final part of the book, the author brings to light the sins committed by these global giants and the emergence of the fifth horseman

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are biblical figures that appear in both Old and New Testaments. They are named as punishments of God. These four horsemen are a symbol of death, famine, war and conquest dispatched to patrol the earth. The Christian faith describes these four horsemen as harbingers of the Last Judgement of God. While the analogy drawn by the author is interesting, let us understand through the following facts if the comparison is inapt.

According to the author, the four horsemen, viz., Apple, Amazon, Google and Facebook, have amassed an unprecedented wealth of $2.3 billion. While these behemoths have offered economic security and stock ownership to their employees, they have been accused of avoiding tax on sales in the name of innovation, employee treatment and creation of jobs. The most significant accusation has been on data privacy. The four are said to be Trojan horses gathering personal data surreptitiously while offering small benefits glorified as unique.

For instance, Amazon’s unparalleled investment in last-mile infrastructure, its PR story as the earth’s biggest store, and Apple’s low-cost products creating a perception as a premium product. Google, through its advertising, has more than 90% share and avoids anti-competitive legislation. Google Search’s ability to attract 1 out of 6 queries that have never been asked before emphasizes the reliance of a large majority to seek answers from the giant. What is unknown to many of its users is Google’s capability to track digital journeys of its users. Facebook has more than 1.5 billion daily users (the world population is 7.5 billion). The Four together are valued more than $1.3 trillion, which was equivalent to the GDP of Russia (2013-2017). This trillion-dollar valuation has led the Four to exert power and influence more significant than any entity in history

The author further laments the presence of an ecosystem that favours the big and reduces competition. Health data captured by smart devices during 2017-18 indicates that children and adolescents are facing the worst mental health crisis and a higher risk of suicides. A sedentary lifestyle led by addiction to these tech platforms is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. However, the biggest threat is the fixation in the psyche towards these platforms

The tech economy is also blamed for the loss of jobs among Americans rather than immigrants and global trade. The author states that enormous wealth is concentrated disproportionately in the hands of a small set of incredibly talented investors, while a majority of the workforce has been left behind. While the author acknowledges the power of insight behind their unprecedented success, he questions if such wealth is put to work for a worthy goal such as eliminating poverty and finding a cure for cancer. He also debunks the perception that large companies create jobs; instead, they create a small number of high-paying jobs. Each of the Four’s market capitalization is many times more than the collective profits of other players

The author concludes by proposing a balanced share of the wealth that has a circular flow among households and companies. He urges an awakening of the world to contribute to the good of humanity and not succumb to unnatural monopolies like the Four that create a perception that they offer the best of services and products and are inseparable from the lives of its customers