The First "Technocrat!"

In 530 BC, Pythagoras of Samos fled the oppressive tyranny of Polycrates to settle in Croton, in Southern Italy, where he advocated rule by "informed elites" & war with neighboring Sybaris.

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk stands as the epitome of a modern technocrat, embodying the fusion of science, technical expertise, entrepreneurial power and political influence to advocate for governance shaped by academics, engineers and innovators rather than traditional politicians.

But he’s not the first such scientist or engineer to embody these traits.

Pythagoras of Samos, born around 570 BCE on the island of Samos in ancient Greece, is one of as one of antiquity's most enigmatic and influential figures.

A philosopher, mathematician, and mystic, he fled the tyranny of Polycrates around 530 BCE, settling in Croton (or Crotona, or Kroton; the spelling varies depending on the source) a Greek colony in the Calabria region of southern Italy known in classical times as the Magna Graecia.

There, he founded the “Pythagorean Brotherhood,” a “secretive society that combined elements of religion, philosophy, and political engagement,” which flourished until around 500 BC.

The philosophy …