Why I Write, Who I Fight, And Why Subscribers Matter

Many people who read my work eventually ask the same question. Who exactly is the person behind the stormtrooper helmet? The answer begins with the fact that I am a 54-year-old technology entrepreneur who somehow wandered into political commentary. I am also the father of two children and a conservative writer who now spends a large portion of his time challenging institutions and ideas that I believe are harming Western civilization. Before I became known online as amuse on 𝕏 my life was centered on building companies. For several decades I worked inside the startup ecosystem founding businesses across data centers, cloud infrastructure, mobile applications, and media platforms. Those ventures raised millions of dollars in venture capital and carried me through the full startup cycle that every founder eventually experiences. Some companies succeeded beyond expectations while others collapsed completely. The victories were exhilarating and the failures were educational, and together they created the perspective that now informs how I analyze politics, economics, and technology.

The path that led to that career began with a childhood defined by movement. By the time I graduated from high school I had attended three elementary schools, two middle schools, and three different high schools scattered across the U.S. The reason for that instability was my father. I was born during the Vietnam war and my father served as a naval officer. During that period he became known for an incident involving the USS Biddle, an episode later chronicled in the book Hard Charger. While commanding the ship he made the extraordinary decision to violate his orders and destroy a wing of Russian flown MiGs that were threatening both his vessel and the aircraft carrier his ship was assigned to protect. According to the historical accounts of that moment the decision saved the lives of his crew and prevented a catastrophic escalation at sea. After retiring from the Navy he began a second career turning around struggling Fortune 1000 companies. Turnaround specialists rarely stay in one place for long, which meant our family packed up and moved repeatedly throughout my childhood. At the time the constant change felt disruptive. Looking back I recognize that growing up inside so many different communities provided an unusual education in how Americans actually live.

My interest in politics began during those years as well. In high school my family moved to a suburb of Atlanta located in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District. At that moment, a relatively unknown history professor named Newt Gingrich was running for Congress. I attended one of his campaign events out of curiosity and listened as he spoke about ideas, institutions, and the direction of the country. The experience left a lasting impression and I soon volunteered for the campaign. That decision probably ended any realistic chance I had of living a quiet and apolitical life because it revealed how powerful ideas can be when they intersect with political organization.

After high school I attended the University of Texas at Austin where I studied history. I have always been drawn to history because it exposes patterns that are otherwise difficult to see when we are living inside events. Political debates often appear unique when they occur in the present moment but a careful reading of history shows that many of the same arguments, fears, and ambitions repeat themselves across generations. During my time at UT, I briefly entertained the idea of entering politics directly. I ran for student body president and quickly discovered that electoral politics requires talents that I do not possess. My campaign ended in decisive defeat at the hands of a Black lesbian candidate who ran a far more effective operation. The experience permanently cured me of any ambition to hold public office. What it did not cure was my desire to participate in public debate and influence policy conversations from outside the formal political system.

That realization eventually guided me toward media rather than elected office. Over time, my commentary began reaching larger audiences through 𝕏 Articles, Substack, email newsletters, and SMS distribution. What began as occasional commentary gradually evolved into a publishing platform that now reaches millions of readers each month, including policymakers in Washington, D.C., members of Congress, venture capital investors, and journalists across the country. None of that growth was part of a carefully designed strategy. In fact the most recognizable aspect of my public identity emerged through an accident.

The helmet that people associate with my account originated at a Halloween party in October 2020 when I wore a set of stormtrooper armor and someone snapped a photograph of the helmet. I uploaded the image as my avatar on 𝕏 without thinking much about it. Shortly afterward my account was suspended and for an extended period I had no ability to modify the profile image. When Elon Musk eventually purchased the platform and restored many suspended accounts, including mine, the helmet had already become recognizable to readers. Changing it would have been pointless, so the stormtrooper remained and eventually became a kind of accidental brand identity.

Another topic that occasionally generates speculation online concerns my health. In September 2025 doctors discovered a large blood clot in my heart and diagnosed me with congestive heart failure. The diagnosis was alarming but it also forced me to confront the reality that many people ignore their health until a crisis occurs. Since that moment I have followed a strict medication regimen and adopted a disciplined approach to diet and monitoring. The experience inspired a project I call The Mask Is Off, The 2026 Health Transparency Project. Through that effort I publish my medical history, monthly blood tests, medications, vital signs, and the costs associated with treatment in order to demonstrate that taking control of one’s health is possible even after a serious warning. Anyone interested in the details can see the data in real time at https://www.amuseonx.com/health.

Another story that circulates periodically concerns whether I ever raised money connected to George Soros. The truthful answer is that it happened indirectly and unintentionally when I was in my twenties raising capital for my first startup. During that process a Dallas money manager who represented Soros funds invested $1M in what became an $11M Series A round. I never met Soros and at the time I knew almost nothing about the political controversies that would later surround him. The more interesting part of the story occurred after a technical legal issue forced us to return all of the capital from the original round and then raise the money again shortly afterward. During the second raise I decided not to contact the Soros money manager, a decision that seemed logical to my twenty year old brain but proved unrealistic. Just as the round was about to close at $10M he discovered what we were doing and threatened to sue the company if we excluded him. By that point the financing process was too far along to restructure the investor list so the only practical solution was to expand the round to $11M and allow him to invest again. The unusual size of the round created a different problem because future investors constantly asked why our Series A totaled $11M rather than the typical $10M. My solution was to tell them that I was a fan of the movie Spinal Tap and believed all good things should go to 11. The story was humorous and far simpler than explaining venture capital litigation to every prospective investor.

Readers also occasionally ask whether my commentary is secretly funded by political organizations. The reality is far more mundane. My income comes from 𝕏 revenue sharing, 𝕏 subscriptions, Substack subscriptions, Redbubble merchandise, and a small number of individual sponsors such as Polymarket. I have never accepted money from a PAC, a political campaign, or a special interest group, and anyone searching for hidden backroom financing will probably be disappointed by how straightforward the arrangement actually is. The real financial foundation of this work comes from something far simpler and far more meaningful, the support of subscribers.

Four years ago my personal life changed dramatically when my daughter’s mother, my former wife, became seriously ill. At the same time my son was already away at college pursuing his studies. Faced with that situation I made the decision to pause much of my professional work and focus on raising my daughter during her high school years. I moved to her neighborhood near Highland Park High School and rented the former home of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matt Stafford so that I could be physically present for the daily routines that shape a teenager’s life. During those years my schedule revolved around making breakfast in the morning, cooking dinner in the evening, attending school events, and ensuring that my daughter had stability during a period that could easily have been far more difficult.

Around that same time Elon Musk acquired 𝕏 and restored my account, which gave me the unexpected opportunity to experiment with content creation while remaining at home. I began publishing regularly, developing the graphic headline format that many readers now recognize, and gradually building a community of subscribers who believed the work had value. Those subscriptions cost only $4 per month individually, yet collectively they created something remarkable. The support from readers allowed me to pay my bills, remain present for my daughter’s final years of high school, and eventually help prepare her for the transition to college. She is now only months away from graduating and I remain profoundly aware that thousands of readers played a role in making those years possible. Because of your support I was able to be present in a way that many parents wish they could be. For that I am deeply grateful.

Many readers also ask about the structure of my content on 𝕏 and why it looks different from traditional news posts. The graphic headline format represents an attempt to rethink how information travels across social platforms. Traditional media relies heavily on external links that push readers away from the timeline toward websites filled with advertising and distractions. My approach reverses that logic by delivering the full story directly inside the timeline using a visual graphic paired with a concise headline and explanatory subtext. Readers can absorb the essential facts instantly without leaving the platform. This approach tends to produce higher engagement because it respects the time constraints of modern audiences while still conveying meaningful information. As a result I typically publish more than a dozen of these headline graphics each day, creating a steady stream of short, visually clear news summaries that can be consumed in seconds.

Alongside those rapid headline updates I publish long form political analysis every day as well. These essays typically run between 1,500 and 3,000 words and are distributed through 𝕏 Articles, Substack, email newsletters, and SMS alerts. The long form work allows me to examine complex policy questions in greater depth and to present arguments designed to influence policymakers in Washington DC and state capitals around the country. Together the two formats serve different purposes, one delivers speed and constant awareness while the other provides context and deeper analysis. Readers who want to explore the broader archive of this work can find it at https://www.amuseonx.com/.

My life is now approaching another transition because both of my children will soon be in college. That reality opens a new set of possibilities about where I might base my work in the coming years. Austin remains appealing because of my history with the University of Texas and the city’s entrepreneurial energy. Palm Beach has obvious advantages because so much political activity will be concentrated there during the next several years. New England presents a different attraction because both of my children will be studying there and the opportunity to remain geographically close to them during those years has a powerful appeal.

I have not yet made a final decision about which path I will take, but I do know that whatever comes next will represent a new chapter in my life. The remarkable fact is that the freedom to consider those choices exists because thousands of readers decided to support this work. Your subscriptions did far more than fund a writer on the internet. They made it possible for a father to be present during the most important years of his daughter’s life, and for that I will always remain grateful.

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