Something very similar was tried in Russia after the fall of communism, as voucher privatization. The vouchers were immediately bought up at a discount and concentrated wealth in the hands of a few oligarchs.
A similar dynamic led to massive pyramid schemes in Albania, which badly eroded public trust in government.
A common thread in Altman's proposals for a better world are their ahistorical presentation, as if no one had ever tried experiments like universal basic income, voucher privatization, planned cities, or the other pet ideas he has backed. If YC wants to experiment with social transformation, it's behind time they hired some adults who know sociology and history, and can put some guard rails around these ideas before they're backed with serious money.
A similar dynamic led to massive pyramid schemes in Albania, which badly eroded public trust in government.
A common thread in Altman's proposals for a better world are their ahistorical presentation, as if no one had ever tried experiments like universal basic income, voucher privatization, planned cities, or the other pet ideas he has backed. If YC wants to experiment with social transformation, it's behind time they hired some adults who know sociology and history, and can put some guard rails around these ideas before they're backed with serious money.