Diary of a CEO: Anatomy of an influence operation

May 23, 2026

Dave Troy: Born in Botswana in 1992 and raised in Plymouth, England, from the age of two, Bartlett was expelled from sixth form and lasted, by his own account, a single lecture at Manchester Metropolitan University before dropping out. He holds no degree and has no background in journalism or science. His primary success has been the manufacture of attention online…