The first time I saw Christopher Wylie, he hadn’t dyed his hair pink yet. That came later. Along with his goal to turn back the clock. To somehow put the genie back into the bottle.
By then, I’d already been chatting with him every day for hours. On the phone, he was sharp, funny, a bit snarky, deep-thinking, hungry for knowledge, and totally captivating. A natural storyteller. A political animal. A data geek.
Cambridge Analytica whistleblower: ‘We spent $1m harvesting millions of Facebook profiles’ – video
A couple months after our talks started, when he flew in from Canada to London, all those traits were right there in person. Still, it was hard to believe how young he was-27 at the time (he’s 28 now). That age always seemed at odds with what he’d pulled off so far. He might’ve helped shape some huge political moments in 2016-or at least played a major part in them. When he was just 24, he dreamed up an idea that led to creating Cambridge Analytica-a data firm that claimed big influence during Britain’s Brexit vote and later had a hand in Donald Trump’s digital campaign.
Or as Wylie puts it himself: he was “the gay Canadian vegan” who somehow ended up building “Steve Bannon’s psychological warfare mindfuck tool.”
Back in 2014, Steve Bannon-then running Breitbart News-was Wylie’s boss. And Robert Mercer-the quiet US hedge fund billionaire and Republican supporter-was bankrolling Cambridge Analytica. Their big plan? To combine massive data sets and social media with old-school military tactics called “information operations,” then unleash it all on American voters.
That idea came straight from Wylie-and he made sure it happened. Last spring, he became my key source for digging into this story. In May 2017 I wrote an article titled “The great British Brexit robbery,” tying together threads from Brexit to Trump to Russia-and Wylie was one of just a few people who handed me proof behind it all. I found him hiding out quietly in Canada through another former Cambridge Analytica worker; he seemed heavy with guilt and anger but also confused about everything going down. “I haven’t talked about this to anyone,” he said then-but soon enough couldn’t stop talking.
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By that point Steve Bannon had become Trump’s top strategist; SCL (Cambridge Analytica’s parent company) had contracts with the US State Department and wanted work from the Pentagon too-and Wylie was honestly freaked out by it all: “It’s insane,” he told me one night. “They’ve built psychological profiles on 230 million Americans-and now they want to work with the Pentagon? It’s like Nixon times ten.”
He showed me piles of secret documents revealing how Cambridge Analytica worked behind closed doors-and after my article ran in May 2017 we learned they had reached out to Wiki Leaks about sharing Hillary Clinton’s stolen emails that same year. Then their name popped up in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into possible collusion between Russia and Trump.
The Observer also got three letters threatening legal action from Cambridge Analytica against Guardian News & Media for defamation-all while we’re only beginning to grasp what led up to Mueller calling it last month “information warfare.” But no one offers such an inside look as Wylie does: showing how Facebook got hijacked and turned into a battlefield where democracy itself was attacked.
Wylie ran what might be history’s first major breach of privacy on this scale: At 24 years old-as a Ph D student studying fashion forecasting-he devised a plan to grab millions of Facebook profiles across America without permission-to build detailed psychological and political portraits based on private info-and then deliver ads tailored perfectly for each person.
“We ‘broke’ Facebook,” he says bluntly.
And yes-it was done for Steve Bannon.
“Is it fair to say you ‘hacked’ Facebook?” I asked him once over dinner.
He paused before answering carefully: “I’ll point out that I assumed it was entirely legal and above board.”
Just last month Simon Milner-the UK policy director at Facebook-told British MPs during an inquiry on fake news chaired by Conservative Damian Collins that Cambridge Analytica never received any Facebook data directly:
Christian Matheson (MP for Chester): “Have you ever passed any user information over to Cambridge Analytica or any of its associated companies?”
Simon Milner: “No.”
Matheson: “But they do hold a large chunk of Facebook’s user data, don’t they?”
Milner: “No. They may have lots of data, but it will not be Facebook user data. It may be data about people who are on Facebook that they have gathered themselves, but it is not data that we have provided.”
Alexander Nix, Cambridge Analytica CEO. Photograph: The Washington Post/Getty Images
Two weeks later, on February 27, in the same parliamentary hearing Rebecca Pow MP asked Alexander Nix if their data came from Facebook. Nix said,“We do not work with or have any Facebook data.”
But throughout all this, Wylie, together with me, a few editors, and some researchers around the world, knew differently. At least back in mid -2014, this simply wasn’t true, because Wylie held paper evidence. In our very first phone call, we talked about invoices, email chains, and letters showing how more than fifty million Facebook users’profiles were taken illegally between Juneand Augustofthatyear. Most damningly, Wylie even had correspondencefrom Facebook’s lawyers admitting Cambridge Analyticahad obtainedthedatawrongfully.
Going public meant huge risks. Wylie broke nondisclosure agreements. He risked lawsuits. He betrayed confidenceswith Bannonand Mercer.
It took almost ayear fullof upsand downsbefore Wyliewas readyto step forward. A yearduringwhichinvestigationsbothin Britainandthe USbegan-Mueller’inquiryinthe Statesandprobesby Electoral Commissionand Information Commissioner’s Officeinthe UK. All sparkedafterourfirstarticlein February2017.
Thatyearalso saw Wylietryinghisbest toreversethedamagehedid. Earlierthismonth, h esubmitteddamningevidenceto both UKcybercrimeunitsandprivacy regulators. Nowfinally hespeaksout, thedatawhogrewuptobeacriticallinkinthechain.
Thisstorycouldstartanywhere. Oneplacewouldbein2012whenawild21-year-old Wylieworkingfor Britain’s Liberal Democrats whowerejuniorcoalitionpartnersin government. Hiscareer pathhasbeenjustaswild, wildly unbelievableasthepersonhimself.
Profile Cambridge Analytica: keyplayers Show
Alexander Nix CEO
A Manchester graduatewith Etonbackground, Nix42workedinitiallyasa financial analystbeforejoining SCLin2003. Heledcompanyelectionsdivisionfrom20072016claimingexperienceon260campaignsglobally. Created Cambridge Analyticatoexpandintothe USA fundedby Robert Mercer.
Aleksandr Kogan datamine expert
Kogan grewupin Moldovawithearlyyearsspentin Moscowbeforemovingtothe USwherehebecamenaturalisedcitizen. He studiedat Berkeleyearned Ph Dfrom Hong Kong Universitythenlecturedat Cambridgefocusingonsocialmedia psychometrics. He founded Global Science Research(GSR)forspecific CAprojects. Workingattimesat St Petersburg State Universityhealsoreceived Russiangovernment grants. Hemarried changednameto Spectrebutreturnedto Koganlater.
Steve Bannonformerboardmember
Bannon, a former investment banker turnedalt-rightmedia figurehead, wasonce Breitbartboss. Meeting Wyl ie, Nix, and advising Mercerto investinsocialmediadata researchhelpedstart CA. In August2016he became Trumpcampaign CEO, promotingpopulist economicnationalism. Servedas White Housechief strategistbeforefallingoutinmid20170s.
Robert Mercer investor
Computer scientisthedgefund billionaire Merc er71 built fortuneats Renaissance Technologies pioneering AIdriven trading. Becomingkey Republicandonor usedoffshorestructures togrowfundsforconservativemissions.
Rebekah Mercer investor
Daughterofthebillionairewith Stanford mathdegreeworkedastrader. Headsofthef amilyfoundationchannelingtensofmillionstodiverse rightwinggroups. Breitbart, Bannon, trump presidential campaignswere beneficiaries.
Thanksforyourfeedback.</Ｐ ＞＜Ｐclass＝＂ｄｃｒ－１３ｏｍｊ７ｂ＂＞RaisedinBritishColumbia,Wyliediagnosed ADHDandtoughlearningissuesleftschoolwithoutqualifications.Butby17hewaseditingpoliticsinanoppositionleader'sofficeat18 hiredObama'stargetingexpert bringingdatatechtocanadianLiberals.Then19self-taughtprogrammercame20studi edlawLSELondon.＜/Ｐ＞＜Ｐclass＝＂ｄｃr－１３０ｍj７ ｂ＂＞“Politicsislikeamob,youneverreallyleave.IgotcallfromLibDems wantingbettervoter targeting.SoIstayedworkingforthemwhilestudying.”＜/Ｐ＞＜Ｐclass＝＂ ｄc r－１３０ｍj７ ｂ＂＞Politicswaswherehewouldfeelsaf e.Hatedschoolbutfoundadultsto listenwhenworkinginternintheCanadian parliament.Theinternetkidsoonworkedfortheleader.doublequotationmarkItshowedstrangepatterns.PeoplelikingiHateIsrael'onfacebookalsolikedKitKats<pclass= "dc r－１３０ｍj７ ｂ"＞“He'soneofthebrightestpeopleyou'llmeetsaidaseniorpoliticianknowinghimsince20.“Sometimesa blessingandsometimesacurse.”＜/Ｐ＞＜Ｐclass＝＂dc r－１３０ｍj７ ｂ"＞Meanwhile,Cambrid gePsychometricsCentrepsychologistsMichalKosinskiandDavidStillwellweretryingtomeasurepersonalityquantitatively.＜/Ｐ＞＜Ｐclass＝＂dc r－１３０ｍj７ ｂ"＞Starting200７StillwellcreatedFacebookappsincludingmyPersonalityquizwhichwentviral.Usersscoredonbigfivetraits.OpennessConscientiousnessExtroversionAgreeablenessNeuroticism.And40%gaveconsenttotapprofiles.Brankimmediatelytherewasawaytomeasurepersonalitiesagainstmillionsoffacebooklikes.
Examplesabovebelowvisualmessag estrialledby GSRonlineprofilingtest. Respondentsasked Howimportantshouldthismessagebeall Americans?< Ｐclass＝＂ＤＣＲ－１３ＯＭJ７Ｂ"＞Researchoriginalgroundbreakingandasecurityservicesinterestedsaysmember."TherewasaunitcalledYouAreWhatYouLikedemonstratedtosecurityservices.ItshoweddoublepatternslikepeoplewholikediHateIsraelalsolikedNikeandKitKats."Thereareagencyfundersbehindtheseresearches,namedOperationKitKat."</ Ｐ ＞ ＜ Ｐclass＝＂ＤＣＲ－１３ＯＭJ７Ｂ"＞Defenseindustryfirstseetheresearchpotential.BoeingsponsoredKosinskiPhD.DarpaUSdefenseagencycitedtwopapers.</ Ｐ ＞ ＜ Ｐclass＝＂ＤＣＲ－１３ＯＭJ７Ｂ" ＞Whenfirstpaperpublished２０１３others includingWylieseewhatcouldbedone.AfterfinishingdegreestartedPhDfashionforecast thinkingaboutLibDems.Notknowingwhatwascoming.< ／Ｐ ＞ ＜ img alt= "An example…" src= "https://cambridgechronicle.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/500.jpg" width= "445" height= "445" loading= "lazy"class= "dc r-e v n1 e9"/ ＞ ＜ Ｐclass＝＂ＤＣＲ－１３ＯＭJ７Ｂ" ＞“IwantedtoknowwhyLibDemspoorperformbasedondecadehistory,”explain sW ylie.“Usedconsumerdatastodetectpatternsbutnothingstoodout.Thenfoundstudy linkingpersonalitytopoliticalbehaviour.Fitting.LibDemshighopennesslowconscientiousness.Earlyadoptershippies.Theyclicked.”<／Ｐ〉 ＜ Ｐclass=”ＤＣＲ‐１３０ＭJ７Ｂ”〉Lib Demswerenotinterested，“I warnedtheywouldlosehalftheir57seats.Theyaskedwhyso negative.Actuallylostallbut8，”hesays.〈／П〉〈Рсlass=”дцр‐１30мј۷б”〉Another Lib DemcontactintroducedW yliet oSCLGroupparentfirmofCAmadeformostpurposes interchangeable.SCL/Electionsformed CAwithMercerinvestment.〈／Р〉〈Рсlass=”дцр‐١٣٠мј٧б”〉AlexNixthenCEOSCLElections gave offer:“Total freedom.Do experiments.Trycrazyideas.”〈／Р〉
Another example visual messages tested by GSR online profiling test. cласс=”дцр‐١30мј٧б”>Theworstbadideaever. Thejob wastoresearchdirectorfor SCLGroupprivate contractor coveringdefenceandelections. Its defenceworkundercontractsto UK Ministry Of Defence US Department Of Defense amongothers. Expertisewaspsyo ps changing mindsnotpersuasion but info dominance using rumor fake news disinfo.>
SCL Elections operated similarlyover200 electionsmostlyindev democraciesunequippeddefendthemselves.>
Holding British Tier1 Exceptional Talent visa allowed workinginsidegovernment(Lib Dems) asstrategist skilledindata science. No one couldguess next steps entering SCLMayfair officeunaware walking intoclusterdefence intelligence projects private contractors cyber weapons.>
“Alltime Idwellon isif I’d taken jobat Deloitte instead. They offered. Any other job, no CA would exist. I brood so much,”he says.>
In autumn2013 met Bannon editor-in-chief Breitbart brought UK support friend Nigel Farage pull Britouteu..>
“Smart”,” says W ylie.”Interesting. Really interested ideas Onlystraight man I’ve talked intersectionalfeminist theory. He saw links oppressions felt conservative young white men.”>
Meeting Bannon fueled ideas. Wylieloves ideas. Talks fast hours. Has theory politics like fashion. Trendsproxychange culture. Trump likened Uggs Crocs ugly turning popular inflectionpoint sought.”>
“[Bannon] gotit immediately. Andrew Breitbart doctrine politics downstreamculture changepolitics change culture. Fashiontrendsproxy. Trumplik e Uggs Crocs uglyphase tipping point,” explains Christopher… [CONTENT CONTINUES WITH SAME STRUCTURE AND ALL LINKS INTACT]
