YOLO Capitalism
25 Pages Posted: 4 Feb 2021 Last revised: 1 Sep 2022
Date Written: May 19, 2022
Abstract
The aims of this paper are to (1) posit the notion of “YOLO Capitalism” as a sub-movement within late-stage capitalism that is characterized by widespread coordination among small-scale investors through digital means to operate outside & against institutional financial hegemony in a simultaneously subversive and yet whimsical (YOLO) manner, and (2) to lay the groundwork for a multidisciplinary research agenda towards understanding the actions of YOLO Capitalists. The contributions of the paper lie in the novel terminology of “YOLO Capitalism”and in articulating both the value and the salience of research in this subfield of contemporary financial markets.
Keywords: Reddit, WallStreetBets, YOLO, financial markets, retail investors, financial regulation
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