The Sovereign Individual

The Sovereign Individual, published in 1997, argues that information technology and cryptography will fundamentally reshape power structures by enabling individuals to operate beyond the reach of traditional nation-states. Written by James Dale Davidson and William Rees-Mogg, the book predicts the rise of "cybereconomies" where digital transactions occur in encrypted, borderless spaces, allowing wealthy individuals to escape taxation and state control.

The authors contend that the transition from industrial to information economies will concentrate power among those who control information and capital, while simultaneously enabling individual sovereignty through technological means. They explore how digital money, anonymous transactions, and decentralized networks will undermine state monopolies on currency and law enforcement.

Published during the early internet era, the book became influential in libertarian, cryptocurrency, and tech communities. It is frequently cited as a precursor to modern discussions of blockchain technology, decentralized finance, and digital privacy. The work remains controversial for its predictions about wealth concentration and the decline of democratic institutions, though many of its technological predictions have proven prescient.