Cash over credit
Use cash when it fits your situation so you rely less on credit cards and profiling; pair that with local vendors when you can because they keep more of the money when you use cash.
Economic Action Guide
Don't Shop with Billionaires and Oligarchs
Who owns what—and practical alternatives for everyday choices. Find what fits your budget and your hometown.
Start here
Ethical Consumer and Progressive Shopper maintain extensive boycott lists and suggested alternatives—useful when you want a second opinion beyond this short cheat sheet.
Don’t shop with the billionaires
Small habits add up: local hardware, union grocery where available, farmers markets, swaps and second hand stores,and indie media instead of defaulting to the biggest chains.
Avoid “AI” for shopping and discovery
Use standard search, bookmarks, and human-curated boycott guides (like Ethical Consumer) instead of opaque recommendation bots when you can.
Brands & alternatives
Each card groups billionaires with the companies they control and offers alternatives.
Jeff Bezos
Retail and Media
- Companies / brands
- Amazon
- Alternatives
- See Ethical Consumer and Progressive Shopper for vetted alternatives and boycott context. ethicalconsumer.org progressiveshopper.com
- Companies / brands
- The Washington Post
- Alternatives
- Wire services and multiple outlets—for example Associated Press and Reuters.
- Companies / brands
- Whole Foods
- Alternatives
- Local co-ops, farmers markets, regional grocers.
- Companies / brands
- MGM
- Alternatives
- Independent venues, local arts, non-studio hospitality where you can.
Mark Zuckerberg
Social media
- Companies / brands
- Facebook, Instagram
- Alternatives
- Bluesky and other open or smaller networks.
- Companies / brands
- Alternatives
- Signal (and similar privacy-first messengers).
Elon Musk
Social media
- Companies / brands
- X (formerly Twitter)
- Alternatives
- Bluesky, Substack, and other publishers you trust.
Bill Gates
Technology
- Companies / brands
- Microsoft
- Alternatives
- Ethical Consumer, Progressive Shopper, and other guides can help match needs to alternatives; many roles also have Linux / open-source options depending on your workflow. ethicalconsumer.org
Overview of companies often associated with Gates (third-party article): Thomasnet — Bill Gates companies.
Tim Cook
Consumer electronics
- Companies / brands
- Apple
- Alternatives
- Repair-first, refurbished, and Android / Linux paths where they fit your needs; cross-check with boycott guides if you use them. Ethical Consumer boycotts
The Walton family
Consumer goods
- Companies / brands
- Walmart
- Alternatives
- Food City, Curt’s Ace Hardware, Food Country, farmers markets, Kroger (Bristol Kroger is unionized).
Sundar Pichai/Larry Page
Information systems
- Companies / brands
- Alphabet / Google / Waze
- Alternatives
- DuckDuckGo and other privacy-respecting search and maps where they work for you.
Koch brothers
Energy & chemicals
- Companies / brands
- Georgia-Pacific
- Alternatives
- Seven Days and other recycled household paper products; look for post-consumer recycled content.
Larry Fink
Investment funds (BlackRock)
- Companies / brands
- Etsy
- Alternatives
- Holston Mountain Artisan Arts Depot, The Gallery @ Barr Photographics, and other local makers.
Listed as a left-leaning billionaire.