George Gilder Report Review (Get The Truth Before You Join)

George Gilder is one of the most respected tech investors on the planet. He predicted the rise of microchips in the 1980s, smartphones in the 90s, and now he’s betting on crypto.

But does that mean his service, The George Gilder Report, is worth joining?

That’s a question I intend to help answer in this review.

We’ll start by looking at the man himself, George Gilder, and what he’s currently predicting for 2021 and beyond. Then we’ll look at his newsletter service to give you an idea of what to expect before joining. Finally, I’ll finish by sharing my opinion on whether or not I think it’s worth it.

With that being said, let’s get started.

Who’s George Gilder? And Can You Trust Him?

George Franklin Gilder is an investor, author, and economist born in 1939, which makes him 81 years old as of writing. During his four-decade career, he established quite an impressive track record of predicting technology megatrends and companies at the forefront of these.

His first significant prediction had to do with the “microcosm,” a term he coined in the late 1980s to describe the rise of microchips. This also became the focus of his 1989 book titled “Microcosm: The Quantum Revolution In Economics And Technology.”

Following on from this, in 1994, George wrote a book called “Life After Television,” which detailed his second major prediction about the rise of smartphones.

He called this the “telocosm” and essentially described what we now know as the smartphone more than a decade before the smartphone revolution took off. Needless to say, his foresight was incredible, and anyone who listened to him back then could’ve done very well.

In any case, these two predictions – the microcosm and telocosm – were at the heart of George’s early work and formed the basis for many of his insights and recommendations in his original newsletter called Gilder Technology Report, which is no longer operating.

Here’s how the Gilder Technology Report was described:

Informed by a systematic vision of technological change, the Gilder team finds ascendant companies through legwork and technical acumen in laboratories, entrepreneurial offices, semiconductor clean rooms, optical engineering centers, and technological investigations around the globe.

Source: gildertech.com

It’s not exactly clear when, but I think it was sometime around 2007 that George retired from the newsletter business and shut down the Gilder Technology Report.

However, in June 2019, he teamed up with Three Founders Publishing to launch The George Gilder Report. And as I’ll explain in the next section, his latest prediction relates to crypto.

What Is George Gilder Predicting for 2021 and Beyond?

A couple of months back, I wrote an article detailing George Gilder’s 2021 predictions, so if you want the whole story, I recommend you check it out.

In short, however, George’s latest prediction has to do with what he calls the “cryptocosm.”

Like his last two predictions, the cryptocosm is a term George coined to describe what he believes will be a revolutionary technology. However, in this case, it has to do with blockchain technology and cryptocurrency.

In his latest presentation titled “Get Ready For The $16.8 Trillion “Reboot” of 2021 and Beyond,” George explains how blockchain technology could disrupt virtually everything about the way we live. How we earn, spend, save, and invest… everything.

George believes the current system is plagued with security issues and conflicts of interest given how centralized they are. And as a result, he says the internet will undergo a “reboot” of sorts, where companies built on top of blockchain technology will replace those that aren’t.

He details his prediction in his second latest book titled “Life After Google: The Fall of Big Data and the Rise of the Blockchain Economy” and shares his thoughts on this with subscribers.

What is blockchain technology?

A blockchain is a cryptographically secured, decentralized database that Satoshi Nakomoto conceptualized with the invention of bitcoin in 2008.

A blockchain (like the blockchain bitcoin uses) is beneficial because it’s more decentralized and secure than a regular database. Why? Because the information stored on the blockchain isn’t controlled by anyone, is verifiable, and is secured by cryptography.

Nevertheless, George details his thoughts on these topics in his book. And even though The George Gilder Report isn’t squarely focussed on blockchain or crypto, as a subscriber, you do get his latest insights into the types of companies he thinks will thrive as a result of this tech.

Is George Gilder The Real Deal?

Yes, George Gilder is a real investing expert, he’s been sharing his investment insights for over four decades, and during that time, he has earned a solid reputation.

So far, we’ve talked about some of his main predictions about different markets as a whole, but he has also made specific recommendations about stocks over the years too.

For example, here’s a snippet from a recent presentation regarding his recommendations:

A 563% gain on Analog Devices…

A 430% return on Globalstar…

And a 582% return on Lucent…

All in just over three years.

You also could have seen 1,969% on Broadcom in 861 days…

3,781% on Applied Micro Circuits in just over two years… 

And 4,132% on JDS Uniphase… or 4,234% on Qualcomm… also in just over three years for each of those plays…

Source: pro.3founders-reports.com/p/GGR_internetreboot_GGM500_0620/LGGRVB06/Full

These are examples of some of the stocks George says he recommended to subscribers of his old report, the Gilder Technology Report, and how well each recommendation did.

Still, they don’t consider the average performance of his recommendations, nor do we know how well his new service, The George Gilder Report, has performed since inception because that information is not made publicly available.

So, even though he has recommended some great stocks over the years, we don’t know how well his new service has performed to date. Nor do we know how well his old service performed on average, considering both the winning and losing picks.

Nevertheless, he has made some noteworthy calls in his time.

And he’s not just known as a technology futurist and stock picker; George is also a respected economist, best-selling author and has been featured countless times in the media.

For example, one of the things he’s known for is his work on supply-side economics.

Supply-side economics is an economic theory centering around lowering taxes, reducing borrowing rates, and deregulating industries to boost production and, therefore, economic growth. It’s also an alternative to Keynesian economics.

Anyway, George helped advance supply-side economics through his work as Chairman of the Lehrman Institute’s Economic Roundtable and his 1981 book titled Wealth and Poverty.

He’s also published 19 books, mostly related to economics, technology, and investing. Some of which have been best-sellers. For instance, here are some of his most popular books:

• Wealth and Poverty
• Microcosm: The Quantum Revolution In Economics And Technology
• Life After Television
• Telecosm: The World After Bandwidth Abundance
• Life after Google: The Fall of Big Data and the Rise of the Blockchain Economy

Given his track record, his work in economics, and the popularity of some of his books, George has been featured on many of the most popular media outlets over the years. Such as Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Forbes, and many others.

Of course, not everything he predicts or recommends plays out. After all, nobody has a crystal ball. But I think it’s safe to say George Gilder is the real deal. He has one of the longest, most respected track records in the space, especially when it comes to emerging tech.

Overview of The George Gilder Report

The George Gilder Report is a monthly investment newsletter focused on emerging technology trends. As a subscriber, you get access to George Gilder’s research, insights, and specific recommendations, which are aimed at helping you grow wealth through the stock market.

The service began in June 2019 and is (more or less) the successor to his old service, the Gilder Technology Report, which was popular in the 1990s and shut down in the mid-2000s.

There are no publicly available stats on how successful George’s latest recommendations have been since mid-2019. However, according to the Three Founders Publishing website, the Gilder Technology Report readers saw gains of between 1,008% to 19,295%, which is impressive.

So I guess the question is… has George still got it?

Ultimately, only time will tell. He did make some great calls in the 90s, but that doesn’t mean his predictions will be accurate in the 2020s and beyond.

And unlike some popular gurus in the blockchain space, he didn’t recommend bitcoin in the early days. At least, as far as I know, anyway. Although, to be fair, he did shut down his old service right before bitcoin was invented (2008), and he’s very bullish on the space now.

He’s also a very knowledgeable man with many years of experience in the technology space, which not everyone in the newsletter business has.

Nevertheless, despite George’s four decades of experience, The George Gilder Report is still a new advisory. So we will need to give it time to see how his recommendations play out.

If nothing else, as a subscriber, you’re almost certain to learn a thing or two from George which could make you a better investor. And when you boil it all down, that’s the name of the game.

As I explain in my article on the “hidden truths” about stock advisories, if you want to be a successful investor, you’re not likely to get there by blindly following someone. Instead, it’s better to educate yourself on how to “become” a better investor.

And that’s one of the great things about this newsletter. Aside from stock recommendations, you also get access to detailed research and analysis.

What Do You Get if You Join the Service?

The main thing you get with a subscription to The George Gilder Report is the monthly newsletters. This is the bread and butter of the service.

Each month, for 12 months, subscribers get George’s latest research into what he describes as the “little-known investment opportunities” related to emerging tech trends.

You also get his specific stock recommendations, a detailed breakdown of why he’s recommending it, and clear instructions on how to take advantage of his recommendation using your brokerage account.

And to make it easier for you to see what he’s recommended and the details about each pick, you get access to what is known as a “model portfolio” inside the member-only website.

This is essentially a list of all the stocks that have been recommended.

Also, to help keep you informed about when he recommends buying or selling a position, you get an email and (optionally) text message alert and weekly email updates on the positions in the model portfolio.

The monthly newsletters, model portfolio, and updates make up the core of the service. However, you also get access to some bonus reports depending on which page you join through.

Suppose you join the regular way through the Three Founders Publishing website. In that case, you get access to three daily email newsletters (e-letters): Gilder’s Daily Prophecy, One Last Thing, and the 5 Minute Forecast. That’s a lot of emails, but you can unsubscribe whenever you like.

In any case, if you join through the presentation I discuss in this post, you get the following three special reports and free access to Gilder’s book – Life After Google.

• The Truth About Artificial Intelligence
• Our Robot Future
• The True 5G Revolution

All in all, regardless of how you join or what bonuses you receive, the service itself is pretty comprehensive. And it doesn’t cost an excessive amount to join.

Membership Fee and Refund Policy

The regular cost of a subscription to The George Gilder Report is $299 for 12 months. This is on the higher-end compared to most entry-level newsletters I come across, especially for a service that hasn’t established a track record yet, but it’s not outrageous either.

The service also comes with a three-month refund policy. So you can sign up, try it out for a few months, and if you decide it’s not for you, you can request a full refund.

What Is Three Founders Publishing?

Three Founders Publishing is a financial education company that strives to give readers a unique perspective of the markets and economy using a “forward-thinking approach.”

According to the website, at the foundation of everything the company publishes are the teachings and mentorship of its three founders: Bill Bonner, Addison Wiggins, and Doug Hill.

For the most part, the “teachings and mentorship” of the three founders involve two main concepts. The first has to do with “fat tail events,” and the second relates to freedom.

What’s a “fat tail event?”

The Three Founders Publishing website describes a fat tail event as an event that’s unlikely to occur and difficult to predict. However, if it does happen, it can be very disruptive and potentially profitable. And these are the types of opportunities Three Founders Publishing seeks out.

The “freedom” part of their philosophy has to do with how the company began.

The story goes… in 2010, Bill Bonner was in a cab with Addison in Tiananmen Square when he received an email asking him if he wanted to buy the bookstore, Laissez Fair Books, which the company site says was a “leading purveyor of libertarian economic texts.”

Long story short, Bill bought the bookstore, which “promotes the ideals of independence, freedom, and self-reliance,” which apparently are core to the company’s beliefs.

Anyway, from there, Addison reached out to Doug Hill to help run the bookstore. Then, in 2015, the pair started a newsletter called The Laissez Faire Letter, which is still operating today, to help people “achieve financial and economic freedom.”

Given the success of both the bookstore and newsletter, more analysts joined their team, and the decision was made to form Three Founders Publishing.

All three founders of the company are experienced investors, from what I can gather. However, of particular note is Bill Bonner.

He’s the founder of Agora, Inc., which owns a string of individual financial publishing companies, including Banyan Hill Publishing, Money Map Press, and The Oxford Club, to name a few.

He also runs an advisory called The Bonner-Denning Letter with Dan Denning over at Rogue Economics and founded the Daily Reckoning newsletter.

In any case, one of his main projects is Three Founders Publishing, which publishes 14 individual services covering topics from investing and trading to entrepreneurship and lifestyle.

The following is a breakdown of the four main categories of services the company sells, along with the individual advisories George Gilder runs within each category:

• Foundational Investment Research:
  • The George Gilder Report ($299 entry-level newsletter)
• Advanced Trading Services:
  • George Gilder’s Moonshots ($5,000 trading service)
  • The Great Barrington Project ($10,000 advisory about early-stage companies)
• Entrepreneurial and Lifestyle Services
• Publisher Level Memberships:
  • Gilder’s Millionaire Circle (membership that gives you access to all of George’s services)

Gilder also provides a free email newsletter service called Gilder’s Daily Prophecy, which you can sign up for on the Gilder’s Daily Prophecy website. However, keep in mind that even though these emails are insightful, you will see promotions to join his paid services.

Is The George Gilder Report Legit?

The George Gilder Report is a legitimate newsletter service. The recommendations might not make you rich, and there are drawbacks to consider, but it’s not a scam.

I say this because George Gilder is a respected tech investor, economist, and author who has established a good reputation over the years.

Also, as mentioned, the service comes with a three-month guarantee, so I find it hard to call something a scam when you can get your money back if you’re not happy.

That being said, I wouldn’t automatically assume that just because George Gilder is a legitimate investment guru that his insights and recommendations will make you lots of money.

At the end of the day, nothing is guaranteed when it comes to investing. You might make money following his stock picks, but it’s also possible you could lose money.

That’s true for any service; there are always risks involved with this sort of thing.

There are also some drawbacks to consider with this service that don’t make it illegitimate, but at the same time, I still feel they are worth mentioning.

The first main drawback is that, as a subscriber, you may end up getting a lot of emails from the company. It’s not uncommon to receive multiple daily emails as a subscriber. Most of these are helpful, but some contain promotions about joining other services.

Which brings me to my next point…

As I explained earlier, The George Gilder Report is an entry-level service. George also runs two other paid services, which cost $5,000 and $10,000 a pop. Not to mention, the Three Founders Publishing website sells 14 different services in total.

So, my point being, there are upsells and cross-sells that run into the $10,000s. And as a member, you should expect to see at least some promotions.

This is very common in the newsletter business.

And it doesn’t make it a scam. Especially since you don’t need to buy any other services, and you can unsubscribe from the emails at any time.

But the emails and upsells seem to be among the main complaints people make about the service, so I thought it was worth mentioning to give you the heads up.

Bottom Line: Is The George Gilder Report Worth It?

Ultimately, whether The George Gilder Report is worthwhile depends on your own goals, investing preferences, and circumstances.

On the one hand, it may be worth checking out if you want to learn about emerging technology trends like 5G, AI, and blockchain, for example, from someone with an undeniable track record of success in the emerging technology space.

On the other hand, some of George’s ideas might be considered too speculative by conservative investors. And the newsletter is centered around technology, so you may need to subscribe to another service if you want to develop a more balanced portfolio.

Either way, I think as long as you don’t sign up with unrealistic expectations, The George Gilder Report could be a great way to learn from a legend in the tech investing space.