A meme, a manifesto, or a misunderstanding?
It started as a thought experiment. A design fiction exploring radical futures. Then it became... something else.
Danish MP Ida Auken publishes "Welcome to 2030: I own nothing, have no privacy, and life has never been better " on the World Economic Forum's website.
The piece was explicitly framed as a design fiction — a speculative scenario to provoke discussion about possible futures, not a policy proposal.
Read the OriginalDuring COVID-19, a short promotional video using the phrase went viral in conspiracy circles, divorced from its original context.
The phrase became shorthand for fears about "The Great Reset" — despite the WEF clarifying repeatedly that it was never a policy goal. The meme had escaped containment.
"Welcome to the year 2030. Welcome to my city - or should I say, 'our city'. I don't own anything. I don't own a car. I don't own a house. I don't own any appliances or any clothes."
How a design fiction became a rallying cry, a conspiracy theory, and a mirror for our anxieties.
Ida Auken publishes "Welcome to 2030" on WEF website as design fiction
Essay remains relatively obscure, discussed mainly in futurism circles
WEF announces "Great Reset" initiative focusing on post-COVID recovery
WEF promotional video featuring the phrase goes viral, stripped of context
Phrase becomes central to conspiracy theories about global control
WEF updates article with disclaimer: not a prediction or policy goal
BMW subscription model for heated seats sparks outrage, later reversed
Colorado and other states pass right-to-repair legislation
Ubisoft kills The Crew servers, sparking "Stop Killing Games" movement
EU citizens petition for clearer digital ownership rights
Ownership vs access remains a defining tension of the digital age
1. A speculative essay can escape its context and take on a life of its own.
2. The phrase resonates because the trend is real, even if the conspiracy isn't.
3. Our relationship with ownership is fundamentally changing — and we're all watching it happen in real-time.
Check all that apply. Be honest. We already know anyway.
Average American debt: $104,215
77% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck
60% can't afford a $1,000 emergency
You will own nothing. And you'll be happy. 😁