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Simone and Malcolm Collins

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Simone and Malcolm Collins
Known forPronatalism
Notable workThe Pragmatist's Guide to Governance
Websitehttps://pronatalist.org/aboutus/

Simone Haruko Collins (née Smith; born 1987) and Malcolm James Collins (born 1986) are a married couple known primarily for their views and advocacy related to pronatalism, a stance encouraging higher birth rates and expressing concerns about demographic decline and its implications on society and the economy.[1][2][3][4]

Career

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Simone and Malcolm Collins previously worked in venture capital and technology sectors. Simone previously served as the managing director for Dialog, a secretive invite-only social club co-founded by investor Peter Thiel.[2] Malcolm previously worked as a venture capitalist at TheVentures in South Korea.[2][5][6] The Collinses are currently the managing directors of the corporate wholesale travel agency Travelmax.[3]

The couple has written five books in their Pragmatist Guide series.[7][8] Their book The Pragmatist's Guide to Governance: From high school cliques to boards, family offices, and nations: A guide to optimizing governance models was briefly on the Wall Street Journal Bestseller List in 2023.[9]

Pronatalism advocacy

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The Collinses are prominent[10][8][2] figures within the pronatalist movement, which advocates for higher birth rates as a means to address demographic and economic challenges.[1][10] They are the founders of Pronatalist.org, a non-profit initiative aimed at promoting and supporting high birth rates.[2][11] In 2023, they were speakers at The Natal Conference in Austin, Texas.[12][13][14]

The Collinses fear that low fertility rates, especially among people they view as high-achieving, could lead to a decline in innovation and societal progress as well as the extinction of cultures, economic breakdown, and the collapse of civilization.[15][16] They are part of a network of tech elites,[2] including figures like Elon Musk,[10][2] who publicly express concerns about demographic trends leading to population collapse.[8][14] The Collinses are vocal supporters of using advanced reproductive technologies, including in vitro fertilisation and genetic screening, to promote higher birth rates among economically and intellectually productive populations[weasel words].[11][17] They have been featured in discussions about their use of preimplantation genetic testing to select embryos.[18][1][19]

Concerns have been raised[among whom?] about the potential societal impacts of their views, with some[who?] suggesting that their approach could exacerbate social inequalities and promote divisive ideologies[among whom?].[2][20][21][22] The Collinses have also been labelled (by Arwa Mahdawi) as "hipster eugenicists" due to their advocacy for selecting embryos based on perceived desirable traits, such as high IQ;[20][19] they are said to find the moniker rather amusing, but strongly disavow any form of racism and "scoffed at the idea that they were eugenicists".[20][2]

Political views and involvement

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Further information: 2024 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election

Simone ran as a Republican for the 150th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections in 2024, losing by 17.5%.[23][24]

The Collinses do not support transgender health care for youth, but express acceptance for people whom Simone described as "legit trans" as opposed to those who fall into the "trans cult." Simone opposes allowing transgender students to use bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity and to play on sports teams matching their gender identity.[23]

Personal lives

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Malcolm is the great-grandson of Carr Collins Sr., founder of the Fidelity Union Life Insurance Company, and grandson of James M. Collins, a Dallas, Texas businessman and politician.[25] In 1997, Malcolm's parents undertook a contentious divorce and custody dispute; the proceedings were characterized by one judge as "extensive, bitter and long-lasting".[26][27] During the divorce, Malcolm was ordered to live at a private boarding school funded by a family trust.[27] The divorce was finalized in 2001.[26] It was discovered in 2021, upon the death of James Collins's wife Dorothy Dann Collins Torbert, that some $29 million had been embezzled from the family trust fund by Barbara Chalmers, the family bookkeeper.[28][29][30] Reflecting on his childhood, Malcolm noted that he has "no beef with my parents. My childhood was hard, but my adulthood has been easy. Can I say a parent did a bad job if I’m happy with my life today? I don’t think so."[27]

Simone was born in Japan[31] as a self-described "mistake baby" and the only child to a failed polyamorous marriage.[27] At some point in her life, Simone experienced eating disorders that gave her fertility issues.[27]

Marriage and children

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The Collinses married after Malcolm proposed on Reddit in 2013.[32][4]

The Collinses have stated that they plan to have seven to thirteen children total.[1][33] As of 2024, they have four children.[14] The Collinses refuse to give their daughters traditionally feminine names, because they believe social research shows that women with feminine names are taken less seriously.[2][27] Beginning with their third child, the Collinses have used preimplantation genetic testing during in vitro fertilisation to select embryos with a desirable genetic makeup.[1][18][14] The Collinses claim that every decision they make is backed by data.[27] The Collinses also employ corporal punishment in disciplining their children, which is based on Simone's personal observation of lions and tigers during a safari trip.[27][34]

Religious beliefs

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The Collinses have stated they are atheists,[27] but also promulgate a theology they call "Techno-Puritanism". They base Techno-Puritanism on the book The Martyrdom Of Man by William Winwood Reade as well as the Bible; they consider both of these works divinely inspired scripture.[35]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Black, Julia (2022-11-01). "Billionaires like Elon Musk want to save civilization by having tons of genetically superior kids. Inside the movement to take 'control of human evolution.'". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Dodds, Io (2023-04-17). "Meet the 'elite' couples breeding to save mankind". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  3. ^ a b Breen, Amanda (2022-05-03). "The 'Bizarrely Authoritarian' U.S. Education System Inspired This Husband and Wife to Co-Found a 'Genius School' for Future Entrepreneurs and Leaders". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  4. ^ a b Collins, Malcolm (2013-08-06). "How I Proposed to My Girlfriend on Reddit". HuffPost. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  5. ^ "더벤처스, 말콤 콜린스 前아트코기 대표 영입". 더벨뉴스 (in Korean). 2015-10-05. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  6. ^ "[인사동정]말콤 콜린스, 더벤처스 전략 디렉터에 영입". 미래를 보는 신문 - 전자신문 (in Korean). 2015-10-01. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  7. ^ "Homepage - The Pragmatist Foundation". Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  8. ^ a b c Cook, Michael (2022-11-24). "The power couple on a mission to save the world from demographic disaster". Mercator. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  9. ^ "Bestselling Books Week Ended March 25". WSJ. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  10. ^ a b c Kirkey, Sharon (2023-12-18). "The new push for more babies: How tech elites think it will save the planet". National Post. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  11. ^ a b Collins, Malcolm (2023-01-28). "The world needs more big families like ours for humans to survive". New York Post. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  12. ^ Slawson, Nicola (2023-09-04). "First Thing: US pro-birth conference's links to far-right eugenicists revealed". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  13. ^ Wilson, Jason (2023-09-04). "Revealed: US pro-birth conference's links to far-right eugenicists". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  14. ^ a b c d Del Valle, Gaby (2024-04-28). "The Far Right's Campaign to Explode the Population". Politico. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  15. ^ "Simone and Malcolm Collins: the pro-birthers trying to grow populations". RNZ. 2023-12-10. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  16. ^ Ohio Star Staff (2023-05-05). "Commentary: The Population Crash". The Ohio Star.
  17. ^ Harrington, Mary (2023-11-03). "Can liberals save themselves from extinction?". UnHerd. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  18. ^ a b Goldbert, Carey (2022-05-26). "The Pandora's Box of Embryo Testing Is Officially Open". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  19. ^ a b Fiano-Chesser, Cassy (2022-11-30). "'Hipster eugenicist' couple hopes to make real-life 'Gattaca' babies through genetic screening". Live Action News. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  20. ^ a b c Mahdawi, Arwa (2023-04-21). "'Hipster eugenics': why is the media cosying up to people who want to build a super race?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  21. ^ Bradford, Mark (2023-12-26). "Pronatalists Want A Child, But Not THAT One". Word on Fire. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  22. ^ Hunter (2023-04-20). "Meet the elite couples who want to overpopulate the planet with their elite babies". Daily Kos. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  23. ^ a b Schneider, Aliya (2024-06-18). "This controversial Montco couple wants to repopulate the earth — and get elected to the Pa. House". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2024-06-18. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  24. ^ "Election Results: State Rep. Joe Webster Defeats Simone Collins In 150th". Lower Providence, PA: Patch.com. November 6, 2024. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  25. ^ Hunter, Glenn (9 January 2017). "Why Many Entrepreneurs Are Turning to a 'Search-Fund' Model". Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  26. ^ a b "In re Collins, Case No. 01-30320-SAF-7, Adversary No. 02-3113 | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kleeman, Jenny (25 May 2024). "America's premier pronatalists on having 'tons of kids' to save the world: 'There are going to be countries of old people starving to death'". The Guardian.
  28. ^ Mekelburg, Madlin (2022-12-30). "Prominent Texas Family Has $29 Million Embezzled by Bookkeeper". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  29. ^ Staff (2022-12-30). "Lewisville woman pleads guilty to embezzling $29 million from Collins family businesses". Dallas News. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  30. ^ Farris, Bella (2023-01-03). "Millions Embezzled from Dallas Family". Dallas Express. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  31. ^ "Meet the Staff! An Interview with Simone Smith". HubPages Blog. 27 April 2012. Archived from the original on 2024-05-31.
  32. ^ Cole, Samantha (2023-04-19). "The 'Elite' Breeding Couple Are Terminally Online Redditors Who've Gone Viral Before". Vice. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  33. ^ Morgan, Piers (2023-05-04). Breeder Is Going To KEEP Having Children Until Her 'Uterus Is Removed' (Video). Retrieved 2024-04-29 – via www.youtube.com.
  34. ^ "Jordan Peterson Vs Us Parenting Strategies". YouTube. 19:50. 22 September 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  35. ^ Based Camp (2024-06-14). "Tract 6: Why we believe in a TechnoPuritan God". YouTube (Video). Retrieved 2024-06-24.
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