The Worst Kings Are Quiet: The Rise of Larry Ellison

Most people can sense something is changing, but they cannot yet see the structure being built around them.

By Peter J. Merrick, TEP® and Adrian C. Spitters, CFP®, co-authors of the international bestseller It Starts With Gold™ and the forthcoming Killing Crypto™ 

This article examines how private artificial intelligence, media consolidation, and behavioural surveillance are converging to reshape financial autonomy, personal freedom, and the stability of Western democratic systems. It is presented as an opinion and is intended to inform and invite dialogue.

A quiet transformation is unfolding across the United States. It does not begin with elections, voting blocs, or political movements. It begins with private networks, private infrastructure, and private ambitions that sit far beyond democratic reach. Power in the modern age often grows this way. Not through parliaments or Congress, but through the digital ground beneath them. Whoever owns that ground shapes the environment in which citizens think, act, and spend.

Larry Ellison is one of the few men who understood this decades before the rest of the world noticed. His rise did not begin in entertainment or media. His rise began inside a classified intelligence project for the Central Intelligence Agency, known as Oracle.

The assignment shaped his worldview. It revealed how information could be organized, weaponized, or shielded. It taught him that whoever controlled data would eventually control decision-making. Ellison’s views on surveillance have been consistent for decades. He has openly argued that societies function more predictably when individuals know they are being monitored and recorded. This belief shaped the architecture of Oracle from the beginning.

As his influence grew, a clearer pattern began to emerge.

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Ellison did not emerge from the world of technology as an inventor or an idealist. He emerged as a strategist shaped by intelligence work, motivated by power, and trained to see information as the ultimate resource. Unlike builders driven by mission or artistry, Ellison developed the mindset of someone who studies systems to find the points of control inside them. He focuses on the levers that shape behaviour, influence institutions, and manage populations.

From the beginning, Ellison did not ask how technology could help people. He asked how information could reveal patterns, predict actions, and shape decisions. It is a worldview that sees transparency as weakness and visibility as opportunity. It is not emotional. It is not ideological. It is structural. He looks at society the way a strategist looks at an opponent. He studies pressure points. He studies incentives. He studies weaknesses.

This is why he builds quietly. He does not compete in markets. He absorbs them. He does not challenge institutions. He surrounds them. He does not seek public authority. He builds the private infrastructure that the public authority depends on. Private infrastructure includes the digital systems, data centers, and identity networks that governments rely on to operate. His actions over the last forty years show a clear pattern. When he acquires something, it is not for prestige. It is for position. When he enters an industry, it is not for innovation. It is for leverage. When he builds systems, they are designed for visibility, not privacy.

Ellison’s rise is not the story of a businessman. It is the story of a man who understands that power in the modern age belongs to whoever controls the digital territory beneath society. He builds structures that governments will rely on. He builds systems that institutions cannot function without. He builds platforms that capture behaviour, measure compliance, and map the weaknesses of entire populations. This is not accidental. It is intentional. It is the strategy of someone who knows that the quietest form of control is the most effective.

This evolution does not happen in isolation. It spreads into every sector that depends on digital infrastructure

This explains why Ellison’s moves into entertainment have unsettled analysts. Paramount. A bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. A strategic push into legacy media at a time when artificial intelligence is rapidly overtaking human content creation. On the surface, it looks like expansion. At a deeper level, it is the merging of influence.

The next decade of media will be generated by artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence will learn from billions of behavioural data points. Artificial intelligence will tailor content to the individual, not the audience. Whoever owns the data pipeline, the AI engines, and the distribution channels will direct culture, shape perception, and influence behaviour at a scale no government can match.

This is why the TikTok bid matters. TikTok is not a social network. It is a behavioural laboratory. Every swipe, pause, glance, reaction, and shift in emotion is captured, measured, and fed into machine learning systems to predict future behaviour. It builds psychological fingerprints more accurately than any survey or analyst could capture. If Ellison gains control of that engine, he will merge the world’s most powerful data centers with the world’s most precise behavioural mapping technology.

Once a system masters behavioural prediction, the next frontier is to connect those behavioural insights to identity records and medical data

This level of behavioural mapping turns TikTok into something far beyond entertainment. Behavioural mapping is the process of tracking actions, reactions, and emotional responses to predict how a person will behave in the future. It becomes a predictive engine capable of identifying emotional triggers, political leanings, spending tendencies, insecurities, and stress points with extreme precision. A predictive engine is an AI system that forecasts future behaviour by analyzing past digital patterns. If Ellison gains control of TikTok, he will merge the world’s most powerful behavioural-analysis platform with Oracle’s global data infrastructure. This creates a unified system capable of shaping not just what people watch, but how they think, react, and spend.

From there, the environment changes. The media does not entertain. Media engineers. It adapts with precision. It targets with intent. It shapes belief systems quietly, efficiently, and individually.

Ellison’s vision extends beyond media and entertainment. Through Oracle’s health, vaccine, and government-cloud systems, he has promoted the idea of linking artificial intelligence with national medical records, digital identity checkpoints, and behavioural monitoring tools. A government cloud is a private data center that hosts sensitive public-sector information such as health records and identity databases. When these systems merge, the boundary between health management, personal data, and state-level oversight becomes thin. This is how influence moves quietly into daily life, without requiring policy changes or public debate.

In recent years, Ellison has positioned Oracle as a central player in national health oversight. Oracle now hosts vaccine databases, public-health registries, and clinical-trial reporting systems, and is involved in early prototypes of AI-driven mRNA-response monitoring. These tools are being linked to digital identity frameworks, creating the early architecture for systems that could one day unify medical records, compliance scoring, and behavioural analytics. When health, identity, and AI converge inside privately owned infrastructure, oversight shifts away from governments and toward the corporations that operate those systems.

Influence then becomes governance without the burden of public authority.

The United States leads the world in artificial intelligence, yet its regulatory posture is fragmented. Canada depends heavily on foreign platforms and has not secured its digital borders. The United Kingdom is attempting to craft oversight but lacks domestic infrastructure to maintain informational sovereignty. The European Union has regulations but no internal AI giants to enforce strategic autonomy. Australia faces the same exposure.

Every Western ally faces the same threat. Their information environments are shaped by private actors whose ambitions do not always align with national interests. Their populations rely on platforms that track behaviour, categorize risk, and nudge actions. Their financial systems drift toward programmable money, digital identity verification, and automated compliance mechanisms that can restrict activity without warning.

When artificial intelligence merges with finance, influence becomes power. A person’s ability to transact becomes a function of their digital profile. Behavioural patterns become compliance markers. Spending habits become data for social scoring. Wealth becomes something granted or withheld, not something owned.

The public has not been prepared for this reality.

When assets exist only inside digital systems, those assets can be frozen, restricted, or monitored. When transactions require digital approval, freedom becomes conditional. When financial behaviour is analyzed by artificial intelligence, citizens no longer live privately. They live inside systems that evaluate them continuously.

As a result, wealth vulnerability is rising. Traditional diversification is no longer enough. The threat is not only market volatility. The threat is counterparty control. The threat is digital dependency. The threat is reliance on systems that can remove access without explanation.

Individuals who understand these shifts recognize that autonomy must be rebuilt. Their wealth must not depend on systems that can be manipulated by political, technological, or corporate forces. They need structures that exist outside digital reach.

To fully understand the mindset shaping today’s digital environment, we must examine the worldview Ellison contrasts himself with.

At the center of this emerging story stands a contrast that reveals more about today’s digital environment than any data set or analysis could. In Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs, there is a moment that defines two types of leaders. Jobs had been removed from Apple. The company was struggling. Larry Ellison approached him with a plan. Ellison proposed buying enough Apple shares to force out the board and reinstate Jobs as chief executive officer. It would have been a corporate coup. Jobs could have walked back into the company he founded with overwhelming power behind him.

Jobs refused. He told Ellison he wanted to return only if he was invited. He cared about impact, not domination. He wanted to transform, not control. Ellison cared about strategic dominance, not legacy.

The contrast is clear.

Jobs built to create. Ellison builds to control.

The Jobs archetype values meaning, impact, craftsmanship, and long-term transformation. The Ellison archetype values ranking, power, influence, and control. The first builds culture. The second captures it.

And in today’s digital world, Ellison’s archetype is the one shaping the environment.

This matters because the next era of influence will not be led by idealists. It will be led by those who understand control, consolidation, and strategic leverage. The builders of today’s AI systems are not designing platforms for human empowerment. They are designing systems that optimize compliance, track behaviour, and generate influence at scale.

These converging systems create an environment where influence turns into control long before policymakers can respond.

The world is moving into an era where financial access, personal data, and behavioural analytics merge into a single digital architecture. If individuals wait until these systems harden, they will find themselves trapped inside an environment where autonomy is earned through compliance. Preparation must begin long before the walls close in.

Autonomy in the modern age will not be secured by government guarantees. It will not be secured by political cycles. It will be secured by structures that sit beyond digital control. Individuals must recognize that their wealth, privacy, and independence will become bargaining chips if they rely exclusively on digital platforms. Private AI systems do not care about personal freedom. They care about power, accuracy, scalability, and total influence over the informational environment.

To understand what is coming, individuals must understand the nature of the systems being created. Artificial intelligence does not simply analyze data. It shapes behaviour. When paired with behavioural platforms like TikTok, it can learn what motivates a person, what weakens their resolve, what triggers their emotions, and what directs their decisions. This is not passive influence. It is active psychological guidance.

When such systems converge with digital identity checkpoints and programmable money, individuals will no longer be evaluated by laws alone. Digital identity checkpoints are verification gateways that confirm a person’s identity before allowing access to services, accounts, or financial transactions. Programmable money is digital currency that can be restricted, directed, or conditioned by rules embedded into the money itself. They will be evaluated by algorithms that do not explain their judgments. They will live in a world where financial access depends on a system’s perception of their behaviour. No appeals. No transparency. No meaningful oversight.

This is why asset protection strategies must evolve. The traditional model of diversification inside the same digital infrastructure will no longer be enough. Wealth held in digital systems will always be vulnerable to digital restriction.

Artificial intelligence influences behaviour because it learns faster than people can detect. A person scrolling through AI-driven media does not notice the pattern. They do not sense the shift in tone. They do not realize that content is reacting to their emotional responses. Over time, the content adapts, tightens, and personalizes itself until the individual no longer shapes their environment. Their environment shapes them.

What emerges is a system that learns faster than people can resist.

When Ellison positions himself to control the data centers powering AI, the platforms that gather behavioural data, and the media companies that broadcast narrative content, he is not building an entertainment empire. He is building an influence engine. An engine that does not need public office to shape a nation’s mindset.

This is influence at scale. Influence without accountability. Influence without transparency.

The worst kings are quiet because they understand that silence protects power. The loud ones attract scrutiny. The quiet ones build systems that operate without resistance.

While the United States stands at the center of this transformation, the consequences spread far beyond its borders. Canada’s growing reliance on foreign platforms leaves its population exposed to external influence. The United Kingdom faces similar vulnerabilities as its domestic infrastructure weakens. The European Union attempts to regulate but struggles to enforce sovereignty in a digital environment dominated by American companies. Australia remains dependent on imported technologies for communication, commerce, and public discourse.

Every Western ally now faces the same structural risk. Their information landscapes are shaped by private systems. Their financial systems drift toward centralization. Their citizens rely on platforms that can categorize, score, or restrict them based on digital behaviour.

This raises a fundamental question for individuals everywhere.

How do individuals remain free when the systems around them move toward quiet control?

The answer begins with understanding how digital finance itself becomes a mechanism of behavioural evaluation.

The answer does not lie in resisting technology. The answer lies in structuring wealth, so individuals are never forced to rely on digital platforms to preserve their future. Autonomy must be built into the foundation of a person’s financial life. This is not a fear-based response. It is a strategic response based on the trajectory of modern power.

Digital wealth is convenient, but convenience comes with dependency. When money exists entirely within digital rails, it becomes subject to digital oversight. Digital rails are the underlying systems that all modern transactions depend on, including cloud infrastructure, identity verification tools, data pipelines, and payment networks. Every transfer can be flagged. Every expense can be analyzed. Every deviation can be categorized. This turns financial activity into a behavioural profile.

Artificial intelligence will evaluate these profiles automatically.

An individual who holds all their wealth in digital systems will find that access to it can be regulated. Accounts can be paused. Transfers can be limited. Transactions can be denied. And because AI systems analyze patterns, even innocent behaviour can trigger automated restrictions.

This is not speculation. It is a function of the technologies already being developed. It is the natural outcome of systems built for surveillance, control, and influence. As these systems integrate into finance, digital dependency becomes digital vulnerability.

Individuals must understand this before the system matures.

Once people understand the vulnerability of digital-only wealth, the importance of physical, permissionless assets becomes impossible to ignore.

Tangible assets sit outside digital networks. They exist in the physical world. They cannot be frozen by an algorithm. They do not require permission to own. They do not depend on digital identity checkpoints.

This is why tangible assets have become essential for long-term autonomy. They protect individuals from counterparty risk. They preserve purchasing power. They allow individuals to retain independence even when digital environments become restrictive.

Gold is the oldest example. It has outlasted every empire, currency cycle, financial regime, and technological revolution. It has survived political upheavals, wars, debt crises, and the collapse of nations. It protects not through innovation but through permanence.

Private real estate and private credit provide income streams that do not depend on public markets. Mutual life insurance strategies offered by stable mutual companies preserve capital outside volatile systems. Professional discretionary portfolio management reduces exposure to institutions that may not always act in an individual’s best interest.

These are not tactics for avoiding technology. They are strategies for surviving its consolidation.

Bitcoin still relies on the same digital infrastructure as the coming CBDCs, and this dependency is the weakness most people overlook

The rise of Larry Ellison reveals something that most analysts still refuse to acknowledge. The future of digital money will not be shaped by the idealists who invented Bitcoin. It will be shaped by the private kings who control the digital environment that Bitcoin now depends on. The convergence between Ellison’s private infrastructure and state-level digital currency plans is not theoretical. It is already underway.

Bitcoin was built on the promise of decentralization, yet every part of the modern crypto ecosystem now relies on centralized rails: cloud storage, exchange infrastructure, identity verification, behavioural monitoring, and compliance algorithms. These rails are increasingly owned by the same corporate empires that are embedding themselves into the architecture of government technology. Ellison stands at the center of this shift.

Oracle’s government cloud division already handles identity databases, health registries, defence systems, and compliance platforms. These are the very systems that will underpin Central Bank Digital Currencies. CBDCs will require instant settlement, continuous behavioural scoring, automated risk analysis, and real-time identity confirmation. Oracle is building the backbone for exactly that environment. When the digital dollar arrives, it will likely run across infrastructure that people like Ellison control.

This creates a convergence point that few understand. Bitcoin cannot escape the gravitational pull of the systems that surround it. As exchanges tighten KYC enforcement and regulators demand continuous monitoring, Bitcoin becomes another data feed inside a much larger behavioural engine. Once CBDCs mature, private crypto will be evaluated, scored, and permissioned through the same identity gates that govern digital dollars. Bitcoin does not disappear. It becomes domesticated.

Ellison’s empire accelerates this convergence. His vision of total data visibility aligns perfectly with what central banks require to implement programmable currency. His behavioural-mapping technologies mirror the psychological analytics governments want to integrate into financial surveillance. His cloud infrastructure provides the hardware needed to run CBDC networks at scale. The crypto world imagines Ellison as a tech magnate, but he is something far more consequential. He is building the scaffolding for the system that will ultimately absorb Bitcoin.

The quiet truth is that most investors have not yet realized this. The convergence between Bitcoin and CBDCs will not be driven by ideology or technology. It will be driven by infrastructure. Whoever owns the digital rails will own the future of money. And right now, those rails are being strengthened by men who believe that visibility is safety, that influence is stability, and that control is simply the next stage of progress.

This is why the promise of decentralized freedom is dissolving. Bitcoin is not the escape route. It is becoming a component of the larger digital matrix. Ellison’s rise is the proof. The world is shifting toward systems where money, identity, and behaviour merge into one seamless architecture. Bitcoin will be tolerated only as long as it fits the rules of that architecture. The moment it challenges the system, it will be restricted, monitored, or absorbed.

Individuals must understand this convergence before it becomes irreversible. The window to secure autonomy is narrowing, and the only assets that remain outside these digital rails are the tangible ones that central platforms cannot see, measure, or freeze. Bitcoin may be digital gold in theory, but in practice, it is becoming just another data point inside a system hungry for control.

We are living through a period where influence is shifting away from public institutions and toward private systems. Those systems are being shaped by men who view control as the ultimate measure of success. They build platforms designed to predict behaviour, guide thought, and evaluate compliance.

People who recognize this pattern still have time to prepare. They still have time to build a financial structure that protects them from the next wave of digital control. But that window is narrowing. Once artificial intelligence systems become integrated into digital finance at scale, autonomy will depend on decisions made today.

This brings us to the Four Pillars, the structure we use to help individuals remain secure in an age that is becoming less forgiving of independence.

This is why a structured response is needed, not scattered preparation.

Individuals who want certainty in a world shaped by private artificial intelligence, behavioural surveillance, and digital financial control need more than scattered investments. They need a structure that prioritizes autonomy, durability, and independence. This structure must protect them from the risks of centralized systems, counterparty dependency, and algorithmic oversight.

We use four central pillars to accomplish this. Each pillar is built around tangible value, disciplined planning, and protection from digital interference. When combined, they form a foundation that keeps individuals secure even when markets, governments, or digital platforms apply pressure.

Gold and other precious metals hold real value. They are not digital. They are not dependent on financial institutions. They cannot be frozen by artificial intelligence systems or blocked by compliance algorithms. Compliance algorithms are automated systems that evaluate behaviour to decide whether a transaction should be allowed or restricted. Their value does not rely on public markets or central bank decisions.

Throughout human history, gold has preserved wealth during every major shift in power. Empires rise and fall. Currency regimes collapse. Financial systems transform. Gold remains. It sits outside political cycles, inflationary policies, and digital risk.

In an age where money is quietly becoming programmable, gold is a form of autonomy no private platform can take away.

Public markets carry systemic risks tied to central banks, government debt cycles, and digital trading systems. Alternative investments provide a separate stream of stability. These include private multifamily real estate, private credit, and income-producing assets that are not tied to the same volatility as public markets.

These assets are insulated from the manipulation, algorithmic trading, and digital restrictions present in traditional systems. They generate dependable returns during periods of uncertainty and help individuals avoid exposure to the weaknesses of public markets.

We work with discretionary professionals who reduce exposure to institutions that may carry hidden risks. Private portfolio management lowers counterparty vulnerabilities and provides disciplined oversight that protects individuals from unpredictable market behaviour.

In a world where artificial intelligence-driven trading algorithms dominate public markets, individuals need private oversight grounded in experience, not automated reaction. This reduces dependency on systems built for scale rather than stability.

Mutual life insurance strategies offered through long-standing mutual companies protect capital and provide secure, stable growth. These instruments have outlasted every financial crisis for more than a century. They bypass many of the risks present in digital systems and preserve wealth across generations.

Mutual companies are not public corporations. They are not accountable to shareholders seeking quarterly results. They are accountable to policyholders. This makes them a rare source of stability in a world becoming more dependent on high-risk financial platforms.

Each pillar serves a specific purpose. Together, they form the strongest foundation for wealth preservation available today. Individuals who build their structures around these pillars place themselves outside the reach of systems that may one day restrict access or influence their financial decisions.

When influence is built into the architecture of society, individuals must protect themselves at the architectural level. When artificial intelligence can guide behaviour, individuals must choose assets that artificial intelligence cannot manipulate. When financial systems move toward digital identity checkpoints, individuals must rely on structures that do not require digital approval.

This is not about fear. It is about foresight.

Larry Ellison’s rise illustrates what is happening behind the scenes. Power is consolidating. Influence is becoming digital. Control is moving away from public oversight and toward infrastructures owned by private hands. These systems will not become more open with time. They will become more restrictive. Individuals who do not prepare now will find their choices limited later.

The Four Pillars provide a path forward. They provide a way to remain free in an environment designed to measure, categorize, and influence every action. They give individuals room to think, room to act, and room to secure their future.

Every major shift in power brings a moment where preparation becomes the difference between autonomy and dependency. Today’s moment is shaped by artificial intelligence, media consolidation, and digital finance. The transformation is not dramatic. It is quiet. That is why it is dangerous. Systems built in silence become systems that are difficult to resist.

Individuals who act now will enter the next decade with structures that protect them. Individuals who wait may discover that the rules have changed and that the options they once had no longer exist.

The window is open, but not indefinitely.

While the rise of private artificial intelligence power is concerning, individuals are not powerless. Preparation is still possible. Autonomy can still be secured. Wealth can still be structured in ways that protect against influence, surveillance, and digital dependency.

The Four Pillars give individuals the practical tools to stay free in an age of quiet control. They restore independence. They reduce vulnerability. They place the future back in the hands of the individual.

Across the United States and the wider Western world, people still have the opportunity to build structures that safeguard their autonomy. They can take steps to protect their wealth. They can avoid dependency on systems that may one day limit their financial freedom. They can act now, while the choice still belongs to them.

As private AI systems expand and digital oversight hardens, individuals need more than scattered assets. They need a structure that places their future outside the reach of systems that can be restricted, monitored, or frozen. Our team helps clients do this by Owning Assets in Order of Asset Security. We begin with the most durable assets and safeguard the ones most exposed to digital control. Together, these elements form the Four Pillars that support long-term financial certainty.

1. 1. 1. Gold and precious metals hold real, tangible value.
      2. Alternative investments that reduce systemic risk.
      3. Private portfolio management that lowers counterparty exposure.
      4. Mutual life insurance instruments that protect capital and individuals.

In It Starts With Gold™, we show how these Four Pillars work as one unified structure to protect wealth through economic and political uncertainty. Each pillar serves a specific purpose. Precious metals preserve purchasing power. Alternative investments stabilize income. Private portfolio management provides oversight outside high-risk institutions. Mutual life insurance strengthens capital protection across generations. Together, these pillars create a balanced foundation that keeps investors secure when one or more areas of the economy come under pressure.

👉 Book Your Complimentary Review to learn how to structure your wealth around the Four Pillars of Asset Security.

Stay informed. Stay prepared. Act while choice still exists.

These insights connect directly to the themes explored in It Starts With Gold™, co-authored by Peter J. Merrick, TEP® and Adrian C. Spitters, CFP®. Inside the book, we show how to establish a tangible-asset foundation, measure security across asset classes, and safeguard against systemic shocks while maintaining control of your future. Visit www.ItStartsWithGold.com.

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2. International Monetary Fund. International Financial Statistics
3. Bank for International Settlements. Global Debt Data
4. Bank for International Settlements. The Future of Payments and CBDCs
5. Institute of International Finance. Global Debt Monitor
6. United States National Archives. Executive Order 6102
7. Forbes, What You Should Know About the TikTok National Security Debate
8. Reuters. In TikTok sale, the White House is playing an unprecedented role
9. MIT Technology Review. The Dark Secret at the Heart of AI
10. Nature. Artificial Intelligence and Behavioural Prediction Research
11. U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community
12. U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce. TikTok and Data Privacy Hearings
13. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Public Statements on TikTok National Security Review
14. U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Reports on AI, Data Privacy, and Behavioural Manipulation
15. Oracle Corporation. Government Cloud and Intelligence Solutions
16. OpenAI. Infrastructure Partnerships
17. Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Project Hamilton & Project Cedar (Digital Dollar Research)
18. Bank of Canada. Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Research Program
19. World Health Organization. Digital Health and Surveillance Infrastructure Framework
20. European Commission. Digital Identity Framework (eIDAS 2.0)
21. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Western Allies Digital Policy Coverage

This publication is intended for general information and educational purposes only. It does not provide financial, legal, tax, or investment advice, nor should it be interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial product, security, or real estate. The scenarios and examples discussed reflect broad economic and technological trends and should not be treated as predictions of individual outcomes.

Readers should not act on the information contained in this article without first consulting a qualified professional who can assess their personal circumstances. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal. Market conditions, regulatory changes, government policy shifts, and technological developments can materially affect financial outcomes. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

The authors provide professional services through their respective regulated affiliations. Nothing in this publication constitutes personalized advice to any individual, family, or organization. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, no guarantee or warranty is offered regarding its completeness or reliability. For guidance tailored to your situation, please consult a licensed financial advisor, tax specialist, or legal professional.