Nick Bilton

Nick Bilton is a British-American journalist, author, screenwriter, and filmmaker whose work focuses on the intersection of technology, culture, and power. Bilton spent more than a decade at The New York Times, serving as a design editor, researcher in the R&D labs, technology columnist, and lead writer for the Bits blog. He later joined Vanity Fair as a special correspondent, writing features and columns covering technology, business, politics, and culture. Throughout his career, Bilton has produced Emmy Award-winning documentaries, scripted television shows, feature films, two New York Times-bestselling nonfiction books, and a Webby Award-winning podcast.

Bilton's investigative journalism has influenced public policy and corporate accountability. His columns and features for The New York Times and Vanity Fair have prompted investigations by the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice, and Congress. His reporting on the Federal Aviation Administration's ban on electronics during flights contributed to the agency overturning its prohibition on using devices during takeoff and landing. Bilton's exposé on Twitter's user engagement metrics led to an $800 million class action settlement against the company, and he successfully defended a First Amendment lawsuit to protect his sources. His investigative work has been cited in congressional inquiries, federal investigations, and criminal cases, addressing topics such as gun control, privacy, voting, free speech online, and the relationship between technology and democratic institutions.

As an author, Bilton has written three books, two of which became New York Times bestsellers. These include "I Live in the Future & Here's How It Works: Why Your World, Work, and Brain Are Being Creatively Disrupted," "Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal," and "American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road." "Hatching Twitter" provides a narrative account of Twitter's founding and early growth, based on interviews with the platform's co-founders, employees, and investors. "American Kingpin" explores the story of the Silk Road marketplace, its founder Ross Ulbricht, and the efforts of U.S. law enforcement to arrest him. The book has been adapted for film by prominent filmmakers.

Bilton has also contributed to the film and television industry. His productions include HBO's "The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley," directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, and HBO's "Fake Famous," which Bilton produced and directed. "Fake Famous" is a documentary examining social media and influencer culture, in which Bilton conducted a social experiment to reveal the manufactured nature of online fame. He has written scripts and executive produced films, television shows, and documentaries for Lionsgate, Amazon Studios, Warner Bros., Netflix, Disney, and Universal.

Bilton continues to work on major Hollywood productions, including writing and producing a movie and book about organized crime in Hawaii. He is recognized for addressing prominent issues in technology and society, creating nonfiction content across various media. Bilton also serves as an adjunct professor at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program within the Tisch School of the Arts.