They Rule

I was showedTheyRule.net a few years back by a friend and was reminded of it recently when asked about it by a friend in San Francisco. This sleek Flash interface allows users to see the trends in America's ruling class by identifying common CEOs, board members and government officials across the top 500 corporations in the United States. Data was compiled by the site creators from directors websites and SEC filings in early 2004. This is a static database and only represents the 2004 trends but is still a very interesting experiment in corporate management trends. Browsing can start from opening a director nebulas of a particular company or a specific director's company ties. There is also an institutional section to begin browsing college alumni trends. Preloaded maps that either individuals have created or They Rule designers built, are the most interesting and offer amazing insight into the exclusivity and commonality of the America ruling class club.