So Nate & Co sell out to a big corporation then are upset that it does big corporation stuff? I'm more mad at Nate here because 538 was my go-to for political coverage pre-sellout, and because of his greed it went away.
Whatever you feel about his actions that was at worst it was a win-lose decision. He benefited from it.
If his comment is accurate, then ABC’s decision is a clear lose-lose decision driven entirely by personal spite.
Just follow the man, not the brand. He’s still doing his thing: https://www.natesilver.net/
I understand your frustration, but greed? He didn't owe you anything. So what if he cashed out?
Your annoyance is understandable, but it's worth remembering: he is not your slave. He does not exist to do things for you. His providing you with something good for a time does not obligate him to provide it to you forever. Because he is not your slave.
His greed? I can't roll my eyes far enough back.
Build the next one yourself, and run it for as long as you want. Problem solved!
538 had some decent years through its various sellout phases and imo hit its peak after Nate Silver left - he'd long since exposed himself more as a contrarian than a serious analyst and had become a real detriment to the brand.
It was definitely sad to lose 538 how we did, but G Elliott Morris has really stepped up to continue the spirit on his Strength in Numbers blog. It's the best data-driven US politics reporting out there right now imo. He also contributes to Fifty Plus One with Mary Radcliffe, and that's excellent too, reminiscent of the old 538 polling roundup stuff that went beyond just core US politics. Recently he started a podcast with David Nir of The Downballot, which is another solid resource for lower level races.