They named him authentic, then billed him two hundred grand a month to fake it — and there's a stone in his hometown with two names on it.
# What you need to know before you press play
- Episode 8 — the origins of the empire, and the buried thing, come into view.
- Cope's viral 'warmth' campaign moved hearts but not the share price.
- He returns to Defiance, Georgia, where the family empire began.
- First real glimpse of a memorial stone bearing two names — the thing he buried.
- Listen after Episode 7.
- The show
- A full-cast audio drama about Cope Mercer, the last human CEO in the Fortune 100, waging a coke-fueled crusade to prove a person still belongs in the chair while the AI hired to replace him digs up what he buried.
- Listen order
- Best heard in order, from Episode 1.
- This one
- Episode 8 of 29 · about 29:56.
- Heads up
- Strong language, drug use, sexual content, and depictions of suicide.
# In this episode
The authenticity machine is running: eleven million on a soul, a 'warmth module' to bottle it, a viral answer that touched people and moved zero shares. Cope performs the moved thing with his face while feeling nothing at all behind it.
Then he goes home to Defiance, Georgia — climbing out the wrong door on purpose — to where the Mercer empire started. And in that town there's a stone with two names carved into it.
This is where the show quietly reminds you the stakes aren't just a job. Something happened here. Two people are dead. Cope has spent his whole life not looking at that stone.
# Show notes
They named a man authentic, then billed him two hundred grand a month to fake it — welcome back. This is THE LAST HUMAN CEO, and Cope's still swinging: eleven million on a soul, a warmth module to bottle it, a viral answer that moved hearts and moved no shares.
Now he comes home to Defiance, Georgia, where the empire began — climbing out the wrong door on purpose, letting his face do the moved thing while feeling nothing at all. There's a stone in that town with two names on it. Stay close.
# Topics & themes
# Frequently asked questions
What happens in Episode 8 of The Last Human CEO?
Cope's warmth campaign goes viral without moving the stock, and a trip to his hometown surfaces a memorial stone with two names — the thing he buried.
Where is The Last Human CEO set?
Mostly Atlanta and the fictional town of Defiance, Georgia, where the Mercer family empire began.
Do I need to listen to The Last Human CEO in order?
Yes. It's a serialized narrative, so it plays best in order, starting from Episode 1.
Is The Last Human CEO explicit?
Yes. It carries an explicit rating for strong language, drug use, sexual content, and depictions of suicide.
How long is The Last Human CEO?
Twenty-nine episodes, roughly 12.6 hours total as a full-cast audiobook.
