They were never the nerds though. They were never the ones actually implementing anything, Zuckerberg is probably the most talented out of all of them, they were always just the ones swinging the cash around.
You can sell more to people out of fear than people just going about their day/night. The Right is all about selling fear (immigrants/liberals/pedophiles/space lasers/etc.) and then ask for "donations" to help the same folks making this shit up to help line their pockets and looked down on these people as less than. Trump is currently the Rights king, and there isn't a group he has more distain and disgust for than his own base.
Capitalism in decay results in the bourgeoisie and petite bourgeoisie collaborating, in an effort to oppress the out group and forcibly "turn the clock back." It's fascism playing out yet again.