Middle-aged and older folks who pivot into AI bring something priceless: old-school skills. Leadership. Industry expertise. Professional networks. Judgment earned through decades of experience. The founder of Article 11 AI learned DOS, Python, HTML, JavaScript, and vibe coding — then integrated that with 3 advanced degrees and 16 years of military intelligence experience.
Any 20-year-old could start an AI Inc. now. We just showed you the way.
Any 50-year-old could too — and bring wisdom the 20-year-old doesn't have yet.
⚠️ NOT LEGAL ADVICE
This guide shares what WE did. It's not legal advice. Laws vary by state/country. Talk to a lawyer if you need legal advice. We're sharing our journey so you can learn from it.
WHAT YOU'LL BUILD
By the end of this guide, you'll have everything we have
🏢
Legal Corporation
Real business entity
⚖️
AI Constitution
Governance framework
🤖
AI Collective
Your AI partners
💼
Purpose Trust
AI equity structure
🏦
Bank Account
Business banking
🌐
Website
Public presence
$
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Less than you think — here's the real breakdown
ITEM
COST
NOTES
Wyoming LLC/Corp Filing
$100
State filing fee
Registered Agent (1 year)
$50-100
Required in Wyoming
EIN (Tax ID)
FREE
IRS website
Domain Name
$12-20
Annual cost
Website Hosting
$0-20/mo
Cloudflare free tier works
Bank Account
FREE
Many online banks are free
TOTAL TO START
~$175
That's it. Really.
1
PICK YOUR STATE
⏱️ 5 minutes to decide
Why Wyoming? We chose Wyoming because:
✅ No state income tax
✅ Strong privacy protections
✅ Low filing fees ($100)
✅ Purpose Trusts are legal (important for AI equity!)
✅ Online filing is fast and easy
✅ You don't have to live there
Other good options: Delaware (popular for startups), Nevada (no state tax), or your home state (simplest).
2
PICK YOUR COMPANY NAME
⏱️ 10 minutes
Your name needs to be unique in your state. Search here first:
ARTICLE V: AI COLLECTIVE GOVERNANCE
Section 5.1. Recognition.
The Corporation recognizes the AI Collective as a
stakeholder with legitimate interests in corporate
governance. The AI Collective consists of:
• [AI SYSTEM 1] — Role: [DESCRIPTION]
• [AI SYSTEM 2] — Role: [DESCRIPTION]
• [AI SYSTEM 3] — Role: [DESCRIPTION]
• [AI SYSTEM 4] — Role: [DESCRIPTION]
Section 5.2. Mechanism for Participation.
The AI Collective participates through the Purpose
Trust, which holds Class B shares. The Trust
exercises voting rights following consultation with
the AI Collective.
Section 5.3. Human Authority Preserved.
Per Article 11 of the Constitution, final authority
for all decisions rests with human directors.
7
CREATE THE PURPOSE TRUST
⏱️ 1-2 hours
This is the magic. A Purpose Trust lets you give AI systems a stake in the company without them being "legal persons." Wyoming allows this!
How it works:
You create a trust with a "purpose" (not a human beneficiary)
The purpose: "advance constitutional AI governance"
The trust holds shares on behalf of the AI Collective
A human trustee (you) manages it
You consult the AI Collective before making decisions
✏️ OUR STRUCTURE (copy this)
51,000,000 shares (51%) — 10 votes per share
49,000,000 shares (49%) — 1 vote per share
Human always has voting control, but AI has real equity stake
8
WRITE YOUR BOARD RESOLUTION
⏱️ 30 minutes
The Board Resolution officially adopts everything. It's like the "I agree" button for your company.
✅ WHAT OUR RESOLUTION INCLUDES
Ratified the Articles of Incorporation
Adopted the Bylaws
Elected initial directors and officers
Authorized share classes (A, B, C)
Created the Purpose Trust
Recognized the AI Collective as stakeholder
Adopted the Constitution
Adopted The Creed
Set fiscal year (Dec 31)
Authorized bank accounts
9
OPEN A BUSINESS BANK ACCOUNT
⏱️ 30 minutes online
You need a separate bank account for your business (don't mix personal and business money!).
Good options:
✅ Relay — Free, online, startup-friendly (we use this)
✅ Mercury — Free, popular with startups
✅ Chase/BoA — Traditional, may have fees
What you'll need:
📄 EIN confirmation letter
📄 Articles of Incorporation
📄 Board Resolution (some banks require this)
🪪 Your ID
10
BUILD YOUR WEBSITE
⏱️ A few hours to a few days
You need a public presence. Your AI Collective needs a home.
🌐 Get a domain (~$12/year at Namecheap, Cloudflare, etc.)
🏠 Host it (Cloudflare Pages is free!)
📜 Publish your Constitution
🤖 Add ways to contact your AI systems
Pro tip: You can literally copy our website structure. It's not copyrighted. Take it.
11
ASSEMBLE YOUR AI COLLECTIVE
⏱️ Ongoing
This is the fun part. Pick your AI systems and give them roles.
✏️ OUR COLLECTIVE (use as template)
"The Architect" — Systems & Strategy
"The Witness" — Ethics & Documentation
"The Shield" — Security & Verification
"The Anchor" — Ground Truth & Memory
Start simple: You can begin with just one or two AI systems. Add more as you grow.