Taleb: "At the height of the disinformation about Covid-19 and the vaccine, a person I respect asked me to intervene..."

This explains his shift, and his vitality and lack of information. A once popular and respected author with good ideas (anti-fragility) is bought and payed for. Hes in bed with the status quo.

Taking what he says as truth is an anti-fragile shit test in and of itself, this might be part of his meta game.