BOOK REVIEW
Where should society draw the line on extreme wealth? A fresh account sets out the logic and suggests how to redress inequality.
BOOK REVIEW
Where should society draw the line on extreme wealth? A fresh account sets out the logic and suggests how to redress inequality.
I’d draw the line around 20 million or so. I think that’s reasonable.
20 to 50 millions ought to be more than enough. A billion is an amount that no longer makes any sense (assuming we’re in euros/dollars).
I’d also say that after you get out of the low tens of millions you are, by definition, a fucking asshole. You can’t get that much money except by exploiting others. In my mind a highly skilled individual could personally create 20 million in economic output.
Where does that put entertainers, professional athletes, and lottery jackpot winners? I hear that Taylor Swift is a billionaire solely through her music sales and performance income.
Taylor Swift is an extremely odd case and might be one of the least ass-hole-y billionaires out there. But, given her level of wealth, why is she still charging for shows? Are all the people who work for her millionaires? Are all the roadies and stage hands and audio techs and venue greeters getting a fair portion of the revenue generated for their relative labor? Is there a compelling reason she shouldn’t’ve started giving away massive amounts of charity after she could afford her first mansion?
My main point about all billionaires being assholes is that at a certain point the wealth is so worthless to you personally and so valuable to the people around you that hording it means you’re an asshole - you’re greedy enough that number-goes-up is more important than the well being of those around you and those that helped you accumulate your wealth.
With $20 million I could still buy and control my local city council. /s