There are two kinds of rich people:

1. People whose wealth is tied up in job, product and service creating enterprises.

2. The idle rich who collect art, have multiple estates, eat bon-bons with their 4 o'clock tea, vacation all over the world and dole out pittances to the poor thru their tax-sheltered foundations.

In history, Cornelius Vanderbilt was Type 1, and his Biltmore Estate-owning grandson George Washington Vanderbilt was Type 2, more or less.

In the modern world, Sam Walton was Type 1, and his art-collecting daughter Alice is Type 2.

Now before one says "yeah, but Walmart offers only low-paying jobs", consider that they created over 2.1 million jobs that pay the same as Kroger, Publix, Albertsons, etc., and they pay their suppliers billions upon billions for the goods that they sell thru their retail stores, which creates millions more jobs.

It is debatable that Musk is "hoarding" wealth.

First, most of his wealth is on paper showing ownership of enterprises that he created, and in doing so, he directly created 160,000 high-paying jobs within his organizations, and billions of dollars of orders to suppliers who likewise hire thousands and thousands of people. His entrepreneurship has a multiplying effect of wealth throughout the nation and world. Think of it as an economic Ponzi Scheme structure that actually works for everyone in the hierarchy.

Second, his paper wealth is supported by what other shareholders are willing to pay for stock, not just the infrequent IPOs, but in ongoing trade in the stock exchanges. It's the other shareholders who have faith in his abilities that keep his wealth pumped up. If he fails to perform, and people bail on the stock in his companies, he loses billions of paper wealth.

Third, the increase in his monetary wealth seems to be applied to new ventures which creates new jobs, and more business for suppliers.

One might want to look into how much actual idle cash he has on hand, how much he pays in taxes, and how much he spends in philanthropic causes before making a judgement on how he is somehow responsible for the lack of basic needs in society.

Remember, he, like Ken, can drive only one Tesla at a time.

It then would be incumbent on one to analyze the demographics of those whose basic needs are not being addressed.

For the able-bodied slackers who just don't want to work, let them do without ... they are their own problem ... and solution.

For those who cannot help themselves, look to an otherwise do-nothing congress to apply fair taxation to cover the needs of the indigent.

However, with our congress, it may be a bit too late. With $37 trillion in debt which they ran up with little to show for it, any tax they do collect will go to interest on debt before the poor get a dime.

Ironically, the "violent change that almost always follows" will bring about the dark ages, starvation and death as the have-nots kill the rich to spite themselves.

Perhaps the robots will learn how to make and repair robots, and they shall inherit the Earth, but Himalayan Persian Cats will always be at the top of the food chain.

Julianna Anastasia & Victoria Alexandra Vishnevskaya Fuego


I rest my case.