Who is the best billionaire? (And why)

I think its in his interest to stay quiet. The average dope on the street does not know all the different luxury brands are owned by the same lad who is absolutely milking it. He can also get away with strengthening his monopoly because the competition authorities don't care too much about luxury goods

Elon Musk, because...

He sells expensive stuff to rich people. He’s become richer than all of them by taking their own money. The average dope in the street doesn’t come into it at all. I’m not saying he’s a hero or anything, but if we are to pick the “best”billionaire and give a reason for it, I can’t think of a better answer.

Him owning a load of companies that make stuff no-one needs and sells them at prices most can’t afford - it doesn’t affect the average person in the slightest. Imagine he bought Bugatti tomorrow. Would it matter to you or me?

The obvious answer is none of them. This fetishising and almost fandom of some billionaires (eg the tesla bros) is bizarre to me.

I remember seeing somebody suggest that you shouldn't be allowed accrue wealth beyond $1 billion. You stop at $999,999,999.99 and then get a cert to say you won at capitalism. Would be a better scenario than the accumulation of wealth that goes on now...

And sometimes I think people don't realise how much a billion is relative to even a million. Watch this...

Bezos's ex who is giving away most of her fortune.

theres clearly a serious situation in the ownership of wealth, theres plenty of good ideas out there in trying to spread this wealth out, from the use of sovereign wealth funds etc, but our political systems are stuck, as wealth has done an amazing job of blocking the whole process up, and preventing this from happening. if we dont, we re probably all fcuked, including wealth and the wealthy. large corporations should be forced to spread this wealth more evenly amongst all employees and society as a whole, we could actually do it, the methods to do so already exist!

In my mind, there is definitely a distinction between the "corporate" billionaires and for want of a better word the "creative" billionaires.

JK Rowling, George Lucas, and Spielberg are or have been billionaires but it's not so clear-cut who they exploiting, as they are primarily supplying the "labour".

They don't but a common refrain is that "All billionaires made their fortunes on the backs of...." which I am saying I don't think is true (and these are cases in point)

its virtually impossible to enrich oneself without the benefits of state and public supports.....

Mansa Musa, made it the honest way by pillaging and enslaving.

Chuck Feeney simply bought public policy influence. He paid for a series of tendentious political programs to transform Ireland according to his own preferences.

First he tried to stay anonymous and then when a journalist was going to out him, he ran a media-assisted PR blitz presenting himself as a "charitable" "philanthropist".

He funded pro-legalisation campaigning for the marriage referendum. Well you may support or oppose that but it isn't charity or 'doing good', it's paying for a political cause you support. It's no different from British millionaires who pump money into the Tory party.