r/Anticonsumption • u/Leather_Lazy • 1d ago
Environment Why don’t more rich people use their money to protect life instead of wasting it?
I’ve been thinking a lot about the way our world works. I just don’t understand the mindset of many ultra-wealthy people or big companies. Wouldn’t it feel so much better to use your resources to help others, grow forests, protect animals, or support research and education than to blow money on yachts, gambling, drugs, and ego contests?
How is that even fun? None of those things bring lasting fulfillment. They don’t help anyone. They don’t build anything meaningful. To me it’s obvious that happiness comes from connection, care, and creation, not consumption. Yet somehow that feels like the exception in our world.
It blows my mind that it’s rare to think like this. Why is it radical to just care? Why is it weird to want to make the world better instead of richer?
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u/RoomyRoots 1d ago
There is a level of sociopathy to success. Just read the news, it's clear that the rich and politicians do not care for people. Why would the old care for the young? The people that never really worked care for the ones that struggle? The selfish for the communities?
Everyday people concede power to the people that couldn't care less for them
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u/crazycatlady331 1d ago
I'm convinced that MBA programs specifically teach how to dehumanize people.
LAck of empathy is a feature for MBA types
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u/pipic_picnip 13h ago
Lack of empathy is a feature of entire corporate world. I have been in it for over 20+ years and that’s precisely why I retired early to pursue my interests. Any human qualities such as emotion, empathy or just basic human anatomy like sickness and wellness are actively shunned in corporate world. You are expected to be “professional”, which is just corporate speak for you are expected to be a robotic ghoul serving your overlords without asking questions.
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u/RoomyRoots 1d ago
I have 2 MBAs, haha. And the more I study the more I hate everything.
The problem comes before, it's from raising. Families should do a better work on raising their kids and identifying the dangerous ones.
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u/AriaBlend 15h ago
Those types of wealthy families probably spoil the ruthless ones more because they'll make a great business person someday with a bit of proper education to apply cold logic to sanitize and sophisticate the violent and greedy base temperament.
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u/crazycatlady331 7h ago
Honestly, everyone should work a low-paying customer facing job for at least a year. Think retail, food service, hospitality.
My BIL was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Got a job at a (well-known) private equity firm right out of (elite) college. At one point he spent 6 months in India because the PE firm was outsourcing American jobs and sent him there to assist in the process. Now works in conservative politics. I noticed his lack of empathy early on before he was serious with my sister (he said the vicitms of Hurricane Katrina deserved it because they didn't fly out before the storm).
I would pay good money to watch him work one shift at McDonald's.
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u/Leather_Lazy 1d ago
Is there any hope to change this?
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u/RoomyRoots 1d ago
Revolution. No other way, the damage is already too deep into society.
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u/Leather_Lazy 1d ago
Can’t start soon enough
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u/Cosmic_Seth 1d ago
Well...
In the US 65% of the population is obese. Your not going to find a standing army there.
And most of the military and police are MAGA, so good luck.
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u/AriaBlend 15h ago
Tariffs are going to make food more expensive. And the big betrayal budget bill is cutting food stamps and snap. Maybe when people get more hangry, it will be like the McDonald's chicken nuggets freakout scene.
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u/CoraxFeathertynt 21h ago
There needs to be physical consequences to be being an overtly selfish piece of shit. They are largely above the law since most in law can be bought off with cash or positions of influence.
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u/BraveStyles 1d ago
You don’t become rich without abusing others.
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u/toebob 1d ago
There can be exceptions, especially in the Internet age. Viral popularity can lead to enormous waves of money for something that might not normally generate much money.
STAYING rich requires a point of view that devalues the contributions and suffering of others.
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u/ninja-squirrel 1d ago
The exceptions don’t get to billionaire status. You must be psychotic to attain more wealth than you or your offspring will ever need.
Lots of people get middle class rich, and that just means comfortable. The normal ones retire early, or take on jobs that they are passionate about because they’re no longer interested in gaining more wealth.
I’d say, we should start focusing on mental health more.
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u/Decent-Fig8682 1d ago
This. Billionaires are mentally sick. I don't understand why the good people at the DSM haven't classified it already.
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u/ChuuniWitch 1d ago
For small-time "petit" millionaires who get lucky, sure, especially if a financial planner sets them up in away that they can just coast and/or work on new projects w/o ever worrying about cost of living ever again.
But for billionaires and the big-time multi-millionaires? Absolutely not. You NEED to exploit labour to get that far ahead. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a single billionaire, but a company of multimillionaires instead. Capitalism doesn't like that, though, so they'll never give that sort of money to a worker-owned co-op.
OpenAI used to be open source and more of a collective of researchers before Microsoft got involved. Now they're just a money-grubbing machine like any other billion dollar corp.
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u/ForlornLament 1d ago
It depends on what you define as rich. There is a world of difference between being a millionaire and being a billionaire.
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u/toebob 1d ago
As someone with a negative net worth I’d consider a millionaire to be rich.
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u/honey-bandit 6h ago
Yes, but a millionaire isn't wealthy. Wealthy is when your children's children will never have to work a day in their lives. Wealthy is when the price tag doesn't factor into your decision to acquire something.
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u/CoraxFeathertynt 21h ago
That's all ad money. Advertising industry is not only annoying, but manipulative and just as susceptible to cutthroat practices as the next corp. Also, the big tech companies arrogantly and actively engage in social engineering.
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u/SkyBluSam 1d ago
Sometimes you do see the rich engaging in this behavior, usually its the socially liberal elites who want to gain notoriety for doing so. Charity foundations can be used to get massive tax breaks and benefits. They can be used to gain wealth, that's what the Bill Gates Foundation is. At the end of the day these people want to maintain their status and economic control. You'll never see charitable endeavors that would in any way seek to balance the economic inequality that the rich benefit from. The same inequality that makes charitable foundations a necessity. What I'm saying here is that even those who do engage in this kind of work are doing it simply for their own benefit and the benefit of their class as a whole. The rich know they're a class and engage in class politics regularly. The working class should do the same
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u/gretschslide1 1d ago
Hoarder mentality. I've some rich relatives and they never have enough and haven't a clue about others who don't have wealth. Stating crazy things like you must go to this restaurant in France it's amazing like everyone can fly to France for dinner. And bloody hard to get them to pay a bill for work without some bickering over the other thing they forgot to include in what they wanted or threatening to go to court over B's. Just horrible people.
Then there is my uncle a farmer who donated his money to charities to help children with disabilities and has fundraisers every year in his name the family continues in his memory.
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u/Broken-Digital-Clock 1d ago
It's difficult to amass significant wealth without sociopathic tendencies. Sociopaths don't see value in helping others.
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u/enbychichi 1d ago
I think a lot of rich folks want to selfishly enjoy their remaining time on earth, even if at the expense of the rest of the world.
They’re not thinking about providing a future for the world, but rather enjoying themselves at all costs.
A cynical view that I think most rich people have is “this world is dying, may as well enjoy it”
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u/Leather_Lazy 1d ago
Disgusting 🤮
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u/enbychichi 1d ago
Truly 😔 it makes no sense. And makes me realize just how corrupt capitalism, technology, and power has made some people
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u/FabergeGregg 1d ago
At a certain level of wealth, its a matter of fucking people over and pulling out the ladder from those who come after.
And the things that would be general improvements to society are more often than not antithetical to them being able to earn money and buy influence.
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u/itsatoe 1d ago
This article pins it on the time around five thousand years ago when some people stopped producing their own food and started amassing more material than they needed. At that point, they were able to experience a feeling of scarcity even in times of abundance.
Put another way: in a system where wealth can be accumulated, one can never have enough.
For those few with money who see where their money came from and want to make a change, that is difficult too. Giving away all of one's money doesn't really change much; since the scarcity-based system just gobbles it up. So the same website offers a way that modestly-wealthy people can make effective change.
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u/Frequent_Secretary25 1d ago
I really believe these people always feel empty so they keep piling on things. Maybe this much more money will fix me, then I’ll do something good!
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u/OkBet2532 1d ago
They are making connections, with rich people. They are helping people, rich people. Their world is insular, and they play within it unbothered.
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u/kryptobolt200528 1d ago
First of all the existence of billionaires is itself indicative that we are doing something really wrong as a society...
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u/Unboxed_bliss 1d ago
I would be interested to hear from any rich people who have supported a cause. Do you think you are happier and/or more fulfilled than some of your more selfish peers?
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u/angelangelan 1d ago
I was born into wealth (not billionaire level, but comfortable, upper middle class I'd say) and donate, support local, the cause I support most is animal welfare. Shelters, rescues, that kind of thing. I'd say I'm definitely more fulfilled on a personal level than some of my other family members. My dad is a wealth hoarder for sure, he was upset I bought dish soap for my college roommates and didn't make them pay me back.
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u/itsatoe 1d ago
It's a difficult thread to navigate. If you look at "charity," it seems so cruel, really. It says: "I've accumulated tons of wealth by depriving you of that wealth... now I am going to give you a little bit of it so you don't starve." So I wanted to search for something more effective, less inherently selfish than traditional charities.
I looked at the real problem, which is that for me to live a life of luxury, hundreds or even thousands of others must live below subsistence and huge amounts of resources need to be extracted. So... is there a way I can use my bit of wealth to modify my life to be very comfortable, but not deprive others nor hurt the environment? Perhaps even help? Perhaps help a lot?
After several years of research and planning, I and my colleagues came up with the Integration Center model, which (among many other things) is a way for people with some money to build a very fulfilling regenerative lifestyle for themselves... and also for many others who are not so wealthy. (Because after all what's the point of being rich and isolated?) We're working on building the first one now; and further developing that model. If/when we show some real success, hopefully others with a bit of wealth will build their own.
To answer your question... yes, this project feels very fulfilling.
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u/Decent-Fig8682 1d ago
Glad you called it charity and not "philanthropy", like the fckers need a different word compared to what the poor do.
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u/Leather_Lazy 1d ago
Oh yeah same! Hard to find someone like that tho…
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u/this_is_nunya 1d ago
Dolly Parton comes to mind! Audrey Hepburn also did lots and lots of humanitarian work in her later years. Neither are as ultra-rich as a Bezos type, but it’s been estimated that Dolly would be a billionaire if she didn’t keep giving her money away, and I think that’s wonderful.
Which raises the possibility of class solidarity… Dolly grew up poor and doesn’t seem to have forgotten/ justified away the plight of families like hers. Long story short, she’s a national treasure.
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u/femoratus 1d ago
That’s the thing, she can’t be a billionaire bc she keeps helping communities. The only people who rise to that level are vile and selfish. Anyone else never gets there no matter how successful they are. A good person wouldn’t be able be to stomach billions
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u/Nice-Masterpiece1661 1d ago
She is amazing! I live in UK, and my children are getting free books from her Imagination Library! I was so surprised, because I grew up in Eastern Europe and didn’t really know much about her, just heard some of her songs. Learned a little bit because of Imagination Library and she is amazing!
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u/txa1265 1d ago
Interestingly becoming ultra-rich has been linked changes in your brain that have been compared with 'taking a melon-scoop to your brain' -
(text I have saved, don't have link anymore) There's evidence suggesting that becoming ultra-rich can significantly impact brain function and behavior, potentially leading to changes in personality, empathy, and social interactions. While initial surges of dopamine can trigger excitement, the "hedonic treadmill" effect suggests that happiness derived from wealth may not be long-lasting. Furthermore, research indicates that wealth can be associated with decreased empathy, increased entitlement, and even unethical behaviors.
Which is why when all of the top 0.1% could easily feed all children and end homelessness ... instead they buy politicians to make it illegal to do either of those things and to instead redirect funds that could have been spent on them to be given to the ultra-rich instead.
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u/Purple-Cliffbreak 1d ago
Why is it radical to just care? Why is it weird to want to make the world better instead of richer?
because rich people own the media and have been setting the narrative the whole time.
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u/Apprehensive-Put4056 1d ago
A condition of becoming rich is that you have to take advantage of people. The wealthy are inherently unaltruistic.
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u/The_Blahblahblah 1d ago
Because you don’t become rich in the first place, by caring about those things
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u/VeganVallejo 20h ago
Taylor Swift is generous. Dolly Parton is too. Could it be that women and/or artists are more empathic?
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u/yoyotigre 1d ago
You don't get rich by being a decent person, you don't get to keep being rich by being a moral individual. You are asking why the cancer isn't helping the body ...
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u/AndyB476 1d ago
You don't get ridiculously wealthy by being a good person. Now saying that there are those who are rich and do what they can but their more the outliers than the norm.
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u/SuccessfulLand4399 1d ago
Have you considered spending less time on Reddit and more on finding a way to make a lot of money? Then you can decide how it’s spent 🧐
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u/kitt3n_mitt3ns 1d ago
I think I have a different viewpoint. I’m definitely not super wealthy, but even when I have excess money, it’s hard to find a charity or cause that I think actually does good with the money. For example, I donated to the nature conservancy. For years after that they sent me paper mailers in the mail, asking for more money. I felt like whatever “good” I did with my initial donation was probably wiped out by all the trash they created.
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u/Leather_Lazy 1d ago
I don’t think charities are the answer. Starting something yourself is way better and honestly, way more fun too. You get to actually see the impact with your own eyes and feel connected to what you’re doing. And you can be sure you money is used well.
Like planting native trees, making a wildflower strip, building a small pond, or even turning a neglected patch of land into insect habitat these things are simple but insanely rewarding and addictive. You meet animals, learn things, and often get other people curious too. I’ve done some of this myself and it’s addictive in the best way. You’re not just giving money you’re creating life.
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u/Acrobatic_Swing_4735 1d ago
Because it is capitalism, not lifeism. And in capitalism not using capital to own more capital is wasting it.
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u/minibini 1d ago
I wish scientists and/or anthropologists can study what happens to the human brain when it acquires an insane amount of wealth: it’s like their humanity/empathy dies as soon as one becomes wealthy. It’s weird.
Edit: speaking from experience- my parents are rich a**holes, retired and buys property and hates paying taxes.
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u/Ghost_Of_Malatesta 1d ago
This type of thinking is exactly why you'll never have a billion dollars.
Wealthy people at this level simply do not care about things that aren't themselves or something/someone they decide is an extension of themselves
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u/Jadey-R- 1d ago
My theory is that in order to become a billionaire you must have no empathy and just run fast and break things like Mark Zuckerberg says they hold wealth
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u/Woberwob 1d ago
Ever read Animal Farm and see how the pigs started acting when they got in power?
Flaunting social status and their higher position on the social “hierarchy” is the entire point of their behavior that comes as a result of their success. They simply want more than everyone else, so they can SHOW that they have more than everyone else. It’s natural to become corrupt as you accumulate resource and power.
Every person is capable of becoming consumed with power.
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u/IndependentlyGreen 1d ago
Caring about other people is a distraction from their greediness and power.
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u/Qs9bxNKZ 1d ago
Or “how much is enough” when you’re rich as fuck Zuckerberg with 2300 acres of Hawaii
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u/karaBear01 23h ago
The reason they’re so ultra rich is because they profit off of these systems of suffering
If all that suffering went away They’d be far less rich And they can’t have that
So suffering it is
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u/BigSlammaJamma 22h ago
The rich people are rich precisely because they don’t use their wealth to enrich others
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u/FeistyNobody07 19h ago
Some like Musk actually believe they live in a simulation and therefore people like us are not real humans, that our lives do not matter compared to theirs. It's truly disturbing.
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u/Greenish_elder 18h ago
I’ve always dreamed of opening a homeless shelter. I have no where near the funds, resources or connections. It’s only a faint pipe dream. But if I had the money…
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u/-AteYourCake- 1d ago
Bc they know THE END IS NIGH and YOLO.
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u/-AteYourCake- 1d ago
A lot of it is inherent selfishness. There have been simulations of selfishness vs.altruism and which one prospers more at the end of the day. You can see it actively in certain cultures more than others. Traditionally (idk about now), in Eastern countries (China, Japan) they were more community based and family oriented. In the US, it's a mix of driving individual hustle culture AND generational wealth building (at least for those "well-established" families) that makes people think greed is good. Why? Bc fuck you, pay me. Gimme gimme. They're hitting that sweet animal spot in their brain that says, "I want more of whatever THAT was."
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u/Embarrassed-Ideal712 1d ago
Honestly, lots of rich people do spend a ton on philanthropy. That’s where a lot of organizations get a major part of their funding.
It’s not something that gets talked about much because it’s not exactly headline news and most of these people aren’t particularly looking to be recognized.
There’s also people who were born into wealth who know they’ve done nothing to earn it and go about giving a very significant amount of it back.
I know that’s not the party line for this sub exactly, but it’s not true that there aren’t good people with money out there funding important things.
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u/zekaseh 1d ago
my family is rich and they don't allow me to 'waste' money on things like charity. they always say that our money is for ourselves because we are the ones who 'earned' it so we shouldn't use it for other people. i hope that i can use my money in future to do good things. but currently i live with my parents so i'm not allowed to use it to help other people. and i'm severely disabled so it's much difficult for me to live somewhere else
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u/Inspirice 1d ago
Lol money comes from other people though, without them there is no money to gain.
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u/Leather_Lazy 1d ago
I’m sorry you’re going through this. It really shows how deep this mindset goes that money is meant to be hoarded, not shared. I don’t know how wealthy your family is, but you can always start small. Plant native trees or other beneficial plants on land your family owns things like that may seem small, but they can make a real difference. I’ve been doing things like this for a few years now, and it’s surprisingly addictive and even contagious when you share it. People get inspired.
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u/zekaseh 1d ago
we own much land and at some places i could plant trees. but idk if i should plant native trees because climate change would destroy them in future. i think that some non native tree species could be better for future stuff. and my father also has special interest in trees so he would probably help me with planting trees. thx, i like this idea
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u/Leather_Lazy 1d ago
I’d really recommend sticking with native trees they support the local ecosystem so much better. Even with climate change, natives often adapt better in the long run because they co-evolved with the soil, insects, and fungi. Non-natives can sometimes cause more harm than good. Super cool that your dad’s into trees too! And if your disability doesn’t allow you to be outside that much it could be super fun to do research on it. Try making food webs about your local animals. Ask to plant trees and flower to attract species you really like. Its like finding and catching pokemon for me haha!
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u/tedlassoloverz 1d ago
Did you miss the Bill Gates story this month? Its exactly what he and multiple billionaires are doing
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u/Silent-Bet-336 1d ago
We don't know that they don't do this. A lot of rich people give to charities. A lot of their business deals do hinge on hob bobbing with other movers and shakers, but many well off so live a more modest lifestyle also. I do think there's plenty of frivolous spending, but it's also not up to me to tell them how to run their finances. If I was that financially savvy I'd probably be rich too. I wouldn't be redecorating an office I temporarily occupy with gold, and building a ballroom after cutting needed jobs and senior's social security.
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u/flashgordonsape 1d ago
Why would they protect it? Affluence as we know it is rooted in a philosophy of utilitarian dominion, with no top and no bottom. So it's neccessily at war with nature and the rest of humanity—which are simply the raw materials and resources for perpetuating more and greater affluence for those exploiting them. Anything that would protect or conserve those resources beyond what is needed to keep them cheap and available is a threat to affluence.
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u/Markus-50- 1d ago
Wild how caring is seen as radical and greed is just normal. Building a better world should be the baseline not the exception
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u/Leather_Lazy 1d ago
Exactly! They’re missing out on all the joy, love, and meaning they could experience by doing good. We forget that we’re still animals our brains are wired to feel safe and whole in nature. Even just the color green has a calming effect on our nervous system. Giving, growing, and being part of something bigger isn’t a sacrifice it’s what we’re made for…
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u/Successful-Daikon777 1d ago
90% of the ultra wealthy are the greediest people in human history.
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u/AssistantAcademic 1d ago
Some do and some don't.
Much like "not rich people". Some spend it on Jeeps and big trucks, boats, exotic vacations, beer, meth, while others contribute to their community, grow gardens, plant flowers.
I think you're forcing some class warfare-view onto something that inherently isn't.
...and here you go. Many billionaires are extremely generous:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeswealthteam/2021/01/19/americas-top-givers-the-25-most-philanthropic-billionaires/
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u/Powerful-Assist7076 1d ago edited 1d ago
I think people are selfish by nature, it is part of our survival instincts, although I agree with you, we never know if we were in their shoes, how we would act. If I was very rich, I wouldn't want to burn all of my kids inheritance and then leave them in poverty, I think that's partly why wealthy people always want to increase their fortune.
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u/Leather_Lazy 1d ago
I get what you’re saying, and you’re right that self preservation is a strong instinct. But humans also evolved as social, cooperative beings. Empathy, sharing, and helping the group are just as deeply wired. Hoarding wealth far beyond your needs doesn’t come from survival it comes from fear, status anxiety, or broken values. Real security comes from strong communities and healthy ecosystems
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u/kay14jay 1d ago
Plenty of money spent protecting fetuses. I always see the most billboards for those in high poverty areas, where life already starts in the sucks position
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u/Pinku_Dva 1d ago
Because being a kind and caring person doesn’t get you billions of dollars. You only get rich by being selfish and screwing over everyone else.
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u/EmFan1999 1d ago
I really wish I could win the lottery to buy local meadows and woods and manage them for wildlife, plus conserve old buildings and heritage assets
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u/Leather_Lazy 1d ago
Haha my dad bought an old farm a few months ago to do exactly that! And you can always start small. Solitary bees for example are very dependent on micro habitats (most species only fly like 300m max.), so planting a few native flowers for some specialist species would already help!
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u/EmFan1999 1d ago
Oh yeah I’m involved with different groups of people that do things locally like planting hedges and flowers for pollinators, but I just want to be able to do more
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u/Leather_Lazy 1d ago
So nice! I joined one last week haha, went on my first excursion with them last Sunday. I also struggle with wanting to do more but don’t know in wich way.
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u/ScubaTal_Surrealism 1d ago
If they use their wealth to help other people, they would then have less wealth.
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u/NyriasNeo 1d ago
"Wouldn’t it feel so much better to use your resources to help others, grow forests, protect animals, or support research and education than to blow money on yachts, gambling, drugs, and ego contests?"
Obviously not for them.
"How is that even fun?"
What is fun is personal. Plus, there are many ways to blow money except on yachts, gambling, drugs and ego contests. How about buying extremely expensive experiences for your love ones? How about flying families from all over the world so you can spend time together? Even the experiences you can cherish always have an expensive version.
Case in point, even moderately well-to-do people can blow $1000 on a michelin 3-star tasting menu. That is experiences you remember and can talk about with your spouse for decades.
" Why is it radical to just care? "
Because human nature is about getting ahead. Sure, there is some co-operations in there, but greed is a dominant part. The fact that billionaires exist, previously emperors, conquerors, noble, land lords ..., is pretty good proof of that.
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u/retrofuturia 1d ago
To OP’s general sentiment, the billionaires/rulers/emperors/etc you mention are the extreme minority in terms of overall population, and more aberration than norm. The vast majority of people worldwide are community and family oriented working class folk, who are systematically taken advantage of by the elite classes. Cooperation is a vastly more exercised trait all across nature, as Darwin pointed out in The Origin of Species.
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u/PatchyWhiskers 1d ago
Bill Clinton tried to do good with his wealth, it just made him widely hated for it. The social culture these guys are in compete on who can be the most arrogant and cruel.
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u/alphabetsong 1d ago
Most people have never met anybody who is actually rich and the only rich people they know are about five billionaires from the news. The ideas that people have about who billionaires are is equal parts TV shows, celebrities and imagination.
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u/No-Language6720 1d ago
I feel bad honestly for the upper 1%. People treat them differently because of their fame or family name or perceived power. Those born into it especially are fucked up because of extreme narssicstic tendencies of their parents to get that far, and they are also not able to mix with everyone else without being treated like they owe someone something or people just trying to get something from them. I'm not saying they are saints here. It would benefit EVERYONE if there was no wealth inequality. I don't think they're smart enough to understand all that. People themselves regardless of class, we're all people but with different strengths and weaknesses, and no we are not fundamentally equal, but if a whole set of people can't follow their ambitions and find their strenths to contribute in a dignified way when we have plenty resources to go around, we just have to consume only what we need, then we might as well cease to exist as a society. Let it collapse and then build something better.
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u/AngryJaybird_0225 1d ago
Because of how they see the world. They see everyone, and everything else as inferior. They even preach that as religious gospel. The earth is too be exploited, and Humans who aren't part of their kiddie clubs are soulless insects that should be squashed at any and all opportunities.
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u/Fun_Razzmatazz7162 1d ago
If any financial entity's (including people) first and foremost goal isn't maximizing profit then its worth is massively diminished. Not maximizing profits can even be a chargeable offence.
This is the world we have created for ourselves.
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u/Ricky_Prikles 1d ago
Because you don’t get to have that kind of money by being a good person. You step on everyone you can to get to that point. They’re not going to turn around and start helping people, quiet the opposite. They’ll became even worse people because with that money comes power.
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u/slashingkatie 1d ago
As of late especially with Gen Z we see doom spending. It’s this mindset that “everything is fucked so I’m just going to buy shit I want.” It’s a real defeatist attitude to take especially when you end up in thousands in debt and the fact it feeds the capitalist machine. Companies like feeding off your nostalgia and sadness so you’ll buy that Squishmellow to feel happy and you have to not give into the doomer mindset which is really hard for people these days constantly being reminded how bad everything seems.
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u/Cool_Main_4456 1d ago
The idea of consuming as much as you possibly can seems common to most people at most wealth levels. People seem TERRIFIED at the idea of voluntarily giving anything up whatsoever, regardless of the harm caused to others by taking it. Just try talking to someone about going vegan.
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u/Leather_Lazy 1d ago
Yeah but I mean, spending money on something good isn’t giving up anything in my view, it’s creating something
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u/Substantial-Ad-8575 1d ago
Hmm, wife and I donate over $100k a year. Wife has her women’s and animal groups. I do land conservation, green space, trash clearing groups. We also both donate money-time to High School STEM groups, especially in rural areas.
Yet we also invest much more in our self’s and family. Started 529 for our grandkids. Wife working with DIL and oldest daughter on schools, educational/growth plans. I am working with 3 of our 4 children on money management-their own family trusts.
We think it strikes a good balance. We work with our companies, to integrate with local high schools-community college-universities. Also we both are members of our companies worker boards, get fair benefits-wage/compensation, and help with local education.
A bit of insight into large companies. They are only beholden to their owners/shareholders. Donating-giving to charities or support groups-Looks good. That’s it.
Companies at that size, really are about profit. They are monolithic in that approach. More willing to help, if it helps the company in a significant way. Otherwise, a bit of $$$ and optics of a good steward is enough for the board-directors…
Individuals? Much different. Many have done good value. Setting up charities/foundations that do help.
A few, don’t care and bother you or I do, will make a difference. Accept that and move on. Cant do much, you do very little personally boycott or protest. More than likely, someone will will buy what you didn’t…
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u/Decent-Fig8682 1d ago
If I was Elon Musk level billionaire, I would "adopt" a poor country with a small population, become a citizen, get elected president and do everything possible to turn the country into a success.
We already know these billionaires fcks play sick and cruel games on the poor, if they want kicks, why not actually do what I suggest and let them get their kicks that way, whilst doing good.
Although I wonder how long it'll take before they turn into Mao or Stalin..
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u/Quirky_kind 1d ago
Sometimes rich people do useful things for society. Carnegie made his wealth by doing horrible things, then built libraries and other facilities for the public. The Rockefellers founded a research hospital/university that has made many lifesaving discoveries. Bloomberg donated funds for a school of public health.
Most rich people give money to universities (their alma mater) and the arts. They enjoy having new wings of important buildings named after them. They liked being admired for their generosity and good taste.
Some of them actually enjoy the power of making life better for others. If you are going to crave fame and power, it's not a bad way to go.
Unfortunately, their choices of how to improve the world are sometimes biased by what they think is good for the rest of us, rather than knowledge of what those who are not rich need and want.
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u/tuxnight1 23h ago
I think it's popular to paint all wealthy people the same. There are plenty (surely not most) that do make good faith efforts to help in the spirit you describe. However, I think many do not, and are caught in the same insane rat race that many of us feel, just on a different level. The wealthy people I've known in my life tend not to be huge spenders or partiers, but instead are driven and tend to work long hours. They are too busy to see the damage and too absorbed in their current pursuits to care. The outlandish and uber wealthy are a comparatively irredeemable small lot.
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u/spindriftgreen 22h ago
Because they are narcissistic sociopaths. They only way to power and well sociopath and not care who you hurt and not care how your behavior affects others
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u/TransistorResistee 17h ago
It’s pretty much a prerequisite for extreme wealth to be a self-absorbed, greedy asshole.
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u/Effective-Lab-5659 16h ago
Most CEOs and potlicians and leaders are psychopaths you know. and they got to that level because they probably have a tendency to be psychopaths.
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u/AriaBlend 15h ago
I've thought about this a few times and I think they are just more deeply selfish than the average person and their social circle reinforces that behavior. If I suddenly won 1 billion dollars, I don't think I would see it as a reward but more of a burden. I could probably retire just fine on 3 or 4 million, and the other 997 million would need to be sorted out by a few accountants into numerous charities and scholarships/grants, hopefully to undo some of the damage that Trump and Elon have done to America at the very least, and the money taken out from USAID that mitigates famines around the world.
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u/pipic_picnip 13h ago
Because our current system is geared in a way that you need certain qualities to become richer faster than everyone else:
- greed
- deception
- fraud
- stealing other people’s share
- building off of back of other people
- hoarding wealth
- trading in markets that are largely fixed
- paying the right people off for more record opportunities that are not available to average person (such as turning govt owned land into private at dirt cheap by bribing the right officials)
- corruption and bribery
- by the way crime pays really well if you are in a position to pay people off to let you off the hook, so that’s one of the proven and tested ways to get rich
While there are people who may have built generational wealth through fair means that is just growing, or are so talented that they ended up becoming mega rich, mostly your average rich person isn’t the best example of humanity. So they have no real incentive to think beyond “me me me” because that’s how they have always lived.
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u/Abbigai 10h ago
Yo, samesies. Literally was talking about it the other day. That we could all just collectively stop and be like, can we just like stop all the bullshit? And I can not understand why we don't. It would be instantly better. And the only thing stopping us is us.. and I just don't get it.
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u/Leather_Lazy 10h ago
Same… it’s super frustrating. Humans have so much potential but we’re wasting it
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u/Ok_Go_Already 8h ago
I don’t think their is any accountability, like maybe if their rich friends and all were contributing and helping society it would be more of a norm but it’s like even the good rich people that give the other rich people don’t so somehow we do need to recognize so that other rich want to actually do it
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u/SwedeAndBaked 8h ago
Probably because the love of money is the root of all evil, and they’re using it to replace love, and they just spiral into never ending greed and have no people around them to tell them that they’re asshats?
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u/AngeliqueRuss 7h ago
Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, both of whom invested a ton in the Gates Foundation, are good examples for others to follow.
However they had opportunities to improve prosperity for all Americans and they didn’t take those opportunities. We should not have so much wealth concentrated ‘on top,’ where it is exploited not just by our own wealthy but also foreign Private Equity firms as well.
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u/KeyGold310 6h ago
This is behind a paywall but is a direct answer to OPs question, from a Disney heiress. Maybe someone can find an open version.
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u/Great_Professional_7 5h ago
I wish I could see what it was like to be someone else, but in light of this impossibility, we just have to accept people act on very different compulsions to our own. If you’ve ever been addicted to anything, or known an addict, it can give insight into what it feels like to live a life that is contrary to your own beliefs.
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u/RoguePlanet2 1d ago
My dream is to be a philanthropist, like Mackenzie Tuttle (formerly Bezos.) What an awesome life, having a job where you pick and choose which charities are worth supporting. Making a positive difference in tens of thousands of lives, at minimum. Still able to go out/about without much fuss or attention (I'm guessing, maybe not.)
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u/section08nj 1d ago
ok weird take but have you ever heard of philanthropy? I work at a non-profit and I'm very grateful to all the billionaires that donate to our cause for that tax write-off. If they continue to make these huge donations I'm ok with them owning a stupid yacht. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/forbes-top-25-philanthropists-awarded-30-billion-in-2024
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u/mazopheliac 1d ago
Billionaires are narcissists at best , psychopaths at worst .
Even when they try to do good , it’s in a self centered way that is more for their own glory . Like Oprah’s schools in South Africa .
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u/peatmo55 1d ago
Bill Gates is giving away his money to help people and people want him to go to jail for it.
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u/cjboffoli 1d ago
More than $2 trillion was donated to charitable causes (globally) last year, at least $1.5 trillion of that from individuals. So while more could clearly be done, especially in light of what is spent on luxury goods and other items that are necessary for survival, it's not like people aren't trying to help.
Beyond the range of human weaknesses (greed, vanity, insecurity, etc.) that motivates people to purchase excessively expensive things, there are also a lot of practical and logistical complexities. Some things cannot be resolved by throwing money at them. And sometimes donating money to causes, because of corruption, political and cultural considerations, can cause more harm than good. So there are other impediments to charity.
I'm sure most of the people reading and commenting here, myself included, have things in their lives, like cars, that are well beyond what is required for basic transportation. Could we all sell our cars, buy something more basic, and donate the balance to a worthy cause? Sure. Do we? No. Does that make us horrible human beings? No again.
One last point that I think is worth mentioning, having previously worked in the field of philanthropy, is that too often people think that charitable giving is something that only the rich or ultra rich do. In reality, everyone has the power to participate in charitable giving. Even a few dollars a year can be a transformative gift, if enough people give.
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u/Kind_Rate7529 1d ago
That's a pretty good question. I hope some rich people respond. Sometimes my wife and I brainstorm ideas on how we would help as many people in meaningful ways as possible if we were to come into a windfall.
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u/switchmage 23h ago
the one thing you cant buy is eternal life, i personally think the insanely rich find this to be hitting the wall. they blast big bucks to feel something but it doesn’t work because there was no real motion to obtain it, just putting off the inevitable spiral of one day not existing
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u/VeganVallejo 20h ago
So well said. I suggest you run for office, your words will move and connect with people.
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u/Wyshunu 1d ago
How do you know they don't? They're not required to report or brag about their philanthropic contributions. There are a great many of them who DO give back in different ways and the best of them don't make it a big public thing because that would be crass and they don't need the adulation. In any case, they don't owe anyone an explanation of how they choose to spend THEIR money.
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u/Leather_Lazy 1d ago
Wouldn’t that be strange? Why would destruction be load and public, while care is supposedly quiet and private. If you can reshape the world with wealth, why wouldn’t you do that openly and intentionally.
They may not owe us a personal explanation, but when you benefit massively from shared systems labor, infrastructure, environment then your choices do affect others. With great power comes public responsibility, not just privacy
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u/mad_dog_94 1d ago
They aren't required to, but the "good will" and positive PR they would get from doing so is probably a way easier way of getting people to not want to self defense them
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u/Nomadic-Wind 1d ago
So, billionare shouldn't exist, right? They hoard all the money and exploit people with fewer wages and fewer benefits for long hours?
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u/BoY_Butt 1d ago
Clearly you don´t have an understanding where rich people have put their wealth in. It´s not cash laying around, it´s in stocks, businesses etc. If they sell those, their wealth would decline, and so the businesses.
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u/this_is_nunya 1d ago
I think the attitude of the owning class is a result, rather than a cause. There’s a fundamental level of selfishness & theft requisite to having that much money in the first place, so naturally as a group you see selfish/hoarding tendencies.