Even if you bought yourself all the cosmetic surgery, life extending treatments, life extending drugs, toys, mansions, planes, airports, boats, gourmet food, personal entertainment, and (why not) all the sex you could possibly handle every day forever, it still wouldn’t come close to the billions some of these creatures have.
It might also be possible that they’re in competition with one another, all while (re)building an aristocracy within the western world. 21st century wealth does not extend from land ownership like it did back in the 18th, and it can be argued that it now extends from control of labor itself; this mirrors the shift from industrial to information economy. I think that’s already happening with the consolidation of monster corporations we have these days.
Another possibility I’ve tossed around is a tad more dark. If these animals are in the accelerationist camp, they’re hedging their bets and are prepared to “lose” billions in worth in order to stay on top when things fall apart. And if I’m right, we should see the ultra-wealthy attempt to build their own survival compounds and purchase self-sufficient infrastructure to achieve this; that includes “buying” governments.
I can’t fathom it myself.
Even if you bought yourself all the cosmetic surgery, life extending treatments, life extending drugs, toys, mansions, planes, airports, boats, gourmet food, personal entertainment, and (why not) all the sex you could possibly handle every day forever, it still wouldn’t come close to the billions some of these creatures have.
It might also be possible that they’re in competition with one another, all while (re)building an aristocracy within the western world. 21st century wealth does not extend from land ownership like it did back in the 18th, and it can be argued that it now extends from control of labor itself; this mirrors the shift from industrial to information economy. I think that’s already happening with the consolidation of monster corporations we have these days.
Another possibility I’ve tossed around is a tad more dark. If these animals are in the accelerationist camp, they’re hedging their bets and are prepared to “lose” billions in worth in order to stay on top when things fall apart. And if I’m right, we should see the ultra-wealthy attempt to build their own survival compounds and purchase self-sufficient infrastructure to achieve this; that includes “buying” governments.