6 ms·

They're not psychopaths, they're just disconnected from your perspective. They've got other stuff on their mind and it's hard for them to put themselves in your

by tinco 5y ago

They're not psychopaths, they're just disconnected from your perspective. They've got other stuff on their mind and it's hard for them to put themselves in your shoes. Are you a psychopath for driving your car for a holiday trip, even though there's people dying in 49 degrees heat in Greece? It's really not that different from Jeff Bezos flying his spacecraft. Not that I'm saying it's ok, obviously Bezos's company is operating in real scummy ways. I'm just saying it's not a sure sign of psychopathy. Frankly, I don't think being a psychopath is compatible with their achievements, but I'm no psychologist. Also, they're not that powerful. People keep saying this as if they're somehow super powerful because there's a big number next to their name on the Forbes list. 90% of their assets are tied up in stocks that they're not gonna sell soon. Bill Gates couldn't eradicate polio because some broke warlords in Afghanistan started propaganda against him. It took Jeff Bezos 20 years before his spacecraft did anything semi useful, and he still can't land a deal with NASA. If he really is a psycho, why was Zuckerberg so nervous at his senate hearing?

tluyben2 5y ago
Don't think they are generally psychopaths, but they need to have some (most of them as I see the 'rules' on Google that make you a psychopath) tendencies that would rank high on the list. You explain it with having a lot on their minds and that's a positive spin; the other explanation is that they are just humans and they just do whatever they are driven to by their vision trampling over whatever in their way in any way possible because they work that way and they have the money to do so.
uniqueid 5y ago
My comment is tabloid-level and I'm not a psychologist. That disclaimed, it wouldn't surprise me if Elon Musk is a psychopath; it sounds like his father's personality would not benefit a child's mental health https://www.thelist.com/406823/what-we-know-about-elon-musks-father/ https://www.thelist.com/406823/what-we-know-about-elon-musks...
HWR_14 5y ago
> 90% of their assets are tied up in stocks that they're not gonna sell soon. How is that at all relevant? Name one thing any of them cannot buy just because the vast majority of their wealth is invested. Bezos was putting a billion a quarter into Blue Origin - yes that's a small percentage of his wealth but there's no reason to assume more money would have gone faster.
- throwaway98797 5y ago
  Presidential elections.
  - HWR_14 5y ago
    That's not true. Bloomberg bought the NYC mayor election and into the top 4 of the Democratic presidential primary. Considering he (a) only became a Democrat in 2018 and had held office as an independent (after running for office as a Republican) (b) waffled on whether he was even going to run for the first 8 months of the election and (c) skipped the first four states that's a really good result. He still bought himself into the debates. And that's buying it for yourself. I think we can easily see the history of rich people buying presidents if not the presidency.
- antiterra 5y ago
  Exactly. Getting a long term loan with unsold stocks as collateral is a common way the ultra rich get liquidity.
sudosysgen 5y ago
You don't have to sell stocks. You can just borrow against them. Equating stuff you would have to sacrifice your work and support network and forgo your livelihood to help as a normal person vs literally no effect on your day to day is pretty absurd. If you think the life of a billionaire is so difficult, why don't they just give it all up and live a normal life? Clearly one is preferable to the other. Also, literally none of this even touches upon being two-faced, abusive, and compulsively lying for profit, which was the context.
protastus 5y ago
> Are you a psychopath for driving your car for a holiday trip, even though there's people dying in 49 degrees heat in Greece? It's really not that different from Jeff Bezos flying his spacecraft. I don't think this analogy is reasonable. Let's evaluate what is observable and controllable in both scenarios. Scenario A: I don't observe anyone dying as I drive. I have no control over people dying in Greece. Scenario B: Jeff Bezos was frequently reminded of more down-to-earth problems (before and after his space trip). As Amazon CEO and richest man in the world, he's had a lot of control and influence over the wellbeing of others.
conception 5y ago
>People keep saying this as if they're somehow super powerful because there's a big number next to their name on the Forbes list. >Bill Gates couldn't eradicate polio >Jeff Bezos 20 years before his spacecraft >Zuckerberg so nervous at his senate hearing Totally not super powerful people. Also, there are lots of tax free ways to get to your money without selling stocks.
kktkti9 5y ago
If any of these people dropped dead today the technology and those that can steward it remain. If they’re under so much stress and disconnected from the average person, it’s time to stop crowning kings. None of us have to believe in extreme ownership, and enabling stressed people, as it just leads to abuse. Not just abuse of individual employees, but society, our personal agency, and environment.
lamontcg 5y ago
> 90% of their assets are tied up in stocks that they're not gonna sell soon. It is weird that this billionaire excuse flex didn't exist 5 or so years ago. Someone started pushing this meme really hard. And MacKenzie Scott's ability to liquidate $4B in a year shows that they really can do something with all those zeros if they want to and it won't single handedly crash the NYSE.
- leesalminen 5y ago
  My brother-in-law believed that Bezos had $200B in a FDIC-insured bank account until recently. It seems like it’s in the interest of everyone to be financially literate in how the ultra-rich operate in order to form better thought out policy positions.

by tinco 5y ago

tluyben2 5y ago

Don't think they are generally psychopaths, but they need to have some (most of them as I see the 'rules' on Google that make you a psychopath) tendencies that would rank high on the list. You explain it with having a lot on their minds and that's a positive spin; the other explanation is that they are just humans and they just do whatever they are driven to by their vision trampling over whatever in their way in any way possible because they work that way and they have the money to do so.

uniqueid 5y ago

My comment is tabloid-level and I'm not a psychologist. That disclaimed, it wouldn't surprise me if Elon Musk is a psychopath; it sounds like his father's personality would not benefit a child's mental health https://www.thelist.com/406823/what-we-know-about-elon-musks-father/ https://www.thelist.com/406823/what-we-know-about-elon-musks...

HWR_14 5y ago

> 90% of their assets are tied up in stocks that they're not gonna sell soon. How is that at all relevant? Name one thing any of them cannot buy just because the vast majority of their wealth is invested. Bezos was putting a billion a quarter into Blue Origin - yes that's a small percentage of his wealth but there's no reason to assume more money would have gone faster.

throwaway98797 5y ago
Presidential elections.
- HWR_14 5y ago
  That's not true. Bloomberg bought the NYC mayor election and into the top 4 of the Democratic presidential primary. Considering he (a) only became a Democrat in 2018 and had held office as an independent (after running for office as a Republican) (b) waffled on whether he was even going to run for the first 8 months of the election and (c) skipped the first four states that's a really good result. He still bought himself into the debates. And that's buying it for yourself. I think we can easily see the history of rich people buying presidents if not the presidency.
antiterra 5y ago
Exactly. Getting a long term loan with unsold stocks as collateral is a common way the ultra rich get liquidity.

sudosysgen 5y ago

You don't have to sell stocks. You can just borrow against them. Equating stuff you would have to sacrifice your work and support network and forgo your livelihood to help as a normal person vs literally no effect on your day to day is pretty absurd. If you think the life of a billionaire is so difficult, why don't they just give it all up and live a normal life? Clearly one is preferable to the other. Also, literally none of this even touches upon being two-faced, abusive, and compulsively lying for profit, which was the context.

protastus 5y ago

> Are you a psychopath for driving your car for a holiday trip, even though there's people dying in 49 degrees heat in Greece? It's really not that different from Jeff Bezos flying his spacecraft. I don't think this analogy is reasonable. Let's evaluate what is observable and controllable in both scenarios. Scenario A: I don't observe anyone dying as I drive. I have no control over people dying in Greece. Scenario B: Jeff Bezos was frequently reminded of more down-to-earth problems (before and after his space trip). As Amazon CEO and richest man in the world, he's had a lot of control and influence over the wellbeing of others.

conception 5y ago

>People keep saying this as if they're somehow super powerful because there's a big number next to their name on the Forbes list. >Bill Gates couldn't eradicate polio >Jeff Bezos 20 years before his spacecraft >Zuckerberg so nervous at his senate hearing Totally not super powerful people. Also, there are lots of tax free ways to get to your money without selling stocks.

kktkti9 5y ago

If any of these people dropped dead today the technology and those that can steward it remain. If they’re under so much stress and disconnected from the average person, it’s time to stop crowning kings. None of us have to believe in extreme ownership, and enabling stressed people, as it just leads to abuse. Not just abuse of individual employees, but society, our personal agency, and environment.

lamontcg 5y ago

> 90% of their assets are tied up in stocks that they're not gonna sell soon. It is weird that this billionaire excuse flex didn't exist 5 or so years ago. Someone started pushing this meme really hard. And MacKenzie Scott's ability to liquidate $4B in a year shows that they really can do something with all those zeros if they want to and it won't single handedly crash the NYSE.

leesalminen 5y ago
My brother-in-law believed that Bezos had $200B in a FDIC-insured bank account until recently. It seems like it’s in the interest of everyone to be financially literate in how the ultra-rich operate in order to form better thought out policy positions.