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[–] 13 points 5 months ago (5 children)

Once you get into a position like that, you're basically just surrounded by yes-men who tell you how great you are non-stop. It would take a very strong character to not go bonkers in that kind of situation. Add to that the fact that people who become billionaires will be pretty self obsessed to begin with and you have a recipe for disaster. Actually, the crusty old French philosophers had this shit figured out 250 years ago.

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  • [–] 14 points 5 months ago (3 children)

    True, but I feel like they are all missing out on the opportunity for some long term ego stroking. Just look at half the early skyscrapers built in the early 20th century; the Chrysler building for example is named after the man, not the company. Do it right and people could be praising the Brin Rail System for decades to come, and he'd be remembered forever for that. Instead he's just one more tech-douche, and that's all he'll ever be remembered as.

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  • [–] 10 points 5 months ago (2 children)

    Yeah but the people who built these skyscrapers during the gilded age weren't exactly paragons of virtue.

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  • [–] 9 points 5 months ago

    CEOs, most billionaires, they're psychopaths. That's why they're good at the job. Now we have a bunch of psychopaths controlling all the wealth in the world. If you look through history, they've always been the enemy.

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