Intelligence Squared Are the Rich Preparing for Civilisational Collapse? With Evan Osnos
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Aug 11, 2025 
Evan Osnos, a Staff writer at The New Yorker and author of 'The Haves and the Have Yachts', dives into the opulent lives of the ultra-rich. He unveils the symbolism behind luxury superyachts and discusses how they reflect economic inequality. The conversation also touches on how tech billionaires are bracing for societal collapse, the evolution of American conservatism amid wealth dynamics, and the stark realities of fraud in the entertainment industry. Osnos emphasizes the urgent need for citizen activism to counter growing oligarchy.
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Superyachts As Ultimate Status Machines
- Superyachts stand as the most expensive objects humans can own, surpassing high-priced real estate and art.
- Evan Osnos shows owners buy billion-dollar machines to signal hierarchy through sheer scale.
Hidden Yet Highly Visible Displays
- Owners design yachts to be invisible to the public but unmistakably visible to peers.
- Evan Osnos emphasizes yachts signal status while keeping a literal and figurative moat between owners and the public.
The Fungibility Of Elite Identity
- Wealthy individuals make themselves physically and legally 'unfixable' by holding passports, capital, and data across jurisdictions.
- Evan Osnos calls this new era the fungibility of human status, enabling mobility and tax avoidance.
