

Giga-Yachts, Flo Rida, and Bunkers. . . What Could Go Wrong?
92 snips Jul 22, 2025
Evan Osnos, a staff writer at The New Yorker and author of 'The Haves and the Have-Yachts,' dives into the extravagant lives of the ultra-wealthy. He uncovers bizarre purchases, like preserved sharks and doomsday bunkers, illustrating the absurdity of immense wealth. The conversation examines public ambivalence towards the ultra-rich and challenges the narrative of aspiration versus loathing in America. Osnos raises critical questions about economic inequality, the allure of status, and the evolving dynamics of wealth in today’s society.
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Giga Yachts Define New Wealth
- Giga yachts symbolize a new wealthy elite, growing from 10 in 1990 to over 170 today.
- Owning a giga yacht signals a distinct social and economic power beyond private jets and staff.
New Era of Wealth Concentration
- Today's wealth concentration surpasses that of the Gilded Age's Vanderbilts and Rockefellers.
- CEO-to-worker pay ratio has ballooned from 20:1 in 1968 to about 350:1 now.
Status Signaling Is Biologically Rooted
- Human need for status stems from a biological imperative linked to resource acquisition.
- Historical chieftains used religion to assert dominance, paralleling modern wealth signaling.