“Explained” Billionaires Vox + Netflix in Reflection
Have you watched one of the latest episodes in the Explained series on Netflix titled “Billionaires”? What are your first reactions? Do you find the episode to be helpful in providing new ways to understand how billionaires of today think? How do you think a person who does not have the same privileges as a billionaire should use the information presented?
“If today’s billionaires formed a country, it would be the eighth wealthiest. It’s an extraordinary amount of wealth that these people hold, and they influenced so many parts of the world. That influence has made them symbols of inequality, and a rigged system, fueling protests and political movements around the world.”
“In 2017, China was inventing two new billionaires a week and have the second-highest number of billionaires in the world…”
“For most billionaires around two-thirds of their wealth is private. Billionaires may not even know how much money they have.”
“Like the oil tycoon, Nelson Bunker Hunt once explained to the US Congress:
“People would know how much they’re, usually not worth very much.”
“Entrepreneurs may want to be on the cover of Forbes, they have something to gain from being known as wealthy. But a lot of billionaires don’t. So even Forbes acknowledges it underestimates the amount of wealth in the world”
“Donald Trump and his father were listed on the very first Forbes 400. And even in that very first listing, there was a note that said, they say they’re worth 500 million” — Lisa Kroll
“We always wonder just how much wealth we’re missing. It’s something that, quite frankly, sometimes does keep me up at night.” — Lisa Kroll
How does this inform our understanding of monetary wealth today?
The previous selection of quotes represents a broad spectrum of the insights shared in the documentary episode. I implore you to watch the episode yourself to gain full context.
