Q-is-here wrote: ↑Fri Aug 21, 2026 1:46 pm
TheGrey08 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 21, 2026 1:14 pm
We don't need to get into this huge debate, but just look up the US Guilded Age, which the government had to break up big money b/c too much of the US wealth was held by so few and we are now living through a VASTLY worse guilded age than back then. It's about Billionaires, corporate greed & companies/owners/investors not having the tax incentive to re-invest into their non CSuite employees. As a result we've seen those wages stagnate the past 50+ years while CSuite, CEO, investor, etc wealth has been skyrocketing.
That said, given the fact Lore turned down higher offers (per Jon K), tells us he wasn't going for pure greed, wanted continuity and wants to stay involved, but focus on his main business.
The government also didn't have nearly the same level of regulatory apparatus or entitlement/safety net programs in place during the Gilded Age. There is no comparison in terms of the resources avaialable for those on the bottom rung.
Outside of the bottom rung, a lot of folks that prattle on about how awful billionaires are happen to also own a piece of the very companies that made their objects of scorn so much money via the stock funds they hold in their retirement accounts (which have done very well by the way over the past ~ 20 years). And wealth as measured by net worth is different than income.
I have no doubt that there are things that can be done to incentivize more of the growing pie (it's not a fixed, zero sum pie) going to labor vs. capital, but that doesn't mean that today's billionaires come to their wealth through grift, dishonesty, and scams which is what Guest stated plainly.
Anywho, onwards....Go Wolves!
Yep, those safety nets were the response to the greed & precarious nature of allowing so few to have most of the control. Yet, these days financially most working class people are far worse off than their grandparents were at and the gap is far far worse.
A lot of people spout off about things they themselves take advantage of like investments, social safety nets, etc. Retirement counts are a bit different to me. If shitty companies are the best for our retirement, what else can we do.
I would probably agree there too that it's not all grifts, etc, however most of them make their billions on the backs of millions of Americans/workers of the companies they utilize to gain their wealth. Like when a huge number of Walmart employees were on some type of Gov't assistance with poor wages while WAL made massive profits.
It's a whole lot of corruption and greed. That said, IMO linking this to the Wolves shakeup is a bit much. I'm certainly glad Lore went the reshuffling route instead of selling to the highest bidder.