Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller once attended a swanky party on Shelter Island at the home of a billionaire neighbor of their friend John Bogle, the index fund pioneer and philanthropist. At one point, Bogle later recalled in a collection of essays, Vonnegut informed Heller that their host, a hedge fund manager, made more money in one day than Heller ever earned for Catch-22.
"Yes," Heller replied. "But I have something he will never have: enough?
Bogle's anecdote was recounted as career advice for budding billionaires to: play by the rules, give back, and curb their bottomless lust for more. Today it's an apt marker of a generational shift among the elite, from the Bogles of the world to the Elon Musks, who are as venal as Prince Charles accepting a bag of cash from a Qatari sheikh, or your average TikTok influencer thirsty for the acclaim of the metaverse. In the new pecking order, it's not enough to be rich. If you've got a fortune, you must flaunt it. The state of affairs is an inversion of the old Methodist adage about doing all the good that you can in the world, except now it's about flexing as loudly as possible in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, for as long as you can. At a time when every Tom, Dick, and Barry can post on main from his Lürssen while idling on the Bosporus, or pontificate on Clubhouse from his Gulfstream on the way to Sun Valley, the mega-asset class has come down with a mean case of billionaire braggadocio. "Today's money is indeed shiny, brash, and vulgar," says Jill Spalding, author of Luxury: A History. "But so was Andrew Carnegie's until he cleaned it up through his foundation."
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Denne historien er fra September 2022-utgaven av Town & Country US.
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Jersey, JE ΤΙΜΕ
Nearly 50 years ago a museum opened in Paris.
THE HUNGER GAMES
Two former bons amis grew up in the same expensive suburb and cut their teeth together in the Paris nightclub scene. Then they launched competing restaurant empires, and the gloves came off. Now one of them is facing a suspended prison sentence and a huge fine. Welcome to the city's most delicious grudge match.
HIDDEN in Plain Sight
T&C was invited into the private archives and secret workshops of Paris, to glimpse the treasures that have made this city famous for its style and craftsmanship. It's a reputation worth fighting for.
GUARDIAN of Objects
Laura Kugel is the go-to art dealer for the world's most discerning clients, but her family's Paris wonderland is open to all. Come inside, won't you?
Ecole! Elysée! SCANDALE!
The path to the French White House requires a political education at one of the country's elite universities. As controversy swirls around Sciences Po-class treason, #MeToo à la française, creeping le wokisme-will its grip on power finally slip?
Are There Still Mysteries in Paris?
Surely not, in the world's most visited city! And yet: Why is the Louvre called the Louvre? Why do the upper stories of its 17th-century buildings tilt in? Why do even familiar streets feel so enticing, unknown? One thing is clear: So many of us return because the City of Light is really one of mesmerizing shadows.
High SEAS
How seductive is a cruise on an ultraluxury ship (yes, that's a category) like the new Regent Seven Seas Grandeur? So much so that a 132-day sailing sold out in three hours. It was time to investigate.
The Cruise Cure
One definition of bliss at sea is padding down a ship's hallway from your suite to the spa in a robe and slippers. Here's what awaits.
Only a Day to Spare?
These hotel spas-mini-me's of destination, health retreats punch way above their weight. So, if you're in the neighborhood...
So, Where Do You Ride in Paris?
A fancy equestrian's guide to the best of Gallic galloping.
