hello from late-stage friends.
I had a conversation with my dad where he asked me why I was making videos that cast papa elon in a negative light.
He then proceeded to do what most Americans do and fan girl about how billionaires are better than all of us and it’s because of their mindset and we could all just be billionaires if we got that hustle mindset and tried harder. I love my pop. But maannnnnnn.
Needless to say, I was infuriated.
So I decided to make a video highlighting why everyone else should also be infuriated.
Tonight is the night before the new world order begins.
And now more than ever, we should be asking ourselves:
Are billionaires really the heroes America makes them out to be, or is their wealth a carefully constructed illusion of superiority?
In this video essay, we’ll dive into the origins of billionaire worship, from the Gilded Age robber barons to today’s tech moguls, exploring how media, politics, and culture have elevated them to god-like status. We will deconstruct the billionaire brainwashing and maybe start the process of popping the bubble of the greatest lie ever told: the American dream.
We’ll uncover how this worship harms individuals and communities, delays class solidarity, and keeps systemic inequality in place. Plus, we’ll discuss how propaganda, like Reaganomics and hustle culture, shaped our perception of billionaires as “self-made” saviors—despite the overwhelming evidence that wealth is often inherited or exploited.
Get cozy, grab your tea (I’m sipping Earl Grey with cinnamon), and let’s overthink how America fell into this trap—and how we can break free.
📚 Resources and links to stuff I used to make this:
** If you read nothing else: read this: https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/its-a-class-struggle-goddammit-fred-hampton
Historical and Academic References:
Powell Memo (Full Text):
https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/powellmemo
Invisible Hands by Kim Phillips-Fein (Book Overview):
https://wwnorton.com/books/Invisible-Hands
Great Depression and New Deal Visuals (Library of Congress):
https://www.loc.gov/collections/fsa-owi-photographs/
Forbes Billionaires List (First Issue, 1987):
https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/
The Gilded Age and Wealth Inequality (History.com):
https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/gilded-age
Glass-Steagall Act Overview (Federal Reserve):
https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/glass-steagall-act
Economic Inequality Studies by the World Inequality Database:
https://wid.world/
CEO-to-Worker Pay Trends (Economic Policy Institute):
https://www.epi.org/publication/ceo-pay-in-2021/
The Role of Philanthrocapitalism (The Guardian):
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/22/philanthrocapitalism-davos-tax-inequality
Historical Union Movements (AFL-CIO):
https://aflcio.org/about/history
National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). PR Campaign Materials.
Industry on Parade (1950s). Campaigns against labor unions and progressive taxation.
Trouble USA (Digital Archive): https://digital.hagley.org/FILM_1973418_FC37
Eugenics and DEI Programs
https://momentum.medium.com/eugenics-and-dei-programs-d978a6ad3ff1
Data and Studies:
Millennial Debt Study (Morning Consult): https://morningconsult.com
Economic Policy Institute (CEO Pay Ratio Trends): https://www.epi.org
U.S. Wealth Inequality Data (Federal Reserve): https://www.federalreserve.gov/
U.S. Wealth Gap Statistics (Pew Research):
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/02/07/6-facts-about-economic-inequality-in-the-u-s/
Reaganomics and Its Legacy (Brookings Institution):
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2019/06/14/ronald-reagans-economic-legacy/
💡 Topics Covered:
The history of billionaires in America (Gilded Age to Reaganomics)
Media and cultural influence on wealth worship
The myths of self-made billionaires and hustle culture
How billionaire philanthropy often avoids fixing systemic problems
Actionable steps to reject billionaire worship and promote collective power
Thanks for being here. Welcome to the Tragic Optimist’s Club. Please stick around for more deep dives into the systems shaping our world—and how we can fight back.
00:00 Introduction
04:17 Pt. 1: A Brief History: The Gilded Age and The Birth of the Billionaire
11:21 1.2: How Business Mobilized Against the New Deal
15:44 1.3: The Powell Memo: The Blueprint for Corporate Dominance
23:01 Pt. 2: Media & Cultural Influence: Billionaire as the Moral Ideal
25:33 2.1: Present Day: The Wealth Watching Economy: Celebrity and Billionaire Worship Collide
30:34 Pt. 3: Community Consequences
37:02 Pt 4: Breaking The Spell: What might be done about that?
Perks Access:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8_P14XzTUxP93hXPyZnGbg/join
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