{"id":38837,"date":"2014-01-27T12:00:41","date_gmt":"2014-01-27T12:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=38837"},"modified":"2015-05-05T22:20:02","modified_gmt":"2015-05-05T21:20:02","slug":"davos-billionaires-oblivious-to-the-coming-revolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2014\/01\/davos-billionaires-oblivious-to-the-coming-revolution\/","title":{"rendered":"Davos Billionaires: Oblivious to the Coming Revolution"},"content":{"rendered":"

Economic Inequality Isn\u2019t Visible High in the Swiss Alps<\/i><\/p>\n

\"Bloomberg<\/a>

Snow covered buildings are seen at dusk from the Schatzalp area above the town of Davos, Switzerland. Bloomberg<\/p><\/div>\n

The world looks different from rarified altitude of a billionaire. Especially if you\u2019re one of the 85 richest who control more wealth than the 3.5 billion poorest.<\/p>\n

You guys already own half the planet. Keep up the good work, getting richer, by the end of this century your family could be one of the world\u2019s 11 trillionaires <\/a>predicted in the new Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report. Capitalism is the ticket to owning everything.<\/p>\n

Cruising at 51,000 feet, Mach 0.85 in your $40 million Gulfstream jet, you know the world belongs to you. A few days at the World Economic Forum in historic Davos, Europe\u2019s highest city, high in the Swiss Alps, and your world seemed even bigger. Roots in the Higher Middle Ages. Fabulous ski resort.<\/p>\n

Davos is mostly about business contacts, meeting other powerful capitalists, great PR and i-photo ops walking among world leaders, in seminars, at meals, over drinks, just mingling with the 2,500 participants \u2014 all the captains of industry, central bankers, heads of state, thought leaders and celebrity economists, maybe even listening to actor Matt Damon talking about his Water.org or attending a mindful meditation session with Goldie Hawn.<\/p>\n

But bottom line: for 1,500 business and financial types at Davos, many whose firms are permanent members, just one new contact can justify the quarter million often spent belonging to the exclusive Davos Forum. Yes, up at their altitude, the world really does looks different.<\/p>\n

Billionaires aren\u2019t \u2018Curious Capitalists,\u2019 they just want to make more money <\/b><\/p>\n

The truth is, for 43 years Davos has been a private club for capitalists that has had more to do with increasing economic inequality than any other global organization. Here\u2019s how a real \u201cCurious Capitalist,\u201d as Time\u2019s editor, Rana Foroohar, sees it from ground level mingling with world leaders, gathering quotes, interviewing and blogging, to get answers to \u201cThe 5 Most Important Questions for the Davos Elite\u201d:<\/p>\n