Seismic Musings

Is $7 billion enough money?

 

Ron Lauder, the key billionaire or at least most obvious-to-the-public billionaire driving us into this mess over Greenland, is worth at least $7 billion. And Donald Trump is likely worth at least $7 billion after his net worth went up over $2 billion just last year alone.

 

My question is, when is it enough? A good friend was talking to me about needing a cap on how much one individual can have. There’s certainly an argument to be made. Before you “capitalism over all else“ folks push back, take just a minute to think back, if you are able, nine generations in your family. That would be your great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather. That ancestor was born right around the same time as George Washington’s  father. 

 

Here’s where that $7 billion comes in. If Ronald Lauder and his lineage spend half a million, $500,000, every week of every month of the year, they won’t run out of money for at least…nine generations.

 

If these spoiled people spent a million dollars every single WEEK, Ronald and his family wouldn’t spend what they already have for almost two centuries.

 

Want your mind blown? If Ronald Lauder gets 5% interest on his nest egg, he and his heirs can spend just shy of $1 million every day, EVERY DAY, forever, and never touch the $7 billion.

 

So, when should enough be enough? Mr. Lauder needs more billions so we will go to war with Denmark for it? War with all of Scandinavia? War with all of Western Europe? Really?

 

Everything in life, other than love, should have limits. Elon and Trump and Ronald Lauder have enough to take care of their families through at least the year 2300. What could the next billion do for society if it was used to send 10,000 kids to college? One of them might cure cancer or save the planet. Seems worth the trade-off, but I’m not trying to get a second home in the Hamptons.

 

Tax the billionaires 5% nationally. It won’t affect their bottom line one iota. If they don’t want to help society after everything this country has done and provided for them, adios. And make them divest from any corporation domiciled in this great country. Enough is enough.