Well, he is in a way accountable for how he invests his own money. When you make cars, you can be everything in your company. However, the feds are beginning to think that his driverless car thing is dangerous. It either kills the passenger (by running into a white tractor-trailer) or the driver gets bored, stops watching, and kills someone else. Elon might lose in all.
But when you buy a service like Twitter, it only makes money when people use it. if your customers stop using it for any reason (i. e., they no longer trust it), you goose is cooked. There are already plenty of internet apps that let people spew hatred.
So, when it comes to Elon and Twitter, WE are "in the driver's seat," (excuse the pun). If you don't like it, find another platform or start one yourself. We cannot count on today's courts to do anything but make a mess. So, it's up to us. Let's DO IT!
This guy has enemies, competitors. The fossil fuel military/industrial complex hates Musk. He torments them. They spend zillions undermining climate science. In 2016, Tesla acquired SolarCity, the US' leading provider of solar panels. Today, Tesla sells four solar energy storage and generation products: Powerwall, Powerpack, Megapack, and Solar Roof. Historically Musk was trolled by the right wing. He has to know this. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/04/elon-musk-trolling-us-conservatives-green-tech
Trump has a competitive product -- Truth Social. Trump-- a competing megalomaniac -- will attack.
Musk uses government. His companies had received $4.9 billion in government support as of 2015, according to a report published that year by the Los Angeles Times — much of which came in the form of subsidies. One of the largest beneficiaries of these programs was SpaceX, which, in its first decade, operated on a total budget of $1 billion—about half of which came from government contracts from NASA. And just last year, SpaceX won a $2.9 billion NASA contract to build a moon lander. This activity is antithetical to Republican groups like the Tea Party, which calls this "socialism." . https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/to-infini-tea-and-beyond-tea-party-in-space-aims-to-stop-nasa-s-socialism
I think that Musk will eventually see that "freedom of speech" does not include climate warming deniers and the BIG LIE.
Simply by attacking, he will make it onto Musk's platform and bragging rights on his own platform. Problem for Trump: Truth Social will very soon disappear. (It's going bankrupt because Trump and family did their usual thing, kept taking money out of it.)
You're right, Trump would tank Truth Social if he joins the Twit. But I could see him making "guest appearances" to stay in the news, ALWAYS on their mind.
He's already said he won't join Twit, but I think he can't resist.
I would've thought that until recently, but there are many recent things he's done or said that are concerning & of an authoritarian bent, & he seems sympathetic to the likes of Trump, Putin & Xi, & if he does side with tyrants like them, it's yet another blow against democracy.
Mastodon has been around for several years without breaking out of its small “not Twitter” following. Without mass adoption, it acts more like the forums of yesteryear or the Discord servers of today. Just like Twitter, it lacks a use case for most folks.
For me the interesting question is how the moderation/censorship question will play out. Twitter has a problem that they either need to find rules that apply to all, or give users some choice on the rules (kind of a choice from a menu). Either way is difficult. Mastodon is the naturally environment for smaller communities setting their own rules, which is sth not possible on Twitter. Either way, governance is the big problem. I still have hopes that we learn and develop better methods for governance in P2P networks.
Although the first line of signing up produces a "Please match the format requested" box without definition and no obvious exclusionary principles when other user names are viewed so I already feel alienated!
Cheers though as a nice idea that will presumably work out for me...eventually...
Arrghs ... I know, this is annoying ... but before you feel alienated think about how hard it is for software that is created by volunteers to compete with multi-billion-dollar big-tech companies .... and progress is being made ... the situation is already much better now than 20 years ago ...
This looks very dangerous, as the World is not particularly stable at the moment. I am not an US citizen. I appreciate that democracy in your country is in a shaky state at the moment and because I really believe in Democracy I am sorry to see you sinking under combined weight of MAGA, Musk, Putin and Southern Evangelicals..
Thank you. I wish the US voters were as clear-eyed. I've been a'harpin' for months about the very forces you've identified. (I have called and will continue callin' 'em neo-Confederates - except for Putin, who calls 'em useful idiots!)
Would that US citizens and voters were as clear eyed as Europeans, and that we could overcome the obnoxious views of "freedom of speech" granted to us by our Constitution. I firmly believe that freedom was NOT what the founders had in mind. It is sickening that this principle has been corrupted so that ANY speech is considered free, no holds barred, no remark or threat deemed too dangerous to be out. That and our inept non-enforcement of guns per 2nd Amendment are sinking the ship of state like the Titanic!
You aren’t nearly as sorry as most of us here are. This has always been the double edged sword of the internet though. Unfortunately both edges have been taken over by the monies few.
Ewa—You're certainly more American in spirit than white South African-born and bred immigrant Musk. Anyone know whether he's ever bothered to become a U.S. citizen?
Declare this class unconstitutional and seize all their assets (they can keep $999 million, 3 villas and 1 yacht) above $1billion and put all the money in to one pot to serve the greater good. If they want, they can move their company headquarters from, let's say, California to London, Beijing or Moscow.
First, and bear with me here, I gotta get this off my chest, Musk is making a strong bid for the title of Biggest Asshole in the Universe (which Matt Taibbi some years ago originally awarded to Alan Greenspan). Competition is stiff, what with all the fascist, racist autocrats and power-crazed no-talent tinhorns out there, not to mention the far-right extremist billionaires continuing to corrupt our country with their blood money. But Musk, an execrable excuse for a human being and a waste of otherwise perfectly good oxygen, seems determined...
Musk already put out a statement to Twit's advertisers, that freedom of speech was his 1st priority & it "wouldn't turn into a hellscape..." I'm kinda here for it, they can start over once he destroys it. Lesson learned, in front of the entire world.
Yes, isn’t it devastating the money being spent (that goes back into the pockets mainly of the wealthy who own print and broadcast media).
I think about all the good uses that money could be put to, like child tax credits, food for people who are food insecure, affordable housing and health care, etc.
Those who want to give me an economics lesson: don’t bother.
Somehow there is always money and a way to spend it for military adventures.
The issue was framed for me years ago by a member of parliament in India. He pointed out that at that time the money spent on a single U.S. presidential election exceeded to the annual budget of the the country of India.
Election media has become both a playground for the ultra wealthy and, with small donors, yet another means to transfer wealth for the less to more wealthy.
Absolutely not. They're a pox on education, although they're great for fomenting a theocracy. Also, I might add and not for homeschooling either. (retired teacher bias, but I still think, in my dotage, that public education is the surest way to ensure a chance at a working democracy)
Musk has already walked back the free speech diatribe. His going to have a council decide the rules of the game. He said Ye was allowed back on Twitter before he took the helm of the company.
I've gotten on Twitter yesterday and the day before and the postings were 90% garbage. None of the intelligent postings I grew used to seeing but rather the stuff that lurked in the corners, much like the MAGAts who came out of the woodwork when Trump gave them the power to be publicly dumb, violent and racist.
I suspect that the number of Twitter followers will decline dramatically until Trump is allowed back on, and then it will be Trump's s**tshow and his maggot followers will exult in Trump temporary victory, and as the former guy once put it, 'get tired of winning.'
In the end, though, the Musk Melon will lose most or all of his investment and eventually either fade away or run for high office because, as narcissists seem to believe, they're so wonderful that everyone is supposed to stand up and cheer for them and what better way to gain the applause (if you don't sing or dance) than to gain the highest office in the land?
The greatest threat to what's left of America is an uninformed or misinformed populace that doesn't recognize fascism when it hits them on the nose.
Trump has his own. He won’t apply to get back on Twitter. Getting older by the minute and hyper-focused as always, he has his own platform, groupies, mirror.
That’s the thing isn’t it? No longer does the Republican party have any interest in democracy, it doesn’t even have any interest in a functional sustainable capitalism.
Even before Elon took over twitter, I thought of removing myself. Yesterday I did remove myself from twitter. It is a worthless media and now even moreso.
I quit Twitter months ago when I read that EM had made an offer to buy it and make it a privately owned, uncontrolled entity. I have long ago disconnected from TV Networks and prefer to live in a world of fiction via streamed "foreign" TV and movies where I can pretend to live in a world where people have ordinary problems, a social safety net and socialized medicine even if only for a few hours. I read fiction for entertainment and posts like these.
I feel that the two main newspapers (NYT and WAPO) that I have read for my entire adult life have recently changed from being quasi-liberal to more conservative and filled with verbal nonsense and meanness. For now, I will keep my NYT subscription for the Crossword, Spelling Bee, Wordle, and Letterboxed and some occasional OPED pieces. Few writers other than Jennifer Rubin keep my interest in the WAPO and I will let the subscription run out.
I know in my heart that these changes have occurred since the gap between the very wealthy and the rest of us has exponentially widened with decisions like Citizens Unites and Corporate greed. I'm sick to death of hearing about the hatefulness of Trump and his GOP sycophants and the Catholic decisions of SCOTUS.
At almost 82 years old, I can say that I've lived a lot of our "history" but I now have little hope for our country to remain a Democracy when and if the GOP manages to take control of our Government in November. I wish I could be more hopeful for my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren but I'm not.
At a young 76 I feel the same as you. We got the good out of what WWII left us, with some exceptions, and now our progeny are left with a husk maybe because we weren’t vigilant enough? Who knows at this point.
Having survived the inadequate food supply during WWII, I can empathize with the growing number of American children today who face food insecurity. That experience has made me value the compassion I have for those not as lucky as I have been. But it also makes me somewhat skeptical of those who loudly proclaim to have the right not to be immunized or wear a mask, as if that is the biggest problem they face in today's world, not Covid or climate changes or loss of Democracy or control over one's body.
Elon is just 1 of the 1,000s of Oligarchs controlling our news.
This October, segments of the stock market rose at a near record rate. So far this month, the rise is the best since 1978. Also, at the same time America's 3rd quarter GDP rose 2.6%. My point is that the "Biden crash" has not occurred, and the business news oligarchs will not explain that to the American public. Instead, they explained the rise in the market to the projections that Biden will lose control of the House and Senate this November. This is very bad. During the 1930s there were 1,000s of American NAZIs inspired by such Oligarchs like Henry Ford, whose Dearborn press blamed almost all of the world's problems on the Jews. Hitler praised Henry and awarded him the highest honor that Germany can give. I know a lot of you don't think America has oligarchs, but that's because American oligarchs are not as bad as Russian oligarchs.
Don't fool yourself. The vast majority of American news is controlled by oligarchs, like Elon, who shape most of public opinion. Their goal is to divide Americans and create chaos. So far it is working.
Well, he is in a way accountable for how he invests his own money. When you make cars, you can be everything in your company. However, the feds are beginning to think that his driverless car thing is dangerous. It either kills the passenger (by running into a white tractor-trailer) or the driver gets bored, stops watching, and kills someone else. Elon might lose in all.
But when you buy a service like Twitter, it only makes money when people use it. if your customers stop using it for any reason (i. e., they no longer trust it), you goose is cooked. There are already plenty of internet apps that let people spew hatred.
So, when it comes to Elon and Twitter, WE are "in the driver's seat," (excuse the pun). If you don't like it, find another platform or start one yourself. We cannot count on today's courts to do anything but make a mess. So, it's up to us. Let's DO IT!
"Don't be a Twit!"ter"!! And while you are at it: Kill your Television when it sucks!!!
"WE are "in the driver's seat."
This guy has enemies, competitors. The fossil fuel military/industrial complex hates Musk. He torments them. They spend zillions undermining climate science. In 2016, Tesla acquired SolarCity, the US' leading provider of solar panels. Today, Tesla sells four solar energy storage and generation products: Powerwall, Powerpack, Megapack, and Solar Roof. Historically Musk was trolled by the right wing. He has to know this. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/04/elon-musk-trolling-us-conservatives-green-tech
Trump has a competitive product -- Truth Social. Trump-- a competing megalomaniac -- will attack.
Musk uses government. His companies had received $4.9 billion in government support as of 2015, according to a report published that year by the Los Angeles Times — much of which came in the form of subsidies. One of the largest beneficiaries of these programs was SpaceX, which, in its first decade, operated on a total budget of $1 billion—about half of which came from government contracts from NASA. And just last year, SpaceX won a $2.9 billion NASA contract to build a moon lander. This activity is antithetical to Republican groups like the Tea Party, which calls this "socialism." . https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/to-infini-tea-and-beyond-tea-party-in-space-aims-to-stop-nasa-s-socialism
I think that Musk will eventually see that "freedom of speech" does not include climate warming deniers and the BIG LIE.
Why would Trump attack? He would have another free platform,
Simply by attacking, he will make it onto Musk's platform and bragging rights on his own platform. Problem for Trump: Truth Social will very soon disappear. (It's going bankrupt because Trump and family did their usual thing, kept taking money out of it.)
You're right, Trump would tank Truth Social if he joins the Twit. But I could see him making "guest appearances" to stay in the news, ALWAYS on their mind.
He's already said he won't join Twit, but I think he can't resist.
thank you-makessenxe
In his narcissistic mind, a threat.
I would've thought that until recently, but there are many recent things he's done or said that are concerning & of an authoritarian bent, & he seems sympathetic to the likes of Trump, Putin & Xi, & if he does side with tyrants like them, it's yet another blow against democracy.
I hope you're right. But Musk revels in doing his own thing and answering to nobody. Let's see what happens.
https://joinmastodon.org/
Mastodon has been around for several years without breaking out of its small “not Twitter” following. Without mass adoption, it acts more like the forums of yesteryear or the Discord servers of today. Just like Twitter, it lacks a use case for most folks.
For me the interesting question is how the moderation/censorship question will play out. Twitter has a problem that they either need to find rules that apply to all, or give users some choice on the rules (kind of a choice from a menu). Either way is difficult. Mastodon is the naturally environment for smaller communities setting their own rules, which is sth not possible on Twitter. Either way, governance is the big problem. I still have hopes that we learn and develop better methods for governance in P2P networks.
Although the first line of signing up produces a "Please match the format requested" box without definition and no obvious exclusionary principles when other user names are viewed so I already feel alienated!
Cheers though as a nice idea that will presumably work out for me...eventually...
btw, this leads to bigger questions: How to finance public goods? How to maintain open source software?
Arrghs ... I know, this is annoying ... but before you feel alienated think about how hard it is for software that is created by volunteers to compete with multi-billion-dollar big-tech companies .... and progress is being made ... the situation is already much better now than 20 years ago ...
This looks very dangerous, as the World is not particularly stable at the moment. I am not an US citizen. I appreciate that democracy in your country is in a shaky state at the moment and because I really believe in Democracy I am sorry to see you sinking under combined weight of MAGA, Musk, Putin and Southern Evangelicals..
Thank you. I wish the US voters were as clear-eyed. I've been a'harpin' for months about the very forces you've identified. (I have called and will continue callin' 'em neo-Confederates - except for Putin, who calls 'em useful idiots!)
Would that US citizens and voters were as clear eyed as Europeans, and that we could overcome the obnoxious views of "freedom of speech" granted to us by our Constitution. I firmly believe that freedom was NOT what the founders had in mind. It is sickening that this principle has been corrupted so that ANY speech is considered free, no holds barred, no remark or threat deemed too dangerous to be out. That and our inept non-enforcement of guns per 2nd Amendment are sinking the ship of state like the Titanic!
and Rupert Murdoch
the fuhrer of Fascism
right here in America
You aren’t nearly as sorry as most of us here are. This has always been the double edged sword of the internet though. Unfortunately both edges have been taken over by the monies few.
Ewa—You're certainly more American in spirit than white South African-born and bred immigrant Musk. Anyone know whether he's ever bothered to become a U.S. citizen?
I'm calling it "shitter" from now on because Musk and how he lies, dissembles and treats people badly is one big SHIT!!
Hahahahaha!! Good one, Dee!
Or call it Twatter cuz all that’s left of it will be a bunch of twats.
I can't possibly "like" this post. It is too horrid. And too true.
It's time to eliminate the class of billionaires, isn't it?
What do you suggest?
Eat the super-rich.
I've never tried cooking one, but I doubt that they would taste very good.
Declare this class unconstitutional and seize all their assets (they can keep $999 million, 3 villas and 1 yacht) above $1billion and put all the money in to one pot to serve the greater good. If they want, they can move their company headquarters from, let's say, California to London, Beijing or Moscow.
In the past … pitchforks and Guillotines have been notably effective. In the current interval, I suggest that everyone read Dave Troy.
First, and bear with me here, I gotta get this off my chest, Musk is making a strong bid for the title of Biggest Asshole in the Universe (which Matt Taibbi some years ago originally awarded to Alan Greenspan). Competition is stiff, what with all the fascist, racist autocrats and power-crazed no-talent tinhorns out there, not to mention the far-right extremist billionaires continuing to corrupt our country with their blood money. But Musk, an execrable excuse for a human being and a waste of otherwise perfectly good oxygen, seems determined...
In a more productive vein, see Heather Cox Richardson's Oct. 28 essay for some interesting insight on some practical, real-world constraints Musk is likely to crash into with Twitter (scroll about halfway down if you don't want to read about the attack on Paul Pelosi): https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/october-28-2022?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email.
Pretty sure Putin has a lock on that sobriquet
His puppet Trump could give him a run for that "honor" if he gets back in power.
If he lives up to any of your adjectives, advertisers will have a hard time supporting Twitter.
Musk already put out a statement to Twit's advertisers, that freedom of speech was his 1st priority & it "wouldn't turn into a hellscape..." I'm kinda here for it, they can start over once he destroys it. Lesson learned, in front of the entire world.
Clean up the Internet - tax 1 penny every tweet, like, post, email. etc.
It's a Free-for-All because it is free for all.
How about an "excise tax" on political expenditures? Say 35% on the $9 bn. spent this cycle.
Spend it on good governance education.
Yes, isn’t it devastating the money being spent (that goes back into the pockets mainly of the wealthy who own print and broadcast media).
I think about all the good uses that money could be put to, like child tax credits, food for people who are food insecure, affordable housing and health care, etc.
Those who want to give me an economics lesson: don’t bother.
Somehow there is always money and a way to spend it for military adventures.
The issue was framed for me years ago by a member of parliament in India. He pointed out that at that time the money spent on a single U.S. presidential election exceeded to the annual budget of the the country of India.
Election media has become both a playground for the ultra wealthy and, with small donors, yet another means to transfer wealth for the less to more wealthy.
Indeed, it is another means of wealth transfer. Thanks for making that point.
Now this is a great idea!
Can we direct that money toward education?
Not for charter schools!
Absolutely not. They're a pox on education, although they're great for fomenting a theocracy. Also, I might add and not for homeschooling either. (retired teacher bias, but I still think, in my dotage, that public education is the surest way to ensure a chance at a working democracy)
Thank you. I agree 100%.
Too late for that. Better put it in the CO2 mitigation hah
This country & world already favor the rich & inconvenience the poor too much.
An unregulated Internet is as unrealistic as an unregulated marketplace. The tricks are getting the right regulations and enforcing them.
Musk has already walked back the free speech diatribe. His going to have a council decide the rules of the game. He said Ye was allowed back on Twitter before he took the helm of the company.
the EU is planning on keep-
ping a Close eye on Elon
with Hatespeech and Mis-
information in their Sights
and they've Not been
Sheepish in impos-
ing Substantial
Fines to Big
Tech. good.
.
now if only
We might be as
Brave as Olde Europe
.
but for the McMitch
KkKonnell Court...
Ye can't be "allowed back"—was never banned
I just cancelled my Twitter account.
You are a brilliant, if depressing, analyst
of our changing world. Please put your
talented mind to work on how to
overcome these dangers.
I've gotten on Twitter yesterday and the day before and the postings were 90% garbage. None of the intelligent postings I grew used to seeing but rather the stuff that lurked in the corners, much like the MAGAts who came out of the woodwork when Trump gave them the power to be publicly dumb, violent and racist.
I suspect that the number of Twitter followers will decline dramatically until Trump is allowed back on, and then it will be Trump's s**tshow and his maggot followers will exult in Trump temporary victory, and as the former guy once put it, 'get tired of winning.'
In the end, though, the Musk Melon will lose most or all of his investment and eventually either fade away or run for high office because, as narcissists seem to believe, they're so wonderful that everyone is supposed to stand up and cheer for them and what better way to gain the applause (if you don't sing or dance) than to gain the highest office in the land?
The greatest threat to what's left of America is an uninformed or misinformed populace that doesn't recognize fascism when it hits them on the nose.
Well said, Porter!
Trump has his own. He won’t apply to get back on Twitter. Getting older by the minute and hyper-focused as always, he has his own platform, groupies, mirror.
Overconsolidation and monopolies are the death of capitalism.... yet, republicans just say, "Get out of thier way".
The rich and corporate have purchased an entire party.... with no room or tolerance for personal integrity, beliefs, ethics, or patriotism.
Tim Michels has spent overs 20 million of his own money, 97% of the whole, to BUY THE STATE OF WISCONSIN. HE IS TRYING TO BUY A STATE.
Inherently hostile to democracy. See a pattern here? They >really are< enemies of the state.
That’s the thing isn’t it? No longer does the Republican party have any interest in democracy, it doesn’t even have any interest in a functional sustainable capitalism.
amongst their self-destructive tendencies
is Over-reach* which damn near cost
them the Midterms had it only
happened a little later and
may Still.
*Adios Roe.
they'll sacrifice Capitalism too
they just cannot Help it
I guess there are many incentives for them to keep going to extremes
the Nazis're
Knocking.
YES, they are making their play to steal our country... every republican all in on tryanny, hatred, fear, and division... and all for the MONEY>
i don't think tht is true.I ws speking mostly of R's in Congress --their policies..
when the Citizenry's Monitized
why Not just Buy it?
it's Billionaire Rule.
Even before Elon took over twitter, I thought of removing myself. Yesterday I did remove myself from twitter. It is a worthless media and now even moreso.
Done! 🤸♀️
I quit Twitter months ago when I read that EM had made an offer to buy it and make it a privately owned, uncontrolled entity. I have long ago disconnected from TV Networks and prefer to live in a world of fiction via streamed "foreign" TV and movies where I can pretend to live in a world where people have ordinary problems, a social safety net and socialized medicine even if only for a few hours. I read fiction for entertainment and posts like these.
I feel that the two main newspapers (NYT and WAPO) that I have read for my entire adult life have recently changed from being quasi-liberal to more conservative and filled with verbal nonsense and meanness. For now, I will keep my NYT subscription for the Crossword, Spelling Bee, Wordle, and Letterboxed and some occasional OPED pieces. Few writers other than Jennifer Rubin keep my interest in the WAPO and I will let the subscription run out.
I know in my heart that these changes have occurred since the gap between the very wealthy and the rest of us has exponentially widened with decisions like Citizens Unites and Corporate greed. I'm sick to death of hearing about the hatefulness of Trump and his GOP sycophants and the Catholic decisions of SCOTUS.
At almost 82 years old, I can say that I've lived a lot of our "history" but I now have little hope for our country to remain a Democracy when and if the GOP manages to take control of our Government in November. I wish I could be more hopeful for my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren but I'm not.
Jean, at the same age, I am standing in your footprints. Brava!
At a young 76 I feel the same as you. We got the good out of what WWII left us, with some exceptions, and now our progeny are left with a husk maybe because we weren’t vigilant enough? Who knows at this point.
Having survived the inadequate food supply during WWII, I can empathize with the growing number of American children today who face food insecurity. That experience has made me value the compassion I have for those not as lucky as I have been. But it also makes me somewhat skeptical of those who loudly proclaim to have the right not to be immunized or wear a mask, as if that is the biggest problem they face in today's world, not Covid or climate changes or loss of Democracy or control over one's body.
Jean, I had to check the name because I thought I had written it but couldn't remember doing so. Raising a glass to my doppleganger.
Thank you Robert Keesecker. It is comforting to know there is a kindred spirit out there somewhere.
Elon is just 1 of the 1,000s of Oligarchs controlling our news.
This October, segments of the stock market rose at a near record rate. So far this month, the rise is the best since 1978. Also, at the same time America's 3rd quarter GDP rose 2.6%. My point is that the "Biden crash" has not occurred, and the business news oligarchs will not explain that to the American public. Instead, they explained the rise in the market to the projections that Biden will lose control of the House and Senate this November. This is very bad. During the 1930s there were 1,000s of American NAZIs inspired by such Oligarchs like Henry Ford, whose Dearborn press blamed almost all of the world's problems on the Jews. Hitler praised Henry and awarded him the highest honor that Germany can give. I know a lot of you don't think America has oligarchs, but that's because American oligarchs are not as bad as Russian oligarchs.
Don't fool yourself. The vast majority of American news is controlled by oligarchs, like Elon, who shape most of public opinion. Their goal is to divide Americans and create chaos. So far it is working.
He just happens to be the richest of the many—while lacking the gravitas to inspire them to kiss the ring.
SEC--what a guy! He's no better than any other adolescent asshole.