# Who hates billionaires? I do! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 6, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177 "2003-06-06T20:57:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jb\_007clone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jb\_007clone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_007clone)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/1 "2003-06-06T20:57:23Z")
How can anyone justify having a billion dollars in this world? It’s just ridiculous! Your thoughts? [http://www.forbes.com/free\_forbes/2003/0317/087.html](http://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2003/0317/087.html) ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/2 "2003-06-06T21:24:02Z")
What’s ridiculous? If I had the brains and opportunity to earn a billion dollars, would you hate me too? I’ll save my hatred for those who truly merit it. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/3 "2003-06-06T21:27:39Z")
You’re not a Republican, are you, jb? ---
**Author:** ![jb\_007clone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jb\_007clone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_007clone)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/4 "2003-06-06T21:33:50Z")
So “more money = better than”? I agree that the oppurtunity doesn’t present it self to everyone but just because someone has a lot of money doesn’t make them smarter than another person. If so, well then I guess I’m better than Van Gogh cause he made almost nothing! And saving your hatred for those who truly merit it? Might that be those who have no money and are dying of disease and famine? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/5 "2003-06-06T21:46:14Z")
Where did “more money = better than” come from? ---
**Author:** ![jb\_007clone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jb\_007clone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_007clone)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/6 "2003-06-06T21:48:26Z")
You assumed that a billionaire is smarter than an average person. “If I had the brains…” ---
**Author:** ![jb\_007clone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jb\_007clone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_007clone)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/7 "2003-06-06T21:49:44Z")
Whatever, my fault, I see my mistake. It’s still ridiculous to have a billion dollars though. ---
**Author:** ![pestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@pestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pestie)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/8 "2003-06-06T21:58:59Z")
I hope to eventually be a billionaire. Seriously. I’d be quite comfortable living like that. But I suspect I’ll only ever make it to millionaire in my lifetime. Heh… ---
**Author:** ![Mastema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/94ad74/32.png) [@Mastema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mastema)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/9 "2003-06-06T21:59:38Z")
The only ones that perturb me are the ones sitting on mom or dad’s money and proclaiming their superiority. If you can start off as an average joe/jane and get yourself a billion in one lifetime, I say cheers to you. ---
**Author:** ![jb\_007clone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jb\_007clone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_007clone)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/10 "2003-06-06T22:03:57Z")
I understand living comfortably (ie. food and shelter) but a billion is just excess! ---
**Author:** ![SexyHamster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SexyHamster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SexyHamster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/11 "2003-06-06T22:06:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jb\_007clone \* > \*\*How can anyone justify having a billion dollars in this world? It’s just ridiculous! Your thoughts? > \*\* I’ll admit that I don’t understand the need for such large amounts of money, but I don’t think I could say, ‘I hate all rich people’ any more than I could say, ‘I hate all black people’. I have met a few rich people who get under my skin with their materialistic attiitudes, but I’ve also met some wealthy people who do more good with their money than I’ll ever be able to do with my meager income. ---
**Author:** ![jb\_007clone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jb\_007clone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_007clone)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/12 "2003-06-06T22:16:13Z")
Okay, I didn’t say I hate all rich people. I hate billionaires! Sure there are many rich people who do a lot of good with their money but come on, a billion dollars! They’re are people with absolutely, nothing in this world. Can you imagine that? Through no fault of their own. No way to know where or when food is coming. I understand that if you can make a billion dollars, then yes “cheers” to you, but how can you keep it knowing that they’re are others who have not been granted the same oppourtunities that you have? ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/13 "2003-06-06T22:24:58Z")
My first instinct was to ask whether you often blur the line between hate and envy, but then I thought about it a minute and realized there are an awful lot of self-hating wealthy people out there. Who am I to question who are what you hate. You might enjoy reading [Thaidog’s: Should it be legal to be as rich as Bill Gates?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=188446) in IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/14 "2003-06-06T22:25:18Z")
You seem to believe that billionaires don’t contribute to charities or set up scholarships or foundations or do anything to benefit anyone. Do you think they sit around all day counting their money and shunning the lesser earners? Do billionaires have a responsibility to take care of people with less money? How about millionaires? How about people with six-figure incomes? Who are these people who amass all this wealth and keep it to themselves? ---
**Author:** ![jb\_007clone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jb\_007clone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_007clone)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/15 "2003-06-06T22:29:46Z")
> [@](#): > > You seem to believe that billionaires don’t contribute to charities or set up scholarships or foundations or do anything to benefit anyone. Do you think they sit around all day counting their money and shunning the lesser earners? Do billionaires have a responsibility to take care of people with less money? How about millionaires? How about people with six-figure incomes? Yes, like I stated previously, I understand that they’re are many rich people who start charities and help others, but at the end of the day, you’re still sitting on a billion dollars while others are dying of poverty and famine and disease. When one is not facing these problems it’s easy to say “Sure, let the billionaires have their money! Who cares?” ---
**Author:** ![SexyHamster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SexyHamster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SexyHamster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/16 "2003-06-06T22:30:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jb\_007clone \* > \*\* I understand that if you can make a billion dollars, then yes “cheers” to you, but how can you keep it knowing that they’re are others who have not been granted the same oppourtunities that you have? \*\* Maybe they’re saving up for that new battle ship? Nothing handles family outings like 12" guns. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/17 "2003-06-06T22:46:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Who hates billionaires? Well, don’t know if he **hates** them, but Jesus Christ apparently doesn’t want them hanging around him: “Easier it is for a camel to pass thru the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.” ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/18 "2003-06-06T23:06:02Z")
I have a question, do you have as much contempt for those who confiscate more than a 1/3 in the form of federal, 7% in the form of state and 3% in the form of city taxes? ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/19 "2003-06-06T23:17:47Z")
**jb\_007clone** wrote > [@](#): > > but at the end of the day, you’re still sitting on a billion dollars while others are dying of poverty and famine and disease. When one is not facing these problems it’s easy to say “Sure, let the billionaires have their money! Who cares?” Jesus, here we go again. Go take an economy class. Because those billionaires exist, there is more money in the hands of others, not less. It’s not a zero-sum game. Those people that drive themselves into great fortunes don’t do it by stealing from other people. They do it by delivering goods and services that everyone enjoys so much they’re willing to pay for them. And in the process, many employees, shareholders, partners and other direct and indirect beneficiaries make a lot of money. And that includes you, my friend. Also, what do you think happens to that billion they own? Do you think it sits in their closets? It goes into investments, each one of which creates jobs and opportunities. And in general, I’d be shocked if there’s even one billionaire on your list who hasn’t given more to charity then you will in 100 of your lifetimes. That’s right: while you whine, they’ve created jobs and improved and saved more lives then Mother Theresa. What have you done for this world? ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177/20 "2003-06-06T23:34:09Z")
I had a big response written, but on preview, **Bill H.** said it better. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-billionaires-i-do/180177.md?page=2)