Interestingly, in many cultures, the wealthy have a deep respect for the "aesthetic priesthood": ppl who devote their lives to some "creative" endeavour. Artists, musicians, athletes. When Bill Gates meets Federer, there's a sense in which Gates occupies a socially lower position
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It would not seem unusual for Gates to ask for Federer's autograph, but it would be quite unusual for Federer to ask for Gates'. It's like subconsciously the pure pursuit of wealth is thought of as "below" the dedication of life to the pursuit of some artistic/spiritual endeavor
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In the old days/in some cultures dedication to religion seems to also work: anecdotally the rich have deep respect for fortune tellers in some Asian cultures. Anecdotally Silicon valley has some demand for "spiritual gurus" similarly
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What culture are you thinking of? In Gates/Federer culture it’s common for money to simply buy art to show off. Big music stars perform at private events. Pro sports people are invited to play with rich amateurs… Federer might be too rich himself to buy, but others not so much
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Billionaires buy entire sports teams as tax shelters and I bet they make sure the stars are contractually available to grace their parties etc.
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I’d say in the west it’s more common to show off your power by displaying arts talents you don’t care about… Epstein/Weinstein type scenes. Humiliation of art with money is a popular hobby.
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I guess it's an interesting relationship because, while obviously the artists are buyable, (in my impression) when they actually show up at the event they are treated with respect
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You go to a michelin star restaurant, you pay the chef an ungodly amount of money, but you are supposed to be thankful that the chef graces you with their service rather than vice versa in some sense
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