I have long been of the opinion that the wealthy are so out of touch with reality that they live in a different world. This was reinforced at my previous workplace when we were touring the owner's massive mansion on Lake Minnetonka and found out that his heating bill every year was more than the total mortgage on our house at the time. Which made some sense, since our house could have easily fit inside the room that housed his indoor swimming pool.
That merely crystalized the idea that the rich were out of touch. How could they be in touch when their utility bill exceeds many people's mortgage? How could they possibly have even a remote clue about what life is like for the vast majority of people in the US, much less the rest of the world?
But a couple recent events have given me cause to reconsider. Not entirely mind you, but to reconsider in general. While it may be that the rich have no idea how normal people live, it is still within the realm of possibility that they do care about everyone else. These two events are Bill Gates "retiring" to run his foundation, which is devoted to solving big issues like AIDS and malaria. And more recently, the world's second wealthiest man, Warren Buffett, deciding to give the vast majority of his weath to that same foundation.
In the case of Buffett, he might still have some clue what life is like for most people, as he is legendary for choosing to save his wealth rather than spending it on extravagent homes and so forth. For one of the ultra-rich, he lives an incredibly modest life.
But the big thing is this: the world's two richest men are pooling their wealth to solve huge problems. Problems that plague people they almost certainly don't know. Who live lives they most likely can barely comprehend. The combined wealth of these men, of this foundation, exceeds the wealth of many (most?) countries on the planet. Certainly no country, even the wealthy ones like the US, put nearly this much money or focus into solving such important issues.
So whether the rich comprehend the lives of normal people or not, they do live in the same world. And it gives me great hope to think that other members of the ultra rich might choose to change the world for the better, following the lead of the two richest of their kind.