Episode 100 - Conclusion: The Next 100 Years of Power, Money, and Control cover art

Episode 100 - Conclusion: The Next 100 Years of Power, Money, and Control

Episode 100 - Conclusion: The Next 100 Years of Power, Money, and Control

Listen for free

View show details

About this listen

In our final episode, we look back at the century of wealth we've explored and look forward to the century to come. We synthesize the key themes of our series: the evolution of power from industrial muscle to financial engineering to data and algorithms. We trace the recurring patterns of monopoly, disruption, scandal, and the constant, often-successful, effort by the ultra-wealthy to translate their economic power into political influence.

We then turn our eyes to the future. Who will be the billionaires of the next generation? Will they come from fields we can barely imagine today, like artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, or asteroid mining? We explore the new ethical dilemmas that will arise with these new fortunes and ask whether our current systems of governance and taxation are equipped to handle a world with trillionaires. Will new models of philanthropy and social responsibility, like those championed by MacKenzie Scott, become the norm or remain the exception?

This finale is a reflection on everything we've learned and a sober look at the challenges ahead. The names and the industries may change, but the fundamental questions about the concentration of wealth, the nature of power, and the responsibilities of the rich to the society that created them will remain more urgent than ever. The story of the billionaire is far from over.

No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.