Rich People in the US Have Been Allowed to Get Way Too Rich
The next time you’re struggling to pay your rent or afford child care, think about this: the uberrich in the US are now paying top dollar to cut in line to get health care and hiring rotating casts of nannies so one is always at their beck and call.
Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos are seen in SoHo on May 1, 2022 in New York City. (Raymond Hal / GC Images via Getty Images)
The 99 percent are suffering.
With inflation easing a bit, Thanksgiving dinner won’t be as expensive this year as it has been. But a slightly more affordable turkey is cold comfort. Rent is still prohibitive, with most tenants struggling to foot the bill. Even more worrying, 12.8 percent of households suffered from food insecurity at some point during 2022, a sharp increase from the previous year (10.5 percent). Then there’s health care. A Commonwealth Fund study released a couple weeks ago found large numbers of Americans weighed down by their health expenses, with many delaying or skipping needed care or drugs to save money, often with disastrous health effects.
How’s it going for the very rich? Very well, judging by how much they’re willing to pay for an array of lavish services. A small number are so absurdly rich that, according to a recent New York Times piece, a whole new suite of boutique services has sprung up.
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