The Sean Parker Wedding Is the Perfect Parable for Silicon Valley Excess
Jealously and ideological discord. The Zuckerbergs and Parkers are undermining the traditional American narrative of "hard work" and entrepreneurship.It seems wrong based on that world view that a baby-faced geek in a hoodie can look down on all the traditional businessmen from his mountain of money.These new rich they did not get rich through "hard work", they just got the right idea at the right time.They did not prove themselves in a decade(s) long process of "building a business", facing countless challenges along the way, but practically got rich over night - often while having a lot of juvenile fun.And of course nobody can construct a charming "rags to riches" nonsense story here, the one Americans love so much. The current generation of silicon billionaires come from privilege, and can be billionaires shortly after completing their studies at some elite university .. or even before that.None of that is surprising. That's how modern, globalized, digital capitalism works. But it makes people uncomfortable, and yes jealous. These 20-something billionaires are simply way more offensive to the common man than the traditional industrial tycoons.Very, very few people will have the right idea at the right time. It is not something you can plan or work (hard) towards to. Also the software business is elitist by nature. In contrast, it is much easier for most to relate to the traditional American entrepreneur story, which for example begins with his first job making pizza, then his first small restaurant and ends with him being a billionaire chain restaurant tycoon decades later.It is obvious that among the capitalists there are subgroups which are seen as less deserving and sympathetic by the general public. Traditionally bankers and - it seems - for quite a few people Sean Parker-types too.Of course it is unjustified to hate people because they found a legal way to easily and quickly make a hell lot of money. But well.. humans being humans.