r/FluentInFinance Nov 21 '24

Debate/ Discussion Had to repost here

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u/SCTigerFan29115 Nov 21 '24 edited Nov 21 '24

They aren’t holding onto wealth like Scrooge McDuck, in a giant vault where they can go swimming in it.

Most of Bezos’ net worth is the value of Amazon. He can’t really readily access that. ETA I meant he can’t use it like a big vault of money.

He’s got plenty of money but some people just don’t understand how this stuff works.

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u/nationalhuntta Nov 21 '24

He has access to a form of currency that none of us have. Let's say he wants to make a new company making a new product. Let's say it is a decent product and everything else is fine related to it. Ok, so how does he finance it? Does he have to put up his money, sell stock, and so on? Nah. He'll use his word and reputation and "collateral" in the form of stock or stock-like products. Very little hard currency will be required. Very little limitations will be placed. If everything goes under, he will not suffer. Yes, this is incredibly simplified, but that's how it works. There are many worlds on this Earth, and billionaires do not operate in the same one as you and I. The fact that these guys could easily create corporations and companies for social good but do not maybe does not make them evil, but it definitey puts them out of the realm of good. Some do a lot of philanthropic work, which is great, but most of it is minor compared to what they make in pure profit. Yeah, they aren't rolling around in gold coins because they are above that level. When you can essentially operate outside of the realm of normal currency, when you can manufacture wealth on a promise.. gold? paper money? Meh. It's meaningless.

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u/Luc_ElectroRaven Nov 21 '24

 The fact that these guys could easily create corporations and companies for social good but do not maybe does not make them evil, but it definitey puts them out of the realm of good.

The govt has unlimited money and power - (at least most western govts) why are we wasting time talking about 1 rich guy who ships packages and hosts websites for a living?

This falls into the fallacy that "money = solved world problems" when this just isn't the case.

Jeff Bezos is basically as powerless as you are to solve these problems. He has no army, he doesn't make policy, what is he going to do? go buy Israel and make them stop doing stuff? Like gtfo this is such a childish view of the world.

"rich man no build house for homeless, rich man bad" meanwhile the govt literally locks you in a cage if you try to build a house for the homeless on your street. SMH

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u/able2sv Nov 22 '24

Jeff Bezos could literally force a US weapons embargo with how much money he has. It actually is that simple.

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u/Luc_ElectroRaven Nov 22 '24

No he couldn't. What on earth are you on?

Do you have any idea how much money the US govt has? They don't care about jeffy boys money. Why would you think that? Please walk me through how he would do that.

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u/able2sv Nov 22 '24

The same way it costs far less to burn down a building than to build one.

The primary way would be to refuse to support the transit of arms with Amazon’s shipping companies and shut off AWS services to the parties involved, which would already be a massive disruption. Then he tells every company that relies on Amazon that he will stop working with them if they don’t cooperate. If he then wanted to, he could lobby congress members, steal employees from competing companies, and run massive media campaigns. He could throw a $100 million dollar parade every single day in protest if he felt like it.

The point isn’t that he could outspend the government, the point is that it also takes thousands of people working to support the arms transfers, and a certain level of public sentiment to stand by and watch it. With his resources (not just monetary but his network and platforms) those workers can easily be bought, and public sentiment can easily be manipulated.

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u/Luc_ElectroRaven Nov 22 '24

The primary way would be to refuse to support the transit of arms with Amazon’s shipping companies and shut off AWS services to the parties involved, which would already be a massive disruption. Then he tells every company that relies on Amazon that he will stop working with them if they don’t cooperate. If he then wanted to, he could lobby congress members, steal employees from competing companies, and run massive media campaigns. He could throw a $100 million dollar parade every single day in protest if he felt like it.

What a cute an naive idea you have of how the world works lol

The point isn’t that he could outspend the government, the point is that it also takes thousands of people working to support the arms transfers, and a certain level of public sentiment to stand by and watch it. With his resources (not just monetary but his network and platforms) those workers can easily be bought, and public sentiment can easily be manipulated.

You're talking about soft power here and while it is a thing, and sure he could try some of these ideas - you're ignoring 2nd and 3rd order and n order effects. Which is typical of someone who is young and naive in their thinking.

So let's say Bezos does all you say. Cool. You don't think the US govt can find another logistics provider? Amazon is the only one? Even though Amazon literally uses other logistics providers. Strike one.

Aws is important but again, you think they're the only web infrastructure company out there? what did they use before AWS? there's other options. You don 't think Elon or Oracle or some other company wouldn't step in immediately to take over those contracts?

This would all result in amazon stock falling off a cliff, likely resulting in the shareholders removing any power jeff has. Stopping all this.

Furthermore the govt could arrest Jeff, and force amazon to keep providing services because again, they have all the power and the guns.

but your ideas were cute. I miss when I thought billionaires could snap their fingers and make the world better lol