“let me tell you about the very rich. they are different from you and me. they possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them soft where we are hard, and cynical where we are trustful, in a way that, unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand. they think, deep in their hearts, that they are better than we are because we had to discover the compensations and refuges of life for ourselves. even when they enter deep into our world or sink below us, they still think that they are better than we are. they are different.”
f. scott fitzgerald
techno-feudal lords, as the most influential and privileged figures of the contemporary world, embody a modern manifestation of fitzgerald’s observations about the wealthy. fitzgerald’s claim that early-acquired privilege shapes the character of the rich offers a striking perspective for understanding the world of technology billionaires. these figures are not only dominant in terms of material wealth and influence but also in their hegemonic control over information and technology, placing them far beyond the boundaries of traditional societal dynamics.
the vast accumulation of wealth and power at an early age isolates techno-feudal lords not only from societal realities but also from the shared framework of human experience. this isolation drives them to perceive the world and its social problems solely through their pragmatic and reductionist lenses. in this regard, fitzgerald’s assertion that the wealthy are “soft where we are hard, and cynical where we are trustful” resonates strongly with the behavior of technology billionaires. for instance, elon musk’s indifference to mass layoffs or jeff bezos’s relentless pursuit of luxury and technological ambitions despite the harsh conditions endured by his workers clearly illustrates how disconnected these individuals have become from social struggles.
on a deeper level, the sense of superiority they exhibit is equally striking. fitzgerald’s observation that the wealthy tend to believe they are “better than we are” takes on a more complex form when coupled with the intellectual and moral arrogance of techno-feudal lords. figures like musk, gates, or zuckerberg stand out not only for their wealth but also for their unwavering belief in their ability to transform the world. these visions of transformation often manifest as technologically determinist approaches that ignore the complexities of social dynamics and historical contexts. for them, the world’s problems are nothing more than engineering challenges solvable through algorithms and technological innovation.
yet this sense of superiority and privilege also entails not just social detachment but moral distance as well. fitzgerald’s statement that “they are different” encapsulates the fundamental characteristic of techno-feudal lords’ relationship with society. these figures are alienated from society not only by their economic and technological power but also by their physical and emotional worlds. bezos’s $200 million superyacht, musk’s mars colonization projects, or zuckerberg’s massive investments in the metaverse are exaggerated and tangible symbols of this disconnection. for these individuals, societal struggles are nothing more than distant abstractions or mere technological “challenges.”
ultimately, techno-feudal lords represent the most extreme examples of fitzgerald’s insights about wealth in the modern era. their power extends far beyond material wealth; it includes the ability to reshape society through their control of information and technology. however, this power elevates them to a position even more isolated from the rest of society. such isolation not only deepens existing inequalities but also accelerates the transformation of wealth and power into a new feudal order. the sustainability of this order seems to depend on society’s willingness to normalize, rather than question, this “difference.” as fitzgerald observed in his time, “they are different.” and in our time, this difference has only grown sharper.
and now these new petty-bourgeois elites who considers themselves inherently good and superior are not only surpassing the alliance of capitalism with the state by directly entering politics, but they also desire the luxury of ruling the world. and they have the capital and power (i.e., technology) to do so. the distinct mindset described by fitzgerald makes it possible to predict how these clowns will impact society.