Murdered CEO: avoidable evil, or inevitable path?

We know financial inequality is detrimental to society—it makes us less happy, less trusting, and more violent. Yet, it’s growing.

At one end of the scale, we see homelessness, unemployment, and the rise of medical bankruptcy in America. Slightly further along, though not far enough, we find the inability of young people to buy homes or afford rent near their workplaces. Not far from there, we encounter billions of daily decisions made by people worldwide to forego expenditure that would make their future selves healthier, happier, or better prepared. Instead, allocating endlessly insufficient resources to whichever crisis burns hottest in their life.

It’s letting a toothache worsen to the point of an extraction because a dentist costs two weeks’ worth of groceries. It’s eating unhealthy food because proteins and vegetables are too expensive. It’s working hard simply to maintain the means to get to work—so as not to lose that work—instead of working on what brings us happiness or pursuing hobbies that improve our health and well-being. It’s spending our time earning a living just to secure a place to sleep and feel safe, with that "in-between" time shrinking as we fight against inflation—a deliberate mechanism of our economy that makes property owners wealthier, whilst making those who aren’t poorer.

Then there’s the other side of the scale, where those who benefit from this imbalance experience life. Last week, for the first time in a long time, people living on the far more enjoyable end of the spectrum felt the real consequences of financial inequality—it kills.

For decades, the wealthy have over-extracted from society to secure more for themselves. Last week, one of them was killed outside his home by someone seemingly desperate to cut off a gangrenous limb before the infection spread to the heart of society.

This despicable, reprehensible, disgusting, and uncivilised act of murder—the worst of crimes—has been met with widespread celebration and an unsettling sense of inevitability.

Put your ear to the ground, and you may be forgiven for thinking society is starting to suggest that a person’s job might excuse their murder. Listen closer still, and you might even think a growing part of society wants more of it.

Despite endless historical and contemporary contradictions, leaders worldwide responded to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson by saying, “This isn’t how we solve differences.” Quite literally as bombs rained down on children in Gaza, these leaders assured us that civilised societies don’t murder innocent people they disagree with or dislike - seemingly unaware the hypocrisy, or too obtuse to acknowledge the facts. 

While they said this, those on the privileged end of financial inequality were reminded of the impact their existence has on those living at the other end. Just as the Russian Royal Family, the French ruling class, and the American South all learned at various points in history, to name three of infinite examples. 

These people are, understandably—as billionaire Peter Thiel revealed live on television—terrified. They know all too well that history tells a clear and persistent story about financial inequality: it’s fatal. Eventually, even for those who exist on the safer side of the scale. Perhaps they thought this future was distant because history feels less relevant the further removed you are from the reality that shapes it. Perhaps they didn’t think about it. Perhaps they didn’t want to. But they certainly are now. 

I condemn what happened in Manhattan this week, in the strongest terms.

But when you cage a tiger for financial gain, you’re in the wrong. When you only feed it because you sold tickets to its spectacle, you’re in the wrong. When you provoke it to satisfy a demanding crowd, you’re in the wrong. When that tiger bites you, only a fool would expect the other tigers to have your back.

As we extract more from society in the name of the bottom line, as our capitalist drivers silence our humanity and financial inequality grows each day, anyone who thinks we’re nearing the end of this chapter is mistaken. This story has just begun.

Financial inequality is the pandemic of our time - with covid a mere head cold. The only way to stop financial inequality from affecting everyone is to aim for it to affect no one. While we may never achieve that, every step closer will make us happier and prevent deaths—at both ends of the spectrum.

Smart billionaires know that eventually tigers’ gonna bite bite bite—which is precisely why Taylor Swift just gave her crew $197 million in bonuses and visited sick kids in hospital. She knows there’s no point in being wealthy if you’ve helped create a world you must wall yourself off from to feel safe.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk says he wants to take humanity to Mars. He doesn’t. He’s simply trying to build a wall that tigers cannot climb.

After all, he grew up in South Africa—a broken society, on both sides of its walls.

Kane Jackson is the founder of the social impact startup Maslow and host of the show Chasing Financial Equality—available wherever you get your podcasts.