In every society and at every point in history, the same pattern repeats itself: the lower classes seek to imitate the lifestyle of the ruling and wealthy elite. They may do so clumsily, lacking the resources to replicate it fully, yet the aspiration is unmistakable. At one time, I harbored the naïve hope that by encouraging a certain rough-hewn confidence among the lower orders, one might resist this pressure. But the weight of social structure is simply too strong.
The real question is: which aristocratic stratum is being imitated? A few years ago, the model consisted of a blend of high-ranking corporate managers and media celebrities. The truly wealthy were too few in number to project a distinct lifestyle of their own. In their clothing, musical tastes, diets, leisure habits, and so forth, they largely blended in with the managerial class. This was the Davos style.
But times change, and with them, the balance of power. Today, the genuine plutocrats—the ones wealthier than even the most successful executives—have begun to present a lifestyle of their own. It is not that their ranks have swollen, but rather that enough of them are so eccentric that they refuse to conform. And they are highly visible.
Two elements of this emerging aristocratic style are particularly striking.
First, large families. The most prominent example is Elon Musk, who has fathered fourteen children. Yet having five or six children is hardly unusual in this stratum. Bernard Arnault has five, Rupert Murdoch six, Silvio Berlusconi had five, David Rockefeller six, and many others follow the same pattern. These children typically come from successive marriages, but the point is that fertility has once again become a visible marker of wealth and power.
Second, the absence of “smart” devices in their households. Among the super-rich, children do not grow up with personal computers, smartphones, or tablets loaded with cartoons. Paradoxically, the gleaming smartphone has become a badge of the poor. The elite have rediscovered what earlier generations took for granted: that true privilege lies in shielding one’s children from the distractions of mass technology.
In short, imitation of the wealthy is not always harmful. When the aristocracy offers a model of fecundity and discipline, rather than decadence and distraction, the emulation of the lower classes may even work to society’s benefit.