1217: Evan Osnos | The Haves and Have-Yachts of American Oligarchy

Money and power are merging on the high seas. The New Yorker's Evan Osnos exposes how super yachts became the new seat of American oligarchy.

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1217

What We Discuss with Evan Osnos:

• Billionaire political donations increased 200x in 20 years ($25M to $3B in 2024), marking America's shift from democracy to oligarchy — where economic and political power fuse.
• Super yachts are floating power centers — not just status symbols but boardrooms, tax havens, and networking hubs where billion-dollar deals happen beyond public scrutiny and regulation.
• Each super yacht pollutes like 1,500 cars running continuously, costs 10 percent of its purchase price annually to maintain, and creates toxic work environments for crew in legal gray zones.
• The ultra-wealthy face insatiable desire — where 50-meter boats become "embarrassing," half-billion-dollar yachts are "quite nice," and satisfaction remains perpetually out of reach.
• History shows extreme inequality resolves through crisis — war, revolution, or pandemic. But we can prevent these outcomes by making systems less advantageous to the few and more inclusive to all. Support politicians who limit campaign finance influence. Vote with your wallet. Build communities that value contribution over consumption. Small actions compound: we shape culture by what we celebrate and reject.
• And much more...

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