I got to thinking about what it must be like for Jeff Bezos to spend half a billion dollars on a yacht. Curiosity piqued, I looked up his net worth and calculated what percentage half a billion represented compared to my own modest finances. Using the back of a used napkin, I did some quick math.
When Jeff spends $500,000,000, that’s equivalent to me spending $750. It put things into stark perspective. When our dishwasher broke, we were fortunate enough to afford a $750 replacement. For Bezos, choosing between a half-billion or full-billion-dollar yacht is like me deciding between a Maytag and a Miele. The Miele is supposed to last twice as long. Maybe it’s the same with yachts? I went with the Maytag.
Likewise, when he bought The Washington Post for $100 million, that’s the equivalent of me buying one tire for my car. Not a full set of tires. For a full set of tires, Jeff could own and control 4 storied newspapers.
When we talk about people with hundreds of billions of dollars, the numbers sound abstract. These comparisons, I hope, make clear just how obscene such wealth truly is.
I won’t be buying my next tire or dishwasher through Amazon. A penny denied is still a penny, and like the fluttering of a butterfly wing, we can hope for the ultimate effect of our seemingly small actions to create change. Thinking bigger, I will work with all my heart towards a society that encourages equity, fairness, respect, and dignity.