What is it with the recent upsurge in the number of billionaire businessmen who seem to be going out of their way to plummet to the depths of the oceans for what clearly appears to be no monetary benefit - just their name in the papers (as if they don't get enough of that already) and the bragging rights that go with it? First it was James Cameron who, after filmng the Titanic underwater, decided that he was going to the bottom of the Marianas trench, 7 odd miles underwater, to capture some more deep sea experiences. Then along comes Jeff Bezos, who hit upon the idea of hunting for the rocket boosters from the Apollo 11 mission off the coast of Florida, which he now claims to have found. Balloon ascents, Everest expeditions, walking across the Sahara - if there is a challenge to be undertaken, you can bet that a person loaded with money will soon be there to try his hand.
While the rich have always had the ability to buy their way into any endeavor, it is only in modern times that they have chosen to undertake such risks. In medieval times, the rich did everything possible to stay alive, given how easily one could contract a grave illness and die. With the advent of modern medicines, however, and the increase in life expectancy,the option to earn one's riches and still have time to enjoy life after that is all of a sudden very possible. Not being content to merely start new businesses and float them on the stock market to become billionaires overnight, the quest is now on for the unique adventure, the discovery of a lifetime - anything with which to rub your fellow business tycoon's nose in the dust.
On the other hand, there are the Bill Gates' and Premjis of the world, who are openly donating their wealth to societal problems. Not that their aims are any less selfish - Gates gesture is being seen as the benchmark for all other aristocrats to aspire to. The difference is that there is a benefit to someone else - while the Cameron effort is hardly likely to produce any tangible impact, other than a "feel good" factor.
While the rich have always had the ability to buy their way into any endeavor, it is only in modern times that they have chosen to undertake such risks. In medieval times, the rich did everything possible to stay alive, given how easily one could contract a grave illness and die. With the advent of modern medicines, however, and the increase in life expectancy,the option to earn one's riches and still have time to enjoy life after that is all of a sudden very possible. Not being content to merely start new businesses and float them on the stock market to become billionaires overnight, the quest is now on for the unique adventure, the discovery of a lifetime - anything with which to rub your fellow business tycoon's nose in the dust.
On the other hand, there are the Bill Gates' and Premjis of the world, who are openly donating their wealth to societal problems. Not that their aims are any less selfish - Gates gesture is being seen as the benchmark for all other aristocrats to aspire to. The difference is that there is a benefit to someone else - while the Cameron effort is hardly likely to produce any tangible impact, other than a "feel good" factor.
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