Reflections | Rich men like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos were looked down on in ancient China. All except one
- Merchants were placed near the society’s bottom in the Confucian world view, below scholar-officials, farmers and artisans, but above entertainers and criminals
- A famous exception was Lü Buwei, whose decision that a minor prince was a good investment paid off magnificently
The rich seem to be everywhere these days, their goings-on and every pronouncement crowding our newsfeeds, social media and conversations.
Elon Musk is the most ubiquitous – and annoying – but there are others like him: Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and so on.
Their actions and words have a power and influence that is usually the preserve of the leader of an important country.
In fact, they behave like one, meeting with heads of government and sending markets and exchange rates into a frenzy with a single word.
Money talks. When Musk, Gates and their ilk speak, the rest of us had better listen.
Unlike the present day, businesspeople were held in contempt in Chinese society. Merchants were placed near the bottom of society in the Confucian world view, below scholar-officials, farmers and artisans, but above entertainers, criminals, slaves and other forms of low-life.