Well, I want to talk about this whole social media thing. You may – or you may not – be aware that I’ve recently posted on social media a drone shot – featuring a beautiful sunset behind my beloved SuperMegaGoddamHugeFloatingMansion hyperyacht, Rising Sun. In the normal world that would be just fine and dandy. Just another wannabe hero drone shot from your average superyacht owner. It’s actually a rather lovely shot. There’s tropical waters and sunshine and gentle forested shores. In any usual social media feed, I’d be lauded for my skills and receive a whole bandwidth full of compliments and emojis. But na-hah! None of that for poor old Davey here. Instead of praise and pundits, a whole flood of hatemail soared across the globe and hovered all menacing-like above my Rising Sun. So I up-anchored and motored right out of there.
Despair and Angst – Sure Geffy, we see your point. But what’s your real angst over this?
Well now, I don’t want to be sounding all uppity ‘n’ all, but there’s a side to all this that I don’t think people are getting to see.
Despair and Angst – Mmm.. You mean you are feeling a little put upon by all this media attention?
Yes. And no. I am a fairly famous fellow, and we famous fellows are used to a bit of flak hitting the air around us. I guess some folk felt I was hardly in quarantine, and didn’t understand what quarantine means, simply because I’m sitting on a megayacht, being waited on hand-and-foot in conditions of ultimate luxury. So no, I’m not really under any angst for folk getting the wrong idea ‘n’ all. I guess it’s hard to have empathy for a billionaire sailing through glorious waters on a bigger-than-Ben-Hur-style-gigayacht. No, my angst is the idea that I don’t care about other people, simply because I have more money and more stuff and more options for how I spend my quarantine.
I do care about other people, and there’s nothing I’ve ever done that would suggest I don’t. You do know that there’s an entire hospital wing with my name on it? My philanthropy trust hands out more money than a Republican oil lobbyist in a solar energy convention. So I shouldn’t have to say that I care when it’s pretty obvious that I do. Should I?
Despair and Angst – Go on Dave, let it all out.
Well thank-you. Good to see there’s some manners still out there. As I was saying, some folk sitting in their 10x10 apartments, looking out over the empty roads and boarded-up shops, might think that I was rubbing their faces in it by highlighting my good life out here on the open seas in the 4th smallest loungeroom of my 8,000 square metres, five levels and 3,300 square metres of desk space, with gymnasium, huge cellar, sauna, spa, basketball court, helicopter pad, private cinema, 45 crew and staff and all that half a billion dollars can provide… uhh… actually… uhm..
Actually Despair and Angst, I think I’ll call it quits just there. I might make an appointment with my PR folk when I get back onshore. Elon Musk is taking up all the billionaire social media space at the moment, and I’m not sure I want to add to his portrayal of how we 0.1% think or operate.. Actually, come to think of it, we’ve got a President that’s doing enough of that for all of us. I might just start adding #grateful #i’mgivingitawayanyway #pleasedontletmebemisunderstood to my Insta posts from here on.
Despair and Angst – Thanks David. You know that this sort of human reaction approach isn’t going to drive our numbers much – but if you’d be a gem and drop a intro line to Elon for us, it’d be great.