Even if rich people were no more likely to believe stupid shit than you or me, it'd still be a problem. After all, I believe my share of stupid shit (and if you think that none of the shit you believe in is stupid, then I'm afraid we've just identified at least one kind of stupid shit you believe in).
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The problem isn't whether rich people believe stupid shit; it's the fact that when a rich person believes something stupid, that belief can turn into torment for dozens, thousands, or millions of people.
Here's a historical example that I think about a *lot*. In 1928, Henry Ford got worried about the rubber supply chain.
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@pluralistic I often remember Disney CEO Michael Eisner thinking EuroDisney's color should be purple, and Disney would own that purple the way Coke owned red.
Trouble was, in Europe purple is often associated with funerals and death.
Less harmful than other examples, but pure stupidity.
Cory Doctorow
Ride Theory