When Mark Zuckerberg recently announced sweeping changes to his company Meta’s work practices in anticipation of a Trump 2.0 presidency, keen-eyed observers noticed the tech titan was wearing a wristwatch worth nearly US$900,000 (£837,000). It’s one of a range of high-end timepieces he has sported recently.
This ostentatious display of wealth may have ensured the luxury magazine market’s admiration. But, it has prompted others to compare the likes of Zuckerberg and his fellow titans to the “robber barons” of 19th- and early 20th-century America.
In his farewell address from the Oval Office on January 15, outgoing president Joe Biden warned that “an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedom, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead”.
