Wealth is pursued as a status marker within an elite circle.

Evidence

Rajat Gupta was another wealthy corporate executive driven to self-destruction in the pursuit of exorbitant wealth as a marker of elite status (Lattman & Ahmed, 2012). In a telephone conversation, Rajaratnam and Anil Kumar discussed Gupta’s drive for more money to make it into the “billionaire circle.” Some members of the corporate establishment coined a new psychological malady, “billionaire envy” (Lattman & Ahmed, 2012). — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 1471

Categorization

• SEED: Angle: ‘billionaire envy’ as a named psychological malady of elite status-thresholds — a gloss on status-driven wealth accumulation, comparing rank thresholds across domains (billionaire circle, unicorn valuations, milestone races).
• XREF: connects to: Global status signaling favors easily readable wealth over obscure cultural codes. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 727; Status signals require costly barriers that elites can pay with ease — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 213; Exclusive access and insider cultural knowledge create prestige independent of money. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 216 (+1 more)