Carl Icahn’s efforts to take over, 66
of, 19– 20; innovative business ideas
and, 19, 20; past importance of land
videos of billionaires, unearthing, 37
ownership in, 18– 19. See also wealth of
visas. See H- 1B visas; work visas
billionaires
visibility of billionaires: measure of, 89;
wealth creation, role of governments and
misleading impressions from visible
societies in, 20
billionaires, 7– 8, 25; as predictor of
wealth levels of billionaires: calculation of
number of statements and actions by on
by Bloomberg, 157n4; and economic
social issues, 89– 91, 91 t
conservatism, 32; entanglement of with
voting, 140
policy stands, 42; as predictor of actions
Vulcan Aerospace, 22
against taxes and Social Security among
nonspeakers, 45, 45 t; as predictor of
Wadhwani, Romesh, 17
actions in favor of same- sex marriage,
wages: cuts in, 137; marginal product theory
91– 92, 92 t; as predictor of actions in
of, 23; pressures on from economic
favor of taxes and Social Security
globalization, 21
among speakers, 45, 45 t; as predictor of fre-
Walker, Scott: John Menard Jr. contribu-
quent statements on taxes, 40– 41, 41 t; as
tions to gubernatorial campaign of, 63;
predictor of number of statements and
right- to- work legislation and public
actions on social issues, 88– 91, 89 t; as
sector deunionization by, 107
predictor of pro- tax direction of state-
Walmart retailing empire, 11; achievements
ments, 41– 42, 41 t; as predictor of state-
of, 138
ments in favor of immigration, 95, 95 t
Walters, Barbara, 86
wealth of billionaires: availability of for
Walton family: heirs, ages of, 15; inherited
politics, 2; industrial sectors and
fortunes of, 11; retailing source of
sources of, 20– 22; inherited, 19– 20; land
fortunes, 11. See also individual family
ownership and, 18– 19; list of wealth of
members
individual billionaires, 145– 47; luck and,
Walton, Alice, 11
20; as “self- made,” 19– 20; sharing of,
Walton, Christy, 11
24; sources of, 18– 22; total amount of,
Walton, James, 11
2, 32– 33, total amount of as of 2013, 10;
Walton, Jim, 11
total amount of compared with GDPs of
Walton, Lucas, young age of, 16
various countries, 10, 32– 33
Walton, S. Robson, 11
wealthiest Americans: changes in Forbes
Walton, Sam: achievements of, 138; as
rankings of, 13– 14; list of top 100 (2013
founder of Walmart, 11
and 2016), 151– 54; size of fortunes of,
Wang, Roger, 17
1– 2, 151– 54; top 100 studied, 4, 10. See
Wanner, Eric, x
also wealth of billionaires; one- percenters
Washington Post, purchase of by Jeff Bezos,
wealthy individuals, as independent influ-
31
ences on policy making, 51
waste, radioactive, disposal of, 120– 21
web searches: capitalization and quotation
Waste Control Specialists: Harold Simmons
marks in, 162n35, 162– 63n37, 170– 71n8;
and, 119; license of to dispose of radio-
list of keywords used on immigration,
active waste, 120– 21
abortion, and same- sex marriage, 155;
index
221
list of keywords used on taxes and So-
women billionaires: as inheritors, 16; rarity
cial Security, 148; thoroughness of,
of, 16
128– 29
Won, Do, 17
web- scraping techniques, 4, 6, 32– 35, 79– 80
work visas, 80
West, Darrell, 3; and “get a senator” strat-
workers, wage and job pressures on from
egy, 50
economic globalization, 21
West Virginia, energy companies and pollu-
working- class Americans, economic travails
tion regulation in, 108
of, 137
Western Europe, origin of US billionaires
in, 14, 17– 18
Yang, Jerry, 17
whites, predominance of among wealthiest
billionaires, 16– 17
Ziff, Daniel and Dirk, 32
Whitman, Meg, 16; as supporter of anti–
Ziff, Robert, 162n28
same- sex- marriage ballot proposition,
Zuckerberg, Mark: achievements of, 138;
86
as creator of pro- immigration lobbying
Whole Foods Market, 12
group FWD.us, 83; Facebook as source
Williams, Anthony, 103
of fortune of, 12; jump in Forbes rankings
Wisconsin: billionaires’ policy impact in,
by, 14; number of statements by on social
107; wealthy- friendly policies in, 100
issues, 85; support by for Supreme Court
Wisconsin Club for Growth, 63– 64
decision to legalize same- sex marriage, 86
Document Outline
Contents
Figure and Tables
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1. Who the Billionaires Are
Chapter 2. Stealth Politics on Taxes and Social Security
Chapter 3. Four Billionaires Up Close
Chapter 4. Keeping Quiet on Social Issues
Chapter 5. Reshaping State and Local Politics
Chapter 6. What Is to Be Done about Billionaires?
Appendixes 1. Comparison between 2013 and 2016 Forbes Lists
2. Keywords Used for Taxation and Social Security Searches
3. Position Taking among Forbes Top 100 on Economic Issues
4. Position Taking among Forbes Top 100 on Social Issues
5. Keywords Used for Social Issue Searches
Notes
References
Index
Billionaires and Stealth Politics Page 36
