Then???
Profit. That’s pretty much it. Why does anyone seek excess power in a capitalist society? Personal wealth gain. That insider info allows them to make their winning stock trades, and the “perks” they receive from their high offices (think private jet travel, free meals, tickets to events, etc) ensure that their expenses are kept at a minimum. Their lavish lifestyles while we struggle, and the fact that they could help resolve society’s problems yet don’t to keep the status quo, is the epitome of “fuck you, I got mine.”
I don’t really understand how it’s a lavish lifestyle if you have to hang out with a bunch of politicians and business people all the time. That sounds like pure hell to me. Like you’re going to hang out with the vice president of East Coast sales for some manufacturing company or some shit, no thanks.
I think that’s partially why the well connected and famous billionaires are such miserable assholes. Their lives really aren’t that great because they’re all uninteresting losers surrounded by uninteresting losers who sold their souls for money and power and spend decades between having any moments of real joy.
Yeah but some people get off on it, like that being in the company of the rich and powerful increases their social stock (in their own insular world), and some thrive on that type of stuff.