The Pop Corporation

Most right thinking people want to hunt billionaires for sport because no one person needs that money and couldn’t have possibly earned it without exploiting the labour of others.

There would have to be some exceptional circumstances for that to not be the case, right? Like, if someone found something in their attic that was worth a billion and they just sold it as soon as they found out.

Or maybe, it’s because they’re a generational talent and people just can’t stop throwing their money at them because they make everyone happy?

And so, to billionaire musicians.

Thanks to selling everyone her songs twice and the wildly successful Eras tour, Taylor Swift has conservatively been estimated to have joined the billionaire club this year, at just 33 years old.

In part, this financial spike is thanks to her Eras concert film, which grossed a head spinning $92.8m in its opening weekend, and she’s just re-recorded her ‘1989’ album, which is almost certainly going to top every notable chart.

Her level of success is remarkable, and even those who dislike her music or show indifference can’t argue with the fact that she’s one of the most popular artists of all time, given that she’s been hugely successful for just shy of 20 years now.

And she’s not the only musician who has made more than a billion.

Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs, Rihanna, Jay Z, Jimmy Buffet, and Paul McCartney are reportedly in the lofty financial echelons too.

Rihanna’s Fenty brand has contributed to her vast wealth, and Jay Z and Puff Daddy are media and business moguls with fingers in many pies.

McCartney is a Beatle and has been furiously successful for six decades, with massive tours, albums that have sold wildly, and more.

If you saw some people you love amongst that list, still wanna hunt them for sport?

Can you parlay your feelings because it feels like McCartney does a lot of good with his wealth? He has a music school, contributes to environmental causes, animal rights, anti war efforts, child poverty and so much more.

Jay Z contributes heavily to AIDS charities, NAACP, disaster relief, and has his own foundation to help young disadvantaged people. Sure, he’s a business, maaaaan, but he’s definitely doing some good with his money, as well as enjoying a lavish lifestyle.

However, by the same token, many celebrities have used charity as a convenient tax dodge, so when you hear of a billionaire giving millions to charity, what happens when you dig a little and find out it was their own charity that they donated to? Isn’t that more a bank transfer than altruistic behaviour?

We don’t know the answer and are spitballing in public, but as socialist sentiment grows in 2023 and beyond, have any of us really examined how we feel about the existence of billionaires, especially when we like the tunes they make?