[exdsq]

Yes, but if you look at it through a pair of utilitarian glasses this is a net good for the world. He made most of his money arbitraging the difference in price of bitcoin between Western and Asian exchanges, to be fair. Notably he's the only person I've ever heard of who said "I want to be a billionaire to Earn to Give" and actually become one within two years! He was at Jane Street prior to his crypto work.

[pcthrowaway]

I personally think he's the real deal (as much as any billionaire can be). He's about as far from materialistic as one can get (literally bought a cheap suit off the shelf so he could provide testimony at the house financial services committee, didn't even bother retying the shoes)

He's also vegan, which I think says something about his willingness to make personal sacrifices for a more ethical lifestyle.

[Barrin92]

>didn't even bother retying the shoes

At that point it's a deliberate choice to broadcast a certain image. Someone who actually didn't care would dress well and tie their shoes to an important hearing.

He's just the younger, less conservative equivalent of someone like Romney working at Bain Capital while ironing his own shirt and sleeping on a hard mattress etc. This isn't genuinely anti-materialistic, it's so materialistic that mere materialism wasn't enough, you had to add a level of spiritual purity on top of it. Same reasons Brahmin don't eat meat.

[exdsq]

Doesn't matter if someone does altruism for selfish reasons - some people argue all altruism is inherently selfish - as long as the actions happen. And with SBF they do.

[Barrin92]

that may be true but I didn't question his altruism at all, I commented on the alleged anti-materialism.

[ShamelessC]

Those are some pretty rose-tinted utilitarian glasses you have there.

[exdsq]

Ah I've been deep in Effective Altruism for a while and have a fairly reductionist view on these topics now. I also happen to know SBF donates to good causes, along with how those good causes operate. If that money has been made by arbitrage between exchanges & liquidating gamblers resulting in literally > tens of thousands of lives saved, I'm okay with that :)