Evan Osnos’s "The Haves and the Have-Yachts: Dispatches on the Ultrarich" is a collection of incisive essays that explore the world of America’s modern oligarchs—those whose wealth and influence have reached levels unseen since the days of the Carnegies and Rockefellers. Osnos, a National Book Award winner and seasoned journalist, delivers a wry, unfiltered look at how the ultrarich shape, and sometimes distort, the social and political landscape of the United States1234.
1. The New Gilded Age and Extreme Wealth Disparity
Osnos documents how the ultrarich now control a greater share of America’s wealth than at any point in modern history, surpassing even the original Gilded Age1234.
The book highlights the staggering disparities of wealth and power, focusing on the ways superyachts, luxury bunkers, and elite tax dodges serve as both symbols and tools of this new oligarchy1234.
2. The Culture of Excess
Through vivid reportage, Osnos offers a window into the indulgences and psychological distortions of extreme wealth, from billionaires hiring pop stars for children’s parties to “bored billionaires” staging elaborate historical reenactments on their yachts134.
He recounts the absurdities of luxury, such as Zabar’s bagels delivered by helicopter and gigayachts as “the most expensive objects our species has ever owned”4.
3. Mechanisms of Wealth Preservation
The book investigates how the ultrarich maintain their status—often through innovative tax avoidance strategies, aggressive legal tactics, and relentless networking1234.
Osnos profiles wealth managers and disgraced financiers, exposing the secretive world of white-collar crime and the lengths to which the elite will go to protect their fortunes14.
4. Political Influence and Social Impact
Osnos explores the unprecedented influence of Silicon Valley and Wall Street on American government, drawing on interviews with figures like Mark Zuckerberg123.
He examines how political donations, lobbying, and personal relationships allow billionaires to shape policy and public discourse, often to their own benefit123.
5. The Human Side of Wealth
The book doesn’t just focus on the material; it delves into the anxieties, motivations, and even the loneliness that can afflict the ultrarich1234.
Osnos describes status anxieties that spill out in places like Monaco and Palm Beach, and the confessions of disgraced titans in “white-collar support groups”134.
6. A Wake-Up Call
Osnos’s essays are ultimately a case against complacency, arguing that the unchecked excess of the ultrarich has profound consequences for society at large123.
The book is positioned as both entertaining and unsettling, serving as a wake-up call to the ripple effects of oligarchic power in contemporary America12345.
- Vivid Storytelling and Reporting: Osnos’s background as a journalist shines through in his meticulous reporting and deft storytelling. He brings to life the secretive and often ridiculous world of the ultrarich, making it both accessible and engaging for readers12345.
- Balanced Tone: The book manages to be both amusing and enraging, offering moments of levity alongside sharp critique. It entertains while also provoking serious reflection on wealth inequality and its consequences124.
- Timeliness and Relevance: Released at a moment when wealth inequality is a central issue in American society, the book’s themes resonate powerfully with current debates about oligarchy, democracy, and social justice1235.
- Nuanced Portraits: Osnos avoids caricature, instead offering nuanced portraits of his subjects. He explores not just their excesses, but also their vulnerabilities and the psychological toll of extreme wealth1234.
- Limited Solutions: While Osnos is adept at diagnosing the problems of oligarchic excess, the book offers little in the way of concrete solutions or policy recommendations for addressing wealth inequality24.
- Occasional Redundancy: As the essays were originally published separately in The New Yorker, some readers may find overlap or repetition in themes and anecdotes when read as a collection13.
- Focus on the Spectacle: The book’s most memorable moments often come from the outrageous and spectacular behaviors of the ultrarich, which, while entertaining, may at times overshadow deeper systemic analysis4.
- Distance from Everyday Impact: Although Osnos makes the case that the choices of the ultrarich ripple through all levels of society, the book sometimes lingers more on the elite themselves than on the direct effects their actions have on ordinary people24.
In summary, "The Haves and the Have-Yachts" succeeds as a sharply observed, entertaining, and unsettling exposé of America’s modern oligarchs, blending investigative journalism with cultural critique. Its main shortcoming is a lack of actionable solutions and, at times, an emphasis on spectacle over substance. Nevertheless, Osnos provides a timely and essential field guide to the world of the ultrarich and their growing influence over American life12345.