Billionaires in politics are similar to your friends who swear they are just “stopping by” your apartment, but suddenly they are reorganizing your things, changing the playlist and eating leftovers you were saving. They insist they are not really a part of the scene, but their fingerprints are everywhere.
This is the reality in nearly every level of politics. Whether it’s Elon Musk casually tweeting about the protection of free speech, Mayor Mike Bloomberg spending nearly a billion dollars on a four-month presidential campaign, or Charles Koch funneling money into political policy, billionaires have turned political influence into their side hustle. They do not always run for office, but they fund ads, own media outlets and shake hands with lawmakers who actually write the rules.
Now, before we spiral into “eat the rich” chants or billionaire fan clubs, let’s be clear: their role is not automatically good or bad. It is like caffeine. In the right dose, it funds scholarships, nonprofits or sustainability projects. Too much, and suddenly you are awake for countless nights, wondering why tuition costs more than a new Toyota.
Ohio University students should deeply care about what Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk or MacKenzie Scott are doing with their money in politics. The ripple effect of this doesn’t stop at Capitol Hill; it washes right onto College Green.
Take tuition and student debt, an issue that haunts most college students. Billionaires push for policies affecting federal aid, interest rates and loan forgiveness. When Congress debates student loan repayment, billionaires’ lobbyists are often hovering nearby. There’s a whole ecosystem of financial influence behind them. And sometimes, billionaires step more directly into these issues.
An example of this was when Scott donated millions to financially strengthen Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It’s great news if your campus gets picked for a donation, but a donation comes with strings, like new buildings reflecting a billionaire’s brand rather than the students' needs or even simply a strong say in where the money goes.
As for college students’ careers after graduation, industry leaders like Amazon, Tesla and Meta are not just companies, they are billionaire domains. If Musk decides artificial intelligence research is the future, suddenly every job fair booth is screaming, “Be a part of an AI future.” If a billionaire’s energy company pushes oil, green jobs take a back seat. Billionaires’ investment choices quietly rewrite the job market you are about to enter.
Even if your newsfeed is billionaire-free, Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta owns your Instagram doomscroll. Musk owns X, where political debates unfold in real time. A "neutral" campaign ad popping up between TikToks is probably billionaire-funded.
Billionaires are the landlords of democracy. You may not love landlords, but you can’t pretend they aren’t there when rent is due. Billionaires set the terms of the lease, sometimes with perks, and with headaches, but either way, you are living under their roof.
Bobcats, the next time you are stressing over FAFSA, side-eyeing billionaires or wondering why every internship fair is sponsored by the same three corporations, remember the billionaires may not be sitting next to you in Bentley Hall, but they have already RSVP’d to your future.
Heidi Bartolone is a sophomore studying communications at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Heidi about her column? Email her at hb963023@ohio.edu. @heidibartolone
