> I rang the bell; an Asian man in khakis and a sweater answered. I snapped into guest mode, introducing myself enthusiastically. He responded with an odd coldness. Then I realized he was not a fellow guest but, I guess you’d say, the butler. A hundred years ago, he might have been referred to as “houseboy” and greeted me in a tux.

A butler has always been a person of authority, expertise, and responsibility. Why "houseboy"? Because he's Asian?

> I reflected, perhaps unfairly, that marrying off their daughters to young men of talent and fortune is often how such families institutionalize their power.

The couple were in their late 30s when they married, and it is unclear why she would have no agency (or other value) here.

And many other snide remarks designed to show how blasé the author finds any rich person. He himself has brains and a soul, and they don't.

I do give small towns and communities far more credit than Andreessen does, let alone his guest's dreadful comment.

It's hard to miss the racist overtones of the article.

You bring up a good point that I don't think I was able to finger what bothered me: "And many other snide remarks designed to show how blasé the author finds any rich person. He himself has brains and a soul, and they don't."

I think small towns have their place and community - I also can understand how you might despise small towns if you were intelligent and relentlessly victimized growing up (don't know if thats the case for Marc). It isn't easy being intelligent in places where intelligence isn't valued or is even victimized.

FWIW - I'm not saying that comment is justified at all if it is even accurate.

facepalm

The author describes Marc Andreessen's Gilded Age slash Roaring 20s lifestyle and attitudes, and then suggests that a hundred years ago, this person may have been referred to as "houseboy".

Marc Andreessen is the hypothetical person from a hundred years ago. It's a scathing criticism of Marc Andreessen.

But a hundred years ago, a houseboy and a butler were still very different people. To say that a hundred years ago this highly competent professional would have been a houseboy is, in effect, to call him one now: a no less scathing (and unintended) criticism of the butler.

I agree, I stopped reading after this.

However Andreessens habit of pumping and dumping shitcoins to retail investors would need closer scrutinity.

Capitalism and ethics sometimes come into conflict with each other, and Marc is certainly an unscrupulous capitalist. Be that as it may, I try not to lose sleep over what Marc does, because doing so would be a waste of my time.