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Sean Parker Says Wealth Disparity Will Create a 'Class of Immortal Overlords'

By:
Billy Perrigo
2 min read
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Sean Parker speaks onstage during Global Citizen: Movement Makers at NYU Skirball Center. - Theo Wargo—Getty Images for Global Citizen
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Sean Parker speaks onstage during Global Citizen: Movement Makers at NYU Skirball Center. Theo Wargo—Getty Images for Global Citizen

The disparity of wealth in the United States will create a "class of immortal overlords," Sean Parker, a billionaire who briefly served as the first president of Facebook, said on Wednesday.

New advances in the life sciences are allowing humans to "live much longer, more productive lives," Parker said during an Axios cancer innovation event at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. "Because I’m a billionaire, I’m going to have access to better healthcare so… I’m going to be like 160 and I'm going to be part of this, like, class of immortal overlords."

Citing the nature of compound interest to accumulate exponentially, he continued, "Give us billionaires an extra hundred years and you’ll know what … wealth disparity looks like."

Parker, 38, is the founder and chair of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, a foundation which describes itself as "bring[ing] together the best scientists, clinicians and industry partners to build a smarter and more coordinated cancer immunotherapy research effort to save lives."

Parker has supported immunotherapy research for 10 years. In 2013, he was awarded the Oliver R. Grace Award for Distinguished Service in Advancing Cancer Research by the Cancer Research Institute.

Parker’s tongue-in-cheek comments might fall flat to the 160 million people in the U.S. who own the same amount of wealth combined as the three richest men in the country, according to new statistics released Wednesday by the Institute for Policy Studies. Furthermore, President Trump is planning to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which could plunge many more Americans into health insecurity.

 

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