The New Gilded Age of Billionaires: How Today’s Elite Mirror America’s Old Aristocracy

The Gilded Age on HBO waltz scene woman dancing with man

I’ve been watching The Gilded Age on HBO, and whew—let me tell you, it hit me. Because the show isn’t just about corsets and ballrooms; it’s a mirror showing exactly what America was built on. And spoiler alert: it’s not “freedom and opportunity” the way we like to tell the story.

When British colonists ran from the poverty and kingship of Europe, they didn’t come here to create something new. They came here to build a new Britain—with money, lineage, and classism as the cornerstones. They propped themselves up with slavery, the destruction of Indigenous nations, and the exploitation of workers, all while preaching “liberty.” The hypocrisy is nauseating.

The Gilded Age in New York was basically aristocracy in ball gowns. Old Money vs. New Money, men hunting rich heiresses, servants and craftspeople held in their place, and anyone who dared rise up looked down upon. Tell me that doesn’t sound familiar.

Because here’s the truth: The New Gilded Age of Billionaires is alive and well today.

Then vs. Now: Old Titans, New Empires

• Then: Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Vanderbilt ran railroads, oil, and steel—crushing competition, underpaying workers, and buying political influence.

• Now: Bezos, Musk, and Zuckerberg run e-commerce, space, and social media—crushing competition, underpaying workers, and buying political influence.

Different industries. Same empire. Same aristocracy. This is the 21st century Gilded Age—and we’re living inside it.

Artists in the New Gilded Age

And if you’re in music, film, or any art? You already know this game. The entertainment industry was built as its own aristocracy—designed to extract the magic of artists while keeping us powerless.

Back then, Tin Pan Alley and early record companies robbed Black artists of their songs and publishing. Today, labels still snatch masters, streaming pays pennies, and executives live like royalty off our art.

The modern Gilded Age billionaires of Silicon Valley and Hollywood profit off our culture the same way oil barons once profited off steel and railroads. The names and industries change, but the new American aristocracy plays the same game: build empires on the backs of others and lock artists, workers, and craftspeople out of ownership.

Every Gilded Age Has a Reckoning

Here’s the part they don’t want you to remember: every Gilded Age comes with a reckoning.

In the 1800s, workers organized strikes, Black communities fought for rights, women pushed for suffrage. Today, we see it again: actors and writers striking, music artists demanding ownership, workers unionizing, marginalized voices refusing to stay silent.

The so-called “new aristocracy” may have tech, AI, and media at their disposal, but we’ve got something stronger: truth, voice, and collective power.

The Gilded Age never really ended—it just put on new clothes. The New Gilded Age of Billionaires is here—but we are not here to bow. We’re here to build our own.

Resonate. Rise. Rule.