In Sun Valley, the billionaires have arrived at their annual summer camp.
Allen & Co., the investment banking firm, hosted its annual pilgrimage this week, and the usual suspects all showed face: Disney CEO Bob Iger (indeed, with a skip in his step thanks to a nice contract extension); Apple head honcho Tim Cook; OpenAI cofounder Sam Altman; and of course Robert Kraft, CEO of the New England Patriots. The focus is on the wealth, the private planes, and maybe even more so, the hush-hush closed-door meetings held far away from the prying eyes and ears of the media.
The gathering garners lots of press, often focusing on how the locals feel about their charming Idaho town being overrun with billionaires, the private jet traffic at Friedman Memorial Airport, but also what mergers and acquisitions will be happening when the wealthiest people on earth get together to eat lunch and have off-the-record moderated conversations.
These stories are often illustrated with photos of these titans of industry. The photographers are situated in a tightly controlled pen about 40 yards away from the action. It forces the photographer to half-yell a name if they see a notable attendee, most of whom are only identifiable through powerful zoom lenses.
This creates odd images that resemble a mix of photography styles and disciplines: paparazzi, wildlife, and sports. These people are, for the most part, not photogenic. Some put on a goofy smile, others look reflective and melancholy, lost deep in thought. It’s a mixed bag. They are wearing funny clothes, that patented look of “I am wealthy and don’t care,” combined with a little technical flair and a sensible shoe. Everyone is donning the conference’s signature name tag, even Warren Buffett, on their chest.
These photos feel like we are seeing something we shouldn’t, almost like the paparazzi found your grandparents on their afternoon stroll. They aren’t intrusive or telling. They are worse: They are just dull. By sheer circumstance, they are lifeless images meant to give the general population an unvarnished peek into the world of the mega-rich. They aren’t accompanying a fluff piece or even a takedown. They are just boring pictures taken on a digital camera and sold to the highest bidder.
These images get repeatedly used long after the conference has ended, and everyone has returned to Bel-Air or Westchester. It’s because this is how we want to view these larger-than-life business titans: as ordinary people in harsh midday overhead light, not overly concerned with how they look. It helps us forget what they do—good, bad, and indifferent. They are just people shuffling to a meeting. A perfectly executed corporate headshot has the opposite effect. The publications are doing these campers a favor, whether they realize it or not.
Chris Black is the cohost of the popular How Long Gone podcast. He can be found @donetodeathprojects on Instagram, where his photos are much better than anything you’ll see from Sun Valley.
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