David Sessions: the rise of the mega-rich thought leader

A recent essay in the New Republic magazine "The Rise of the Thought Leader: How the super rich have funded a new class of intellectual" claims people tend to favour the 'thought leader" over the "public intellectual". There is ongoing debate over the apparent decline of the public intellectual in the United States - often seen as too academic and too intellectual. On the other hand we see the rise of those with a preference for over-arching, big ideas in a bid to change the world; the Ted X types. David Sessions has an opinion about the super-rich who are especially interested in supporting the rise of the thought leader over and above the public intellectual.