Rich People Are Different From You And Me—They’re Unethical Jerks

Brandon Keim summarizes a fascinating new research paper which uses a variety of experiments to ascertain that high wealth is associated with unethical behavior. Some of this, like an experiment which showed that owners of fancy cars are more likely to cut off pedestrians or other drivers, is consistent with the theory that a jerk disposition is likely to make you financially successful. But some of the other experiements, including one where they merely ask people to imagine being rich or poor, seem to illustrate that high status turns people unethical.