June 1, 2024

Among the glut of social commentators and pundits, one who’s caught my attention in recent years is Scott Galloway, a 59-year-old serial entrepreneur and professor at NYU. I find myself in agreement with him probably 90% of the time. More importantly, I’ve changed my thinking on certain issues based on his talks and research.

His basic thesis is that for the first time in history, a 30-year-old faces a far less prosperous future than 30-year-olds from years past due largely to a societal “transfer of wealth” that has largely benefitted Boomers at Millennials’ expense, further burdening them with debt. As a demographic cohort (and adjusted for inflation) Millennials receive less income and their future prospects for a comfortable middle-class life (with suitable wealth for retirement) have been greatly diminished. Buying a house is out of reach for many, and college debt is crushing. Young folks today, particularly men, are filled with frustration, rage and shame for a reason. 

To his credit, Galloway doesn’t simply traffic in rhetorical bombast — his observations are backed with research and empirical data and delivered with a dry, cool self-aware stylishness. As a speaker, he’s entertaining almost to the point of being glib. But in addition to being practiced and clever, he’s also very smart (despite his claim of being a wastrel in college with a 2.27 GPA). He leans left, but many conservatives will find agreement with him on a range of issues. Most appealing is that despite the dire situation young folks face today, he remains optimistic about the future and offers solutions that are thoughtful and practical. He believes the U.S. is currently adrift, but not lost. Collectively we have the know-how and ability to fix these problems.