I don't have an answer, but to flip that question: If the very wealthy can live on passive income from accumulated wealth, then why can't all of society?
Let's liquidate all US billionaires and spread that money to every person in the US. Let's also set aside the question of how one could legally liquidate the billionaires.
OR, just parcel out land and give people seeds and allow them to trade with nearby neighbors... There's no longer a need for money and everyone gets to eat - which is all we really need. Beyond that, people can help each other build homes in smallish communities. Money, even on a planet with this many people, isn't necessary, because it's like people driving cars - the system works because everyone is operating to keep themselves alive. HN is not a fan of this take.
Because most people in society, across all wealth levels, refuse to live within their means. I was quite disappointed when I discovered this, because I thought that if I made enough money, I'd be able to support all my family. But then I started noticing that the people who were broke generally had newer cars and computers than I did, and that families with multiple six-figure incomes were spending their way into bankruptcy. And the government does it too, accumulating ever more debt.
You need a large amount of capital for it to do enough good for others (e.g. via investments into companies) that the returns you receive are enough to live on.
