FX.co ★ Biggest fears of super-rich

Bill Gates

Long before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the founder of Microsoft Corporation unveiled his greatest fear - a deadly epidemic. The billionaire made the confession in 2016. Then, he said that the nuclear war was unlikely to hit the world. He bet that humanity might suffer a new “plague”. The forecasts made by the IT genius met reality. In 2020, the whole world faced a coronavirus pandemic. When Bill Gates' nightmare came true, the tycoon joined the active fight against the virus spread. He has been allocating large sums of money to study the infection and help the victims of the pandemic.

Elon Musk

It is hard to believe that a passionate adept at progress who called himself “TechnoKing” is desperately afraid of artificial intelligence, AI. He constantly repeats that the more this sphere develops, the deeper his fear becomes. In 2012, the CEO of Tesla compared AI to "summoning the devil". Four years later, he said that AI might consider people a source of spam and destroy humanity. In 2018, the billionaire concluded that AI could wipe out humanity without even feeling hatred for it.

Richard Branson

Richard Branson, a founder of Virgin Group, is considered the most popular billionaire. He acted in such sitcoms as “Friends” and “Baywatch” and starred in some reality shows. The last time Richard Branson was in the spotlight was when he flew into space as a tourist. At the same time, the billionaire has repeatedly admitted that he is shy and very afraid to speak in public. Winston Churchill's technique helps him to fight against innate timidity. The British Prime Minister advised such people to practice as often as possible to get rid of glossophobia.

Jerry Jones

Jerry Jones is the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, a US football club. Although the failure of his team frightens Jerry Jones very much, his own bankruptcy is a real nightmare for him. Today, his wealth totals more than $10 billion. Jerry Jones considers the possibility of losing all the capital as a real tragedy since he does have a permanent job and it will be extremely difficult to find one at the age of 79.

Peter Thiel

The founder of PayPal is very scared of becoming older and dying. The 54-year-old Peter Thiel has been searching for solutions to reverse the aging process for several years already. In particular, he has been investing in biotech startups and non-commercial organizations that specialize in longevity and immortality. The billionaire also takes care of himself by following diets and taking a special drug with hormones to reduce the likelihood of bone injuries and the development of arthritis. He is planning to live up to 120 years.

Oprah Winfrey

One of the wealthiest women in the US is terrified of balloons. Balloon phobia or globophobia is a very rare type of fear. The source of the fear is the sound of balloons popping. People with globophobia are afraid that balloons may burst. In an interview, the famous TV presenter admitted that this sound evokes associations with shooting, making her feel uncomfortable. What is more, Oprah Winfrey goes into a panic when someone is chewing bubblegum near her. That is why she prohibits her colleagues from doing so.