Billionaire Faith and the Power That Shapes Our Culture

We live in a world driven by achievement, accumulation, and status. Paul Tripp often refers to this as living horizontally—seeking satisfaction in things like money, relationships, or recognition. But that horizontal pursuit always leaves us empty. Only the vertical—a life anchored in Christ—can truly fulfill. And when you look closely at today’s elite power structures, the pattern becomes clear: Billionaire Faith is nearly nonexistent—and that absence affects everything.

As I’ve watched how today’s most powerful billionaires operate, I couldn’t help but notice a pattern. Whether it’s Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, or George Soros, they all share one common trait: a lack of professed faith in Jesus Christ. That’s not an attack—it’s just the truth. These are some of the smartest, most resourceful people on the planet, and yet almost every one of them has publicly identified as agnostic, atheist, spiritual-but-not-religious, or simply indifferent to God.

And that speaks volumes.

The Emptiness of Horizontal Success

This isn’t about bashing rich people. Wealth itself is not sinful—Scripture is full of faithful men and women whom God entrusted with great resources. But the difference is why they pursued wealth and whom they trusted in.

When the goal is horizontal—earthly fulfillment apart from God—there’s never enough. You reach a billion dollars, and it’s not satisfying. So you chase two. Then ten. Then power. Then legacy. And still, the heart remains restless.

“What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” – Mark 8:36

That’s not a theoretical question. We’re watching it unfold in real time.

Billionaire Faith and the Cultural Shift

Here’s the real danger—and it’s why I believe this blog matters: these billionaires are not just rich—they are culturally dominant. They own the platforms, fund the politicians, shape the laws, steer the media, and influence the next generation. They don’t just live without vertical faith—they export that faithlessness to everyone else.

That’s not neutral. It’s devastating.

• Jeff Bezos owns the largest online marketplace in the world—and also The Washington Post.
• Mark Zuckerberg controls Facebook and Instagram—two of the most influential social platforms globally.
• George Soros funnels billions into progressive political movements around the world.
• Bill Gates influences global health, education, and even climate policy—with little to no reference to the Creator who holds all things together.

These men are not pointing our culture toward Christ. They are reshaping it around humanism, relativism, and control. And the less we recognize their spiritual posture, the more we allow faithless influence to set the moral tone for our nation.

“When the wicked rule, the people groan.” – Proverbs 29:2

Because these billionaires don’t just influence business—they shape policy and culture—it raises the question I explored in my post Faith in Politics: Should Christians Be Involved in Government?

A Rare Profession of Christ

In researching all of this, I found something striking. Of all the billionaires shaping our world, only one has publicly professed faith in Jesus Christ in recent years: Donald Trump.

Now let me be clear—I’m not making this blog about him. This is not about politics. It’s not about behavior. It’s not even about approval. But it is worth noting, for the record, that Trump has repeatedly credited God for saving his life, publicly affirmed belief in Jesus, and signed legislation that re-established faith-based offices in the White House.

He is, as far as I can tell, the only billionaire on this global stage who has consistently and publicly pointed upward. That doesn’t make him perfect. But biblically, it does matter.

“Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven.” – Matthew 10:32

In contrast to the silence—or outright rejection—of faith from nearly every other elite figure, that profession stands out.

Why the Vertical Is the Only Way

Here’s the takeaway: it doesn’t matter how much money you have, how much power you gain, or how many people follow you—if you are not vertically connected to Christ, you are spiritually bankrupt.

Horizontal gain will always leave you empty. That’s why billionaires keep chasing more. They aren’t satisfied, because they can’t be—apart from God.

And while we may never have their wealth or platforms, we do face the same choice:
Will we keep living horizontally—striving for something more?
Or will we surrender vertically to the only One who truly satisfies?

Paul Tripp writes in Vertical Change that before our lives become horizontally transformed, our hearts must be transformed vertically by God’s grace.

I’ve lived long enough to know this:
Only Jesus fulfills.
Only He gives peace, purpose, identity, and eternal life.

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Arch Kennedy
Bold, Unfiltered, and Unafraid