The article assumes that we aren't living in a golden age. But in terms of pure science and technology you can argue that we pretty much are living in a golden age. Just look at physics, we're now in an age of gravity wave observatories, particle accelerators, and incredibly detailed surveys of the universe and a steady stream of high quality papers that would have drowned Einstein and the like.
Not to mention that science, math, and tech have become even more social and collaborative enterprises with large, sometimes huge, teams involved in making major breakthroughs.
So the article seems to be slightly lamenting that a single charismatic individual cannot corner an entire field in the public imagination any more? Or that they can, but they just do it for being an "entrepreneur"? Or maybe it's just that Elon Musk (for example) can only convince a small minority that he has expertise in any actually "real" field of endeavour (other than grift, PR, whatever) where in the past he may have been able to read a handful of books and sound a lot more convincing. Perhaps we just need to define genius more carefully.
As for whether highly privileged people will again decide to spend their money on tutors (instead of yachts or Rolex watches or whatever else they spend it on) seems to be a question of very niche interest and almost no social consequence.
Not to mention that science, math, and tech have become even more social and collaborative enterprises with large, sometimes huge, teams involved in making major breakthroughs.
So the article seems to be slightly lamenting that a single charismatic individual cannot corner an entire field in the public imagination any more? Or that they can, but they just do it for being an "entrepreneur"? Or maybe it's just that Elon Musk (for example) can only convince a small minority that he has expertise in any actually "real" field of endeavour (other than grift, PR, whatever) where in the past he may have been able to read a handful of books and sound a lot more convincing. Perhaps we just need to define genius more carefully.
As for whether highly privileged people will again decide to spend their money on tutors (instead of yachts or Rolex watches or whatever else they spend it on) seems to be a question of very niche interest and almost no social consequence.