I think the proposition is totally without foundation. I work for the ultra-rich in New York City and LA. In my experience, at least two things separate them from the people like me who work for them. 1. They own their own businesses and make such a rich living, they have a huge staff of people who carry the load when they are doing god knows what. And 2. They don't use health insurance; they pay cash for medical care. Which means they can choose doctors who dispense benzos to them like tic tacs. (Which is what killed Whitney Houston.) So they are forever insulated from the effects of withdrawal. They have a drinking strategy like that star from Two and Half Men who blew up on TV a year and half ago (WINNING! not) I've only seen two ultra-rich relationships allegedly destroyed by drink, but drink wasn't the real issue. Old rich men like younger women who use them and at some point the younger grows tired of old men and cash out. There are so many examples I don't know where to begin. But let us remember Larry Hagman, of I Dream of Jeannie and Dallas fame. He started drinking at 9am every morning, and only got through the day buzzed. His words not mine. There was a lot of controversy surrounding the fact that he got to the front of the line for a liver transplant while ordinary people waiting longer than he did died. I don't want to mention anyone living now. But consider the struggle of Mae West. She was brilliant. She acted. Directed. Wrote every movie she appeared in. She was sober. She acted with W.C. Fields in a couple movies. She added a sobriety clause in his contract. When he showed up on the set drunk, she shut down production until he cleaned up his act. He complied. Today there is a very wealthy banker with a show on CNBC who got kicked out of 3 major banks for his coke addiction. Then he found God. Contrary to the claims of F.Scott Fitzgerald, brilliant writer who died of a heart attack brought on by alcohol withdrawal, the rich are no different than you or me. They just have more resources to delay the inevitable conclusion that follows from immoderation. I don't know who this Stanton Peele is, but he must not get out much.