I think they are utterly ruthless competing for power amongst themselves - except that they do not ever do what will reduce their power over plebs as a group.
Not five years ago one of the billionaire class (a Getty maybe?) was killed by being anally raped to death, in or near LA as I recall. Unless that was just what they do to their weaklings for fun, I suspected it was for letting that veil of power slip, or threaten to. IIRC, that crime remains unsolved.
Definitely.
Yep, sounds exactly like a 'this is what happens to you if you spill beans, no matter how much money you have'