Space Toys

Is it just me who is bewildered by all the fuss that is made of these mega-rich, multi-billionaires and their space toys? 

Are there any benefits accruing to society from their jaunts - new technology, better science, enhanced understanding between groups, improved relationships between countries, and so on? 

I wonder how these men will be remembered by future generations? Will they be remembered as space heroes or self-centred, time and resource wasters? 

Imagine what good they could achieve and how they'd be remembered if they put their wealth towards directly improving society: building hospitals, orphanages, schools and laboratories, endowing museums and universities, funding medical and other research. 

We've seen what happens when you throw a lot of money and resources at a problem - like developing a range of anti-covid vaccines in 18 months instead of over many years. Imagine what could be if these super-wealthy men put their money into cancer or dementia research, or maybe into setting up an endowment foundation that could fund worthy projects for perpetuity. 

Wouldn't they rather have their names attached to such endeavours and forever be seen as benefactors to humankind instead of self-indulgent dilettantes?