Elites may be targeted more, but they have more ability to pay off blackmailers. That’s a relative evasion of punishment… the payment has disutility for them, but not as much as a prison sentence...and if what they did was illegal, then it never comes to light. Plus legalised blackmailers would not ignore poorer targets, since they have less ability to retaliate.
Blackmail is poorly optimised for exposing wrongdoing by the rich and powerful compared to investigative journalism.
Elites may be targeted more, but they have more ability to pay off blackmailers. That’s a relative evasion of punishment… the payment has disutility for them, but not as much as a prison sentence...and if what they did was illegal, then it never comes to light. Plus legalised blackmailers would not ignore poorer targets, since they have less ability to retaliate.
Blackmail is poorly optimised for exposing wrongdoing by the rich and powerful compared to investigative journalism.