'Billionaire Wilderness' author on inequality in Teton County, Wyoming - Business Insider

Justin Farrell calls Teton County, Wyoming, the billionaire wilderness.

But there's a darker side to this story: Teton County also earned the distinction of being the county with the worst wealth inequality in America.

In a recent conversation with Business Insider, he explained how and why Teton County turned into a billionaire wilderness, and what that means — not just for Wyoming, but for the whole of America.  .

"There's always been this idea about coming to the west and finding the soul of America – this magnetic, raw pull," Farrell explains of the region, which has even inspired a full-size replica in a resort community just north of Beijing.

"There's a draw in terms of masculinity and violence, but when you dress up, it allows you to hide the fact that this is such an economically unequal area," Farrell explains.

The money they save is often spent on philanthropy, like guilt-cleansing green-washing; they're so in love with the land here that wealthy incomers often use their fortunes to protect it — 97% of Teton County is now under federal conservation.

Nowhere better embodies the low-key, outdoorsy wealth of Jackson Hole than the Yellowstone Club.

The 13,600-acre resort is one of the most exclusive clubs in the world — and not just because joining fees are $300,000 with annual dues of $40,000 or so.

The club was founded in 1997 as a hideaway for the one-percenters that developer Tim Blixseth saw were beginning to flock to the county (Blixseth is no longer involved after a nasty divorce and accusations of nine-figure fraud, which led to his ex-wife taking ownership of the property).

At Yellowstone Club, we're taking our reopening very seriously, implementing many protocols to ensure the safety of our members, guests, and employees

"He's such an asshole outside of the club, but when he comes here, he's the nicest guy," the member told Farrell

In Jackson Hole, they don't want to be viewed as "out of touch rich people" — better, for instance, to drive an Escalade truck than an Aspen-style Tesla