Honestly, TED seems like a much better investment than an elite college. Four years' time and $100-200k, at an age where it's mostly impossible to predict who will accomplish anything, with those "future leaders" selected by unqualified bureaucrats? Or $6000 for face-time with sure bets? Just sayin'.
There are a lot of problems with our society and with parasitic elites, so don't get me wrong: I'm all about busting and beating on those who try to hoard power. I'd love to see a car bomb hit Skull and Bones, and I'd gladly contribute to an Internet hit pool on anyone who attended the Bilderberg conference. But we have to pick our targets carefully, and TED does not seem to deserve our indignation, at least not based on what I've read. My understanding is that it's relatively easy to get in if you have the $6000 (again, cheaper than college) and sign up early; it seems like it's difficult to enter because there's so much demand that the spots fill up early. Well? That's life.