I think it's a bit more complicated than that. Books can't travel to Mars - they can't even move - and yet without the influence of creative works such as books, far fewer people would even want to go in the first place. The relationship seems symbiotic rather than confrontational.

That being said, if Bill Gates wants to cure polio, he should spend his money on immunisations rather than artist workshops and publishing houses. Someone in the chain between thought and deed needs to apply human effort to the problem, and when the effort required is massive, the easiest way to coordinate it is by buying it.