I don't see how anybody is goingto be able build a space elevator, since there would be so much hand wringing about what happened if it came crashing back to earth. You'd probably have to have it on an island in the middle of nowhere or a really desperate african country.
Space elevator operator..
Just one of many potential new occupations in the not too distant future.
There's an added benefit too. The longer the teather, the more Earth's magnetic field will generate a current on the teather. Its good because that's exactly where the electricity will come from to power the elevator as well as nearby countries. I'd heard Nasa did an experiment with teathers once and it burned up the wire they lowered from the shuttle - very long wire, too much current. But a wire is one thing, and a serious cable is another.