Today’s launch by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett of the giving pledge is a big step forward for philanthrocapitalism. Indeed, it marks philanthrocapitalism’s coming of age as a movement, with the Gateses and Buffett as its activist leaders. They are challenging every billionaire family in America, and ultimately the world, to pledge in […]
When Philanthrocapitalism was first published in September 2008, some of our critics thought that the economic meltdown would mean the end of superwealth and supergiving. We argued then that the wealth would certainly bounce back, since the rich would be able to weather the storm more easily than the rest of us, and that mega-giving […]
Invoking the name of Robin Hood (Britain’s famous bandit who, according to the legend, “robbed from the rich to give to the poor”) aid lobby groups, celebrities and philanthrocapitalists such as film maker Richard Curtis, have launched a high-profile campaign for a new tax on banks to fill the gaping hole in the public finances. Not […]
2009 showed that the philanthrocapitalism revolution is here to stay, as mega-giving by the likes of Bill Gates and the mass philanthrocapitalism of organisations like kiva.org and donorschoose surged ahead despite the economic downturn. So what does 2010 hold in store? Gazing into our crystal ball, we see philanthrocapitalism continuing to surge ahead as givers […]
We all know that Americans are the most generous givers. But are they really? A new report about family foundation philanthropy in the US, UK, Germany and Italy, by the recently established research centre on charitable giving at London’s Cass Business School, is a welcome contribution to the rather thin field of international comparisons of […]
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a philanthrocapitalist! “The rich are the new superheroes” was one of the “elevator pitches” we developed to promote Philanthrocapitalism. Now, Good Morning America has taken up the idea, even drawing cartoons of what it calls the “Super Rich Friends”, including Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Oprah […]
One of the highlights of the business calendar is Warren Buffett’s annual letter to shareholders of his company, Berkshire Hathaway. This is always beautifully written, full of the great investor’s wisdom and wit. There are usually some funny quotes from unlikely sources, as well as a few examples of how the world is going wrong […]