| Dec 21, 2016 | Economy / BusinessIt’s the season of giving. When you hear about a billionaire “giving back” — like Nike founder Phil Knight’s $400 million gift to Stanford, or hedge funder John Paulsen’s $400 million donation to Harvard — do you feel a warm glow? They...
| May 25, 2016 | Economy / BusinessIf you’re poor, many Americans think, it’s your own fault. It’s a sign of your own moral failing. I don’t personally believe that, but the idea has roots in our culture going back centuries. In The Wealth of Nations, the foundational work of...
| Jan 21, 2016 | Economy / BusinessLet us now praise “Lord Zuckerberg, The Magnificent!” Mark Zuckerberg, the wunderkind of Silicon Valley who co-founded Facebook and amassed roughly a gabillion dollars in personal wealth, is now being hailed as a new giant of American altruism. This started after the...
| Feb 25, 2015 | Economy / BusinessWhen you get fed up with all the greed and narcissism that seems to rule our country, a good way to restore your faith in humankind is to reflect on the generosity of people like Ron Read — a philanthropist from Dummerston, Vermont. Read was no splashy,...
| Aug 7, 2013 | Economy / BusinessInequality has a silver lining. At least the awesomely affluent think so. If we didn’t have grand fortunes, their claim goes, we wouldn’t have grand philanthropy. No foundations and handsome bequests for underwriting good causes. No gifts and grants by the...
