Thursday, January 16, 2014

ON INHERITED WEALTH

Of the twenty richest world citizens, seven did nothing to earn their wealth.  The Koch brothers, Charles and David, inherited the wealth of their father’s hard work building a successful oil-related business.   Liliane Bettencourt inherited her father’s company, L’Oreal.  Christy, Jim, S. Robson, and Alice Walton earned their money by being the issue of Sam Walton, the founder of the ubiquitous Walmart brand. 

With a total worth estimated by Forbes magazine at $205.3 Billion this collection of heirs and heiresses, according to a United Nations’ report published in 2012, has more wealth than the yearly Gross Domestic Product produced in 146 of the world’s 192 member nations.    For perspective, these children of fortune have more assets derived from birth than the collective sweat all the citizens of Peru or New Zealand can output in a year.  Their total gilt is only slightly less than that produced by Ireland’s hard working populace.

What do these members of the lucky birth set do with all this fortune bestowed upon them?  The Koch Brothers are using their father’s fortune to fund right-wing causes that help the rich and powerful while the middle class and poor are left to their own devices.  Bloomberg Business Week estimates David to have given only 3% of his wealth to philanthropic causes between the years 2003-2007 (no mention of poor Charles).  The Walton family, during the very same period says Bloomberg’s weekly, gave only 2% of their net worth to charity.  As for the one foreigner on the list, Ms. Bettencourt, it is estimated she gives less than 1% of her net wealth to charity each year according to French press reports. 

By contrast Ted Turner, says Business Week, gave 65% of his net worth, a wealth estimated at a meager $2.3 Billion…and he actually worked to build his empire.  Others who worked personally to build their fortunes were often shown to have given more than 10% of their net wealth to charity.   Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, two men who worked to build their collective fortune to more than $120 Billion, are giving all their wealth away.

It seems our very richest heirs and heiresses do not believe they should allow much of their wealth to “trickle down.”   It seems their papa’s hard earned cash was built only to keep these creatures and their offspring comfortable and well fed. 


I think that is selfish and sad.  What do you think?

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