Rutger Bregman (born April 26, 1988) is a Dutch historian, author, and co-founder of The School for Moral Ambition. His books Utopia for Realists: And How We Can Get There (2017) and Humankind: A Hopeful History (2020) have been translated into 46 languages and have sold over 2 million copies worldwide. He currently lives in New York City. The Guardian described him as “the Dutch wunderkind of new ideas,” while TED named him one of “Europe’s most prominent young thinkers.” His TED Talk, Poverty Isn’t a Lack of Character; It’s a Lack of Cash, was selected by TED curator Chris Anderson as one of the top ten talks of 2017.
In 2024, Rutger co-founded The School for Moral Ambition, a non-profit inspired by his latest book, Moral Ambition. The organization helps ambitious people tackle the world’s most pressing problems. On May 6, 2025, the English translation of Moral Ambition: How to Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference will be released, followed by translations in several other languages.
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