Tag Archives: philanthropy

We Should All Be Skeptical of Rich People’s Philanthropy

After the sky-high consumer spending of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is a day for folks to direct some of their money toward charitable causes instead. While we believe the work we do at the Patriotic Millionaires is certainly a great cause, don’t worry – we won’t be asking for your money today, or ever.  As rich people in this country, we’ve certainly … Continue reading We Should All Be Skeptical of Rich People’s Philanthropy »

Just Pay Your Taxes, Mr. Bezos

A couple weeks ago, billionaire Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced that he would be donating $98.5 million to charitable organizations to fight homelessness across the United States. While the move garnered Bezos a fair bit of glowing press coverage, we have reservations about celebrating the world’s richest man for using the spectacle of philanthropy as a political shield against paying his fair share in taxes.

Elected Officials, not Philanthropists, Should Make Decisions for Our Country

Two years ago, billionaire David Geffen donated $100 million for renovations and naming rights to David Geffen Hall. Wealthy due to his success as a music promoter and executive, Mr. Geffen is well-known today for his philanthropy. For example, UCLA’s School of Medicine was renamed in his honor following a $200 million donation in 2001. I’m not opposed to these donations, in and of themselves. … Continue reading Elected Officials, not Philanthropists, Should Make Decisions for Our Country »