I don’t disagree but I also don’t find them evidently true.
For a beginner billionaire of precisely $1b net worth, why is giving away $900m and only spending $100m not the best thing for wellbeing? How to do better?
And why is spending on reputation-boosting donations better than on luxuries? I get that donations to effective charities are better, but other donations can be orders of magnitudes less effective. On the other hand, luxury brands like LV and Hermès have a gross profit margin of around 70%, buying them is essentially a wealth transfer to the brands’ owners, who usually engage in substantial philanthropic activities. Maybe their activities are more effective to offset the cost of goods?
I don’t disagree but I also don’t find them evidently true.
I think along the same lines. A priori, I think it makes the most sense to assume that billionaire would be happier by donating 900 M$ than not donating. Personally, I am confident that I am happier donating 10 % of my net income (as I have done in the past 2 years) than not donating. I guess this is even more true the greater the wealth.
However, I do not think this should be a major consideration. If I prevented a child from drowning, I would have done a great thing. It does not matter much if I did it to boost my reputation, please the bystanders at the beach, or whatever. The major consideration is that I saved someone’s life!
And why is spending on reputation-boosting donations better than on luxuries?
I expect the spending of the owners of luxury brands to be much less cost-effective (maybe at most 1 % as effective) than longtermist organisations and funds recommended by GWWC. As a 1st order approximation, maybe one can assume the spending of wealthy donor is as effective as transferring wealth to their countries.
I don’t disagree but I also don’t find them evidently true.
For a beginner billionaire of precisely $1b net worth, why is giving away $900m and only spending $100m not the best thing for wellbeing? How to do better?
And why is spending on reputation-boosting donations better than on luxuries? I get that donations to effective charities are better, but other donations can be orders of magnitudes less effective. On the other hand, luxury brands like LV and Hermès have a gross profit margin of around 70%, buying them is essentially a wealth transfer to the brands’ owners, who usually engage in substantial philanthropic activities. Maybe their activities are more effective to offset the cost of goods?
I think along the same lines. A priori, I think it makes the most sense to assume that billionaire would be happier by donating 900 M$ than not donating. Personally, I am confident that I am happier donating 10 % of my net income (as I have done in the past 2 years) than not donating. I guess this is even more true the greater the wealth.
However, I do not think this should be a major consideration. If I prevented a child from drowning, I would have done a great thing. It does not matter much if I did it to boost my reputation, please the bystanders at the beach, or whatever. The major consideration is that I saved someone’s life!
I expect the spending of the owners of luxury brands to be much less cost-effective (maybe at most 1 % as effective) than longtermist organisations and funds recommended by GWWC. As a 1st order approximation, maybe one can assume the spending of wealthy donor is as effective as transferring wealth to their countries.