Billionaires say they are desperate to give away their money – but their interests are misaligned with society’s. Just tax them!
Almost exactly a year ago, Vox journalist Kelsey Piper was having a heart-to-heart with Sam Bankman-Fried. The “Crypto King” (people used to call him a lot of stupid things) had just declared bankruptcy, setting off a chain of events that last week ended in his conviction for multiple types of fraud. He has yet to be sentenced, but he faces a maximum term of 115 years, which is quite some override of the principle “avoid sending rich people to prison” laid down, I believe, by the founding fathers.
Against a backdrop in which Bankman-Fried has already been put bang to rights, and on the understanding that further critique of the young gentleman won’t give anyone their money back, I still can’t help circling one part of the Piper/Bankman-Fried exchange. “You don’t believe anyone is doing anything for good reasons,” Piper told him in a message. “You don’t believe the ‘good guys’ are good, so why not make it big and then be the one who gets to decide what ‘good’ is?”
About Author
More Stories
Revealed: Chinese researchers can access half a million UK GP records
Help to reduce high blood pressure lowers dementia risk, study finds
Top cancer experts ‘being put off UK by politicians’ messaging on immigration’