Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Kenan Malik

Getting rich in order to give to the poor? The jury’s out, but it seems morally shaky

Sam Bankman-Fried in the dock
Financier Sam Bankman-Fried, who donated millions to effective altruism projects and is now on trial for fraud. Photograph: John Minchillo/AP

‘Few people think of finance as an ethical career choice,” William MacAskill observes. But they should. “By making as much money as we can and donating to the best causes,” he argues, “we can each save hundreds of lives.”

MacAskill is an Oxford philosopher and one of the founders of “effective altruism”, or EA, a movement that seeks to persuade people both to donate a large share of their income to charity – MacAskill says he lives on £26,000 a year, giving away the rest of his professorial income – and to ensure that donations are used in the most effective way.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.