Chuck Collins

Larry Ellison Wants to Do Good, Do Research and Make a Profit

NEW: Billionaire Larry Ellison pledged to give away at least half of his wealth. Instead, he's mixing philanthropy with making even more money.

"There’s a blurring of the lines in these people’s imaginations between for-profit and nonprofit," says IPS scholar @chuck77.bsky.social in @nytimes.com:

These Billionaires Pledged To Give Away Wealth. Most Are Getting Wealthier At 15 years old, the Giving Pledge shows we can't rely on the best intentions of billionaires to win a fairer economy.

My column, coauthored with Bella Devaan, a @newsweek.com
The perils of dynastic charitable wealth @bdevaan.bsky.social
www.newsweek.com/these-billio...

The Giving Pledge at 15 15 years on, the Giving Pledge is unfulfilled, unfulfillable, and not our ticket to a fairer, better future.

NEW: Hundreds of rich people have signed the Giving Pledge to donate half of their wealth. 15 years on, their lack of progress shows our critical need to fix philanthropy — and tax them more.

REPORT by @chuck77.bsky.social, @bdevaan.bsky.social, @helenofips.bsky.social and @dpetegorsky.bsky.social:

The Giving Pledge was meant to turbocharge philanthropy. Few billionaires got on board. The world's rich keep getting richer. Few are willing to publicly promise to give away a majority of their wealth.

A new @ips-dc.org analysis rates the billionaire Giving Pledge that debuted in 2010 as “unfulfilled, unfulfillable, and not our ticket to a fairer, better future.”
@hcuccinello.bsky.social @cnbc.com @chuck77.bsky.social

When would-be developers of Hanscom Field’s proposed expansion argued “ferry flight reduction” would balance out an additional 6,000 private jet flights annually, Chuck Collins from @ips-dc.org and @inequality.org came to @gbhnews.bsky.social with the facts. Learn more at spje.org.

New Yorkers: Tonight: The theatrical premiere of "Death & Taxes: A Documentary Film." Come join me in conversation with Director Justin Schein and Robert Frank of the Wealth Report, CNBC.
www.ifccenter.com/films/death-...
@deathandtaxesfilm.bsky.social

Ralph de la Torre: The Making of a Healthcare Oligarch And the price the rest of us pay—in money and in blood.

The first of my monthly "Oligarch Watch" column @thenation.com featuring the billionaires and their enablers who are ruining our country....

www.thenation.com/article/soci...

“Stick Together:” An Anthem for the Community Resilience and Resistance Movement Luke’s song underscores the power of music and art at this moment. I know it helps me personally to stay grounded and sane as we face the topsy-turvy days we are living through.

Luke Concannon has written the community resilience anthem for our moment...see my article at Resilience.org

www.resilience.org/stories/2025...

These Activists Are Right: The World Doesn’t Need Any More Private Jets Local activists in Massachusetts have taken on the private jet lobby—and they might just win.

The climate justice "shot heard round the world" -see my article in @thenation.com about the inspiring work of Stop Private Jet Expansion at Hanscom Field!
www.thenation.com/article/envi...

If a big inheritance is your retirement plan, don't get your hopes up If you're holding out for an inheritance, we have some bad news.

While billionaires guard fortunes, “Most households will pass on little or no inheritance to the next generation,” says IPS @inequality.org scholar @chuck77.bsky.social.

The less we let the wealthy dodge taxes on inherited wealth, the more we can meet all of our needs, no matter what we inherit.

YouTube video by More Perfect Union This Is the Biggest Tax Dodge in History

A great explainer video from More Perfect Union on how the rich dodge the estate tax, with interviews with me and Bob Lord.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnah...

A really thoughtful podcast on Yvonne Chouinard's 2022 announcement to transfer ownership of Patagonia to broader ownership. I raise concerns....
www.wearelookingsideways.com/p/the-announ...

Fossil Fuel Billionaires Are Cashing in on Trump - OtherWords Welcome to “oil-garchy”: fossil fuel billionaires are being rewarded for investing in Trump's campaign.

On April 11, 2024, Trump asked the CEOs and leaders of the oil and gas industries to raise $1 billion for his campaign and he would do their bidding.

This is what “oil-garchy” looks like.

IPS scholar @chuck77.bsky.social shares new findings from @climatecriminals.bsky.social:

Fossil Fuel Billionaires Boost Wealth After Inauguration One day after Trump's inauguration, oil and gas billionaires see their total wealth boosted by more than $3 billion.

@timemagazine.bsky.social Collins: “It's a huge windfall for the industry, and it's kind of a beginning. This is the payback for investing millions and millions of dollars to get Trump elected."
time.com/7209181/foss... @climatecriminals.bsky.social

Tax Rules, Investment Houses, and Donor-Advised Funds: What’s at Stake? - Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly New IRS rules for donor-advised funds are spurring fund sponsor opposition, including from community foundations. This reaction tells us a lot about who profits from DAFs.

What’s on the horizon for tax rules, and how will they affect #DAFs? nonprofitquarterly.org/tax-rules-in...

@ips-dc.bsky.social
@helenofips.bsky.social
@countingcharity.bsky.social
#taxes #finance #philanthropy