Contents
The millionaire heiress and social activist Marlene Engelhorn wants to give her inheritance to strengthen democracy. So where should the money go? A committee should decide.
The German-Austrian social activist Marlene Engelhorn wants to hand over 25 million euros of her assets to the general public – as a pioneering act to strengthen democracy. “Nobody should imagine that their own comfort zone is more important than the good life for everyone,” said the 31-year-old heiress to the German Press Agency at the start of the project.
This weekend, 50 representatively selected women and men will meet in Salzburg to discuss social justice and the concrete distribution of the millions in the specially founded “Good Council for Redistribution”. A plan for allocating the money will be drawn up over six weekends by June. “I’ll just say a few words of welcome at the start, I have no influence on the result,” said Engelhorn.
A representative round should decide on the money
10,000 people in Austria were contacted as possible participants in the committee, of which almost 1,500 expressed their interest. According to the Foresight Institute, the people ultimately selected are representative of people over the age of 16 in Austria.
Legend:
Heiress of millions Marlene Engelhorn presented her “Good Advice for Redistribution” initiative in Vienna on January 9, 2024.
Keystone / APA / ROLAND SCHLAGER
According to Engelhorn, you will receive 1200 euros per weekend. She provided a further three million euros for the organisation, travel and accommodation costs and any childcare.
My privileges will support me even after the redistribution.
Initially, however, the focus is not on specific projects. With the help of moderators, it is more fundamentally about the question of social and tax justice. How does wealth distribution influence society, politics and the climate? “It’s not a wild charity campaign like I’ll pick any NGO, but it’s really a big system lighting,” says the heiress.
With taxes against the birth lottery?
She herself is in favor of wealth and inheritance taxes. The reintroduction of such taxes in Austria would probably bring in billions that could be used to finance basic child welfare. “That would have eliminated child poverty.” Engelhorn says she considers herself a “highly privileged student” of German studies who is a winner in the “birth lottery”.
Their campaign is consciously different from all donations by millionaires and billionaires because the giving of money should be in the hands of society and not in the hands of individuals. “We don’t know what mischief is being done with private assets.” She still keeps a certain amount for herself, which should make her transition into a job easier. She has no reason to worry. “My privileges will support me even after the redistribution.” She is still embedded in a wealthy family and has a very good network.
The 31-year-old said she could imagine a job with a socio-political aspect in the future. Engelhorn is the scion of an industrial family. Her assets come from a transfer from her grandmother.