William Simpson
Last year, heiress Marlene Engelhorn asked her fellow Austrians a question: “How should I spend my €25 million inheritance?” Engelhorn, who comes from a European business dynasty, said he would choose 50 strangers from different demographics to brainstorm ways to use their money — and now, his spending plan was released.
Englehorn sent invitations to 10,000 randomly selected Austrians, asking them to respond to a survey. She narrowed the survey participants down to 50 board members and tasked them with distributing 25 million euros – more than 27 million dollars – to those in need, since Austria does not impose wealth taxes and inheritance.
The diverse board included people of different ages, incomes, education levels and even attitudes about wealth distribution. They were moderated by a team of eight people and also advised by academics and experts.
After meeting over six weekends, the 50-person team, called “Guter Rat” or Good Counsel, decided to distribute the inheritance to 77 initiatives, including Tax Justice Network, Attac Austria, Momentum Institute and World Inequality Lab.
They decided to use the money to fight poverty-related diseases, as well as to protect women from violence. “Poor makes you sick and sick makes you poor,” said board member Dietmar Feurstein, citing board deliberations.
They are donating part of Englehorn’s heritage to women’s shelters, deaf associations and inclusive football clubs.
Another area of focus – housing, integration and education – was brought to the table by 17-year-old councilor Kyrillos Gadall. They chose to donate to organizations working to obtain affordable housing for those who need it.
They also wanted to focus on migrants and refugees supporting language courses and other educational courses, as well as organizations that advocate better access to healthcare and working conditions.
“In short, the result is as diverse as the board itself,” said project manager Alexandra Wang. “Initiatives that directly support those affected or that address the causes of the problem were supported. Small and large organizations were considered, as well as young initiatives and long-standing organizations.”
She said all of the decisions have one thing in common: “They want a more just society. They want everyone to live well together. And they want to support those who are discriminated against.”
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