Asks U.S. billionaires give away at least half of the wealth.

I recall a documentary about "greed" and how it had evolved to "a good thing" (as Mr. Douglas proclaimed in that movie).

The idea that avarice and wealth hording is first motivated by fear of the future and then simply prideful self-affirmation seems to ring true to me.

Considering the fact that most of the super wealthy could never, during the course of a normal life, spend all their wealth, while others starve for lack of it seems to be a fairly repugnant thing.

However, during my lifetime I have been conditioned to be cynical about the reality of institutionalized charity. I approach the possibility of this being a hopeful development as one of those possibilities that is less likely true and more likely a publicist's facade.

It seems there are too many charities where the executives pull in 7 figure incomes, while only 35% of true donations make it to their stated cause. Or more repulsive still, the charity is a way to spawn 'business' interests where the local infrastructure was lacking... and the 'business' isn't 'local' in any meaningful sense of the word.

I hope my cynicism is out of place and completely wrong. But I won't hold my breath.