Intelligence Squared

Thought-leaders, change agents, the new philanthropists. These are some of the terms used to describe rich and powerful figures who talk publicly and enthusiastically about their efforts to build a better world. But to Anand Giridharadas — Editor-at-Large at TIME magazine and author of Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World — the global elite actually have very little interest in changing a system that has been rigged to keep power and wealth in the hands of the select few. Giridharadas came to the Intelligence Squared stage to explain what he calls the charade whereby wealthy CEOs, political leaders and do-gooder celebrities fight for equality and justice any way they can – except in ways that threaten the social order and their position at its pinnacle. He showed how they rebrand themselves as saviours of the poor, while doing nothing that will address the devastating effects of today’s unparalleled wealth and income inequality. Why, Giridharadas asked, should the world’s problems be solv