At 31, Marlene Engelhorn isn’t your typical millionaire. After inheriting $27.3 million from her grandmother tax-free (thanks to Austria’s lack of inheritance taxes since 2008 🔍), she’s decided 90% of it needs to go—and she’s crowdsourcing ideas from strangers to decide where.
🚨 Why? “I’ve inherited power without earning it,” says Engelhorn, who calls her windfall “undemocratic.” Instead of yacht shopping, she launched the Guter Rat (Good Council) project, mailing 10,000+ random Austrians aged 16+ to form a 50-person council. Think Hunger Games meets philanthropy: this group will decide how to spend the millions on social good!
💡 Bigger Trend: Engelhorn joins a wave of ultra-wealthy advocates pushing for systemic wealth redistribution. From tackling inequality to climate change, these donors argue that hoarding cash won’t solve global crises—but taxing the rich just might.
📢 Young Austrians, Assemble! The council’s decisions—due later this year—could fund anything from affordable housing to renewable energy projects. “Let’s make money work for everyone,” Engelhorn says. Could this model inspire others? 💬✨
