I can get rich, and then donate some of my money to good causes.
Why not run a company that concentrates on improving social and environmental conditions through its daily operations instead? That’s a lot more efficient, and ultimately more satisfying.
We often justify the unscrupulous actions of modern robber barons because they contribute money to philanthropy and the arts.
From a purely economic perspective, philanthropy is inefficient.
A person who has accumulated billions of dollars and in doing so has caused others to lose their jobs, closed the door of small businesses, or ravaged the environment, and then donates a small percentage of his fortune to correcting those problems or to the arts, would have served the world far better by making fewer profits while increasing employment, supporting small businesses, and insisting that his executives practice good environmental stewardship.
Excerpt from the book published by John Perkins back in November 1, 2011
Hoodwinked: An Economic Hit Man Reveals Why the Global Economy IMPLODED — and How to Fix It