The 10 Most Toxic Philanthropists

In a Worth's Impact article, there has often been a tension between the personalities who give and the causes to which they give. Worth lists down 10 of the most toxic philanthropists of the 21st century.

According to Worth, in the past, taking tainted money wasn't particularly controversial, even though those in the nonprofit world knew it could be a way for the wealthy to launder somewhat sordid, even criminal, reputations.

But writers, such as Anand Giridharadas, are arguing that all philanthropy is "fake change" and #MeToo victims demanding justice for behavior that was previously swept under the rug. This new mood is creating a moment of anxiety for the donor class and has the potential to disrupt the flow of giving.

Toxic philanthropy typically includes not just those convicted of heinous crimes, whether financial or personal, but also the super wealthy whose business or personal behavior is seen as detrimental to society.

This top 10 list of toxic philanthropists includes: Jeffrey Epstein, David Koch, The Sackler family, Harvey Weinstein, Roger Ailes, Bill Cosby, Michael Pearson, Raj Rajaratnam, Bernard Madoff, and Ken Lay.

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