Austrian heiress Marlene Engelhorn is making headlines as she actively seeks assistance to distribute her 25 million euro ($27.4 million) fortune, expressing a desire to escape what she characterizes as a “dynastic rich swamp”.
Having inherited considerable wealth and accompanying power without any personal accomplishments, Engelhorn, an activist and founder of the Taxmenow initiative, criticizes the absence of taxes on her inherited fortune. She joins a minority of affluent protestors at the World Economic Forum in Davos, advocating for increased taxes on the wealthy.
Her financial windfall came in 2022 following her grandmother’s passing, prompting Engelhorn to announce the establishment of a group consisting of 50 Austrian citizens tasked with brainstorming ideas for the future allocation of her wealth.
To implement her plan, she is extending an invitation to up to 10,000 randomly selected Austrians over the age of 16, asking them to join the group by completing a questionnaire, with the final selection comprising 50 individuals.
Between March and June of the current year, the chosen group will convene on weekends to propose solutions “in the interests of society as a whole.” If the group fails to suggest ideas with broad support, Engelhorn has pledged to have her inheritance returned.
Engelhorn, a German studies graduate, has expressed her intention to secure a regular job after redistributing “more than 90%” of her wealth. This transition from the wealthiest 1% of society to the less affluent 99% is deemed by her as an improvement, marking a move towards a more democratic society. Engelhorn shared these sentiments in an interview with the German daily Tagesspiegel.
