By LiveScience Staff
Despite the anxieties of these times, happiness has been on the rise around the world in recent years, a new survey finds.
The upbeat outlook is attributed to economic growth in previously poor countries, democratization of others, and rising social tolerance for women and minority groups.
"It's a surprising finding," said University of Michigan political scientist Ronald Inglehart, who headed up the survey. "It's widely believed that it's almost impossible to raise an entire country's happiness level."
Denmark is the happiest nation and Zimbabwe the the most glum, he found. (Zimbabwe's longtime ruler Robert Mugabe was sworn in as president for a sixth term Sunday after a widely discredited runoff in which he was the only candidate. Observers said the runoff was marred by violence and intimidation.)
The United States ranks ......
Monday, June 30, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Enlightened Capitalist, Nicolas Berggruen
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| Nicholas Berggruen Photo by Patrick McMullan |
June 5, 2008
Nicolas Berggruen, a 46-year-old American, owns a three-billion dollar fortune. The most interesting thing about this man is the fact that the general public does not know anything about him. Furthermore, he is officially a homeless man. Berggruen says that he prefers to live in hotels.
When he made his billion-dollar fortune on investments and media business, Berggruen began to lose the interest in acquiring material values. Real estate, cars, works of art, jewels and other valuable things have become a burden for him. The billionaire started selling his property: apartments in New York, a villa in Florida. He intends to sell his last vehicle in the nearest future too.
Berggruen is not married and has no children. He plans to leave his fortune to charity by setting up a special foundation. In addition, Berggruen will bequeath his valuable art collection to a Berlin museum.
Nicolas Berggruen says that he has no place where he could keep his paintings because he has no home.
“Everybody is different and I think that we live in a material world. But for me, possessing things is not that interesting. Living in a grand environment to show myself and others that I have wealth has zero appeal. Whatever I own is temporary, since we’re only here for a short period of time. It’s what we do and produce, it’s our actions, that will last forever. That’s real value ,” Nicolas Berggruen believes.
It is worthy of note that Berggruen tries to avoid communication with reporters. He also does his best not to let his name appear in newspapers and magazines. When a Dutch magazine published an article about him, the billionaire simply bought all the copies of the magazine and destroyed them.
Nicolas Berggruen is not alone in his noble deeds. Passion for philanthropy and demonstrative denial of material values has become a current trend of modern-day billionaires.
Russ Alan Prince, who owns a firm that tracks the habits of the rich, believes that modern billionaires think about how they are going to be remembered after their death. Some of them realize that if they want to do something then they have to do it now, otherwise they will not have any time for it afterwards.
Nicolas Berggruen says that he has no place where he could keep his paintings because he has no home.
“Everybody is different and I think that we live in a material world. But for me, possessing things is not that interesting. Living in a grand environment to show myself and others that I have wealth has zero appeal. Whatever I own is temporary, since we’re only here for a short period of time. It’s what we do and produce, it’s our actions, that will last forever. That’s real value ,” Nicolas Berggruen believes.
It is worthy of note that Berggruen tries to avoid communication with reporters. He also does his best not to let his name appear in newspapers and magazines. When a Dutch magazine published an article about him, the billionaire simply bought all the copies of the magazine and destroyed them.
Nicolas Berggruen is not alone in his noble deeds. Passion for philanthropy and demonstrative denial of material values has become a current trend of modern-day billionaires.
Russ Alan Prince, who owns a firm that tracks the habits of the rich, believes that modern billionaires think about how they are going to be remembered after their death. Some of them realize that if they want to do something then they have to do it now, otherwise they will not have any time for it afterwards.
Source: Pravda.ru
June 7, 2014 Update: Berggruen Institute of Governance: Nicholas Berggruen
Related articles: Deep Thoughts with the Homeless Billionaire
The New World of Nicolas Berggruen
The 'Homeless Billionaire' Settles Down
June 7, 2014 Update: Berggruen Institute of Governance: Nicholas Berggruen
Related articles: Deep Thoughts with the Homeless Billionaire
The New World of Nicolas Berggruen
The 'Homeless Billionaire' Settles Down
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