Marlene Engelhorn, Austrian heiress decides to give away her fortune worth millions
Austrian heiress Marlene Engelhorn planned to donate huge amount she inherited from her grandmother
Marlene Engelhorn, an Austrian-German heiress, who inherited her grandmother's €25 million (£21.5 million) wealth decided to donate it.
As reported by The Independent, the 31-year-old heiress has now asked the public for recommendations on how to allocate the funds.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Ms Engelhorn said “€25m can be redistributed because the state does not redistribute it. I have this money because it is not taxed”,
She continued, “I have this money because the government has failed to fulfill its mandate to ensure that wealth is distributed in society in such a way that it doesn’t end up unequally in my hands just because I’m in this world, in this particular family, with this surname.”
The money was inherited by Ms. Engelhorn from her family, who owns the massive chemical company BASF. She has spent years advocating for Austria to have a fairer tax structure.
As reported by Euro News on Wednesday, the distribution of cash will now be decided by a Citizens' Council.
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“I have inherited a fortune, and therefore power, without having done anything for it,” she said, adding “And the state doesn’t even want taxes on it.”
To note, Austria became one of the few nations in Europe without an inheritance tax or death charges when it abolished them in 2008.
Austrians who would like to take part in the Good Council for Redistribution, a citizens' initiative spearheaded by Ms. Engelhorn, can register over the phone or online.
There will be 50 participants chosen from the initial group of 10,000 Austrians who are all over the age of 16. In case some students drop out, there will also be fifteen replacements.
This citizen's council will work on recommendations for wealth distribution during six weekends in March and June.