Giving Compass' Take:

• D.A. Kirk at Medium discusses the debate over the American welfare narrative, if it's ethical to be wealthy, and if inequality is both inevitable and essential. 

• How can philanthropists impact wealth inequality? How can we best support movements working towards equality and equity?

• To understand the relationship between philanthropy and inequality, click here. 

There is a fine line between success and exploitation. I can’t tell you where that line is, but most people, myself included, are usually able to tell when it’s been crossed. For instance, when you use someone’s suffering as leverage to squeeze them for every extra dollar they’ve got, you’ve crossed that line. That’s why the infamous Martin Shkreli found virtually no defenders willing to go to bat for him when he raised the price of the drug Daraprim from $13.50 per pill to $750 per pill. Even Donald Trump said that the controversial move made Shkreli look like a “spoiled brat” and that he should be ashamed of himself.

But what about Silicon Valley entrepreneur Jack Dorsey? He didn’t force anyone to hop aboard the Twitter bandwagon; we did that voluntarily, and Dorsey became a billionaire because of it. Oprah Winfrey suffered through years of abuse and poverty as a child, eventually won a scholarship to college, and then willed her way into the billionaire’s club as a successful talk show host, author and producer. Michael Jordan busted his tail to become the greatest basketball player in the history of the world and an international icon. He wisely chose to use his earnings to purchase a controlling interest in the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets franchise and officially became a billionaire in 2015.

Read the full article about addressing inequality in America by D.A. Kirk at Medium.