People shaping the New Giving - A look into the new book release "Der gefesselte Wohlstand"

Money makes the world go round – but what is actually possible often remains unused. While wealth distribution and taxation are intensively discussed, a central question is often overlooked: How can we deploy private capital in a targeted way for social change?

This question has occupied bcause founder and Managing Director Felix Oldenburg for years. As the former Secretary General of the Association of German Foundations, he knows the opportunities and challenges of classic philanthropy – and sees enormous potential for a new form of giving. In his book “Der gefesselte Wohlstand - Wo die Milliarden liegen, die die Welt verändern”, to be published in March 2025, Felix takes readers on a journey of discovery and lets them participate in encounters with extraordinary people who open up new perspectives on wealth and the common good.

And because truly new insights rarely arise at a desk alone, but rather develop in exchange with others, Felix spoke with numerous interesting personalities who are shaping "Das Neue Geben" for his book. 

Over 200 people are mentioned in the book, and 20 people are portrayed in a very personal way: including outstanding voices such as Ann-Kristin Achleitner, Ise Bosch, Bill Drayton, Christian Vollmann, and Verena Pausder.

1. Ann-Kristin Achleitner – Bridge between Business and Society.

The renowned economist and multi-supervisory board member advocates for sustainable financial structures. Her credo: Capital must not only be profit-oriented, but must also create social utility.

2. Ise Bosch – Pioneer of impact-oriented giving

As a founder and philanthropist, she campaigns for human rights, gender equality, and climate protection. Her approach: Deploying wealth in a targeted manner to trigger systemic changes.

3. Bill Drayton – The Father of Social Entrepreneurship

The founder of Ashoka has triggered a global movement for entrepreneurial solutions to social challenges. His principle: Impact counts – not the legal form of a company.

4. Christian Vollmann – Investor with an Impact Focus

As a serial founder, he helped shape the German startup scene – today, he uses his experience to finance social innovations. His goal: Directing capital to where it unfolds real impact.

5. Verena Pausder – Entrepreneur with a Mission

The digital entrepreneur campaigns for education, female leadership, and sustainable economic models. Her focus: Encouraging more people to use their resources for a better society.

Curious?

If you want to dive deeper, you can find the book's index of names below – a collection of the many inspiring personalities who appear in „Der gefesselte Wohlstand“:

Ann-Kristin Achleitner – appearing on page(s) 103f, 108, 116f, 123, 176f, 185

Anna Alex – appearing on page(s) 67f, 70, 75, 81

Chris Anderson – appearing on page(s) 212f, 233

Sam Bankman-Fried – appearing on page(s) 151

Till Behnke – appearing on page(s) 67

Joe Biden – appearing on page(s) 137

Jeroo Billimoria – appearing on page(s) 81ff

Christian Boehringer – appearing on page(s) 93, 111

Michael Borgolte – appearing on page(s) 50

Ise Bosch – appearing on page(s) 155ff, 160ff, 167ff, 193, 204

Lukas Bosch – appearing on page(s) 204

Robert Bosch – appearing on page(s) 155, 168

Iris Braun – appearing on page(s) 68

Rutger Bregman – appearing on page(s) 127

Janina Breitling – appearing on page(s) 17

Sergey Brin – appearing on page(s) 148

Stephanie Brobbey – appearing on page(s) 186

Martin Brost – appearing on page(s) 105

Jimmy Carter – appearing on page(s) 84, 96

Tom Cruise – appearing on page(s) 35

Michael Dell – appearing on page(s) 70

Giovanni di Lorenzo – appearing on page(s) 177

Denis Diderot – appearing on page(s) 49

Bill Drayton – appearing on page(s) 79, 81, 83ff, 95f, 106, 108

Thomas Edison – appearing on page(s) 155

Justus Eisfeld – appearing on page(s) 158

Marlene Engelhorn – appearing on page(s) 124, 127, 129f, 135, 142

Ludwig Erhard – appearing on page(s) 18

Martin Essl – appearing on page(s) 79, 84

Heike Faller – appearing on page(s) 17

Chuck Feeney – appearing on page(s) 165

Casey Fenton – appearing on page(s) 109

Larry Fink – appearing on page(s) 126

Matt Flannery – appearing on page(s) 110

Christina Flügel – appearing on page(s) 214, 226

Benedikt Franke – appearing on page(s) 68

Marcel Fratzscher – appearing on page(s) 176

Melinda French – appearing on page(s) 166

Friedrich Wilhelm (Elector) – appearing on page(s) 61

Judith Fries – appearing on page(s) 201f, 204, 206, 213f, 219

Konstanze Frischen – appearing on page(s) 89

Stefan Fritz – appearing on page(s) 57, 59

Alexander Fugger – appearing on page(s) 47

Jakob Fugger – appearing on page(s) 46

Francis Fukuyama – appearing on page(s) 231

Bill Gates – appearing on page(s) 166

Melinda Gates – appearing on page(s) 70

Robert Gentz – appearing on page(s) 69

Tanja Gönner – appearing on page(s) 177

Marita Haibach – appearing on page(s) 158f

Philipp Haindl – appearing on page(s) 105

Matthew Hart – appearing on page(s) 158

Andreas Heinecke – appearing on page(s) 106

Oda Heister – appearing on page(s) 17, 175

Uwe Jean Heuser – appearing on page(s) 178, 187

Frank Hoffmann – appearing on page(s) 92

Reid Hofmann – appearing on page(s) 150

Philip Huffmann – appearing on page(s) 69

Paul Huizing – appearing on page(s) 202ff, 206, 213, 222

Otfried Höffe – appearing on page(s) 231

Jessica Jackley – appearing on page(s) 110

Amira Jehia – appearing on page(s) 133f

Immanuel Kant – appearing on page(s) 231

Karl Albrecht (Elector) – appearing on page(s) 103

Salman Khan – appearing on page(s) 109

Susanne Klatten – appearing on page(s) 106, 113

Sebastian Klein – appearing on page(s) 123f, 127, 135f, 139

Lawrence Leuschner – appearing on page(s) 68

Gregor Loukidis – appearing on page(s) 69

Martin Luther – appearing on page(s) 45

Ferdinand Magellan – appearing on page(s) 45

Karl Marx – appearing on page(s) 126

Curt Mast – appearing on page(s) 226

Frank Mattern – appearing on page(s) 108

Alex Melzer – appearing on page(s) 68

Hundreds of people – appearing on page(s) 232

Martina Merz – appearing on page(s) 93, 99, 101

Christian Miele – appearing on page(s) 177, 185

Maria Montessori – appearing on page(s) 87, 110

Elon Musk – appearing on page(s) 147, 152

Jayaprakash Narayan – appearing on page(s) 96

Florence Nightingale – appearing on page(s) 110

Larry Page – appearing on page(s) 148

Verena Pausder – appearing on page(s) 176, 185, 197

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi – appearing on page(s) 132

Carlo Petrini – appearing on page(s) 109

Thomas Piketty – appearing on page(s) 126

Ursula Poletti – appearing on page(s) 48

Laurene Powell – appearing on page(s) 150

Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen – appearing on page(s) 88

Brian Richardson – appearing on page(s) 110

Rubin Ritter – appearing on page(s) 69

Jörg Rocholl – appearing on page(s) 177

Philipp Ruch – appearing on page(s) 172

Elisabeth Ruge – appearing on page(s) 17

Christian Vollmann – appearing on page(s) 61f, 64ff, 70, 72, 81, 208

Nicole Weyde – appearing on page(s) 209

Muhammad Yunus – appearing on page(s) 89, 109

Vincent Zimmer – appearing on page(s) 69

“Der gefesselte Wohlstand. Wo die Milliarden liegen, mit denen wir die Welt verbessern können” was published on March 27 by Econ-Verlag.

Felix Oldenburg is a driver of change in the fields of social entrepreneurship, impact investing, and online innovations.

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