- Question
Is being a billionaire a moral failing?
Is it possible to amass a billion dollars ethically? This entry maps the debate over whether being a billionaire is a moral failing, setting out the opposing positions that it is, and that it is not.
Position 1 of 2
Read this position →Yes, being a billionaire is a moral failing
Proponents of this position hold that being a billionaire is itself a moral failing: that a fortune of that size cannot match any one person's contribution, and that choosing to retain it while preventable suffering continues is a decision renewed daily.
Position 2 of 2
Read this position →No, being a billionaire is not a moral failing
Those who hold this position argue that being a billionaire is not in itself a moral failing: that wealth can be created rather than taken, that moral assessment belongs to conduct rather than to a quantity held, and that concentration is a matter for policy.