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I pledge to limit my pursuit of wealth



There are one billion people living with less than one dollar per day. The distress of people whose life expectancy is 40 years, who cannot afford to go to school and often do not eat, affects me. I am human, like them, and I can feel their pain. Thus, I wish to help them to live better. We can help them to live better. To help them, we need a fairer distribution of wealth. At present, I belong to the wealthiest group of the population of the World, and I am ready to give a part of my future wealth to the very poor. Their welfare will inevitably increase, furthermore my happiness will also increase : I will be happy to have helped someone.

The meaning of my life is not to accumulate wealth, but is to ensure my happiness and the happiness of my next of kin, and to contribute to the happiness of mankind. Measuring the cost of the Western lifestyle, still wishing to enjoy a certain comfort, I recognize that 2800 € per month are sufficient to provide the financial part of my happiness and that of my close relatives. Moreover, I assess that a capital of 1000000 € sustainably invested (in real estate for example) yields, after taxes, 2800 € per month1 (with such a capital, no need to work to get a satisfactory income).

Thus, I commit to myself, and in front of all, not to accumulate more than

in personal capital and not to earn more than
€ per month throughout my life2, any surplus that I may earn can help others who need it more than me or my family. This surplus will be given to organizations helping the very poor.

I publish this oath both to force myself to respect it and to launch a movement of support towards this oath : the more people sign it, the greater its action will be. Also, the effect of this action can only be positive, because it conveys good values such as empathy and generosity.

This oath has not any legal value, it has only a human value.




1 The estimation is that the interest rate of a well invested capital is 5% a year.
2 Figure as from 2013, subject to inflation. Given that, as the capital grows generally quicker than inflation, if I had 1000000 € in my capital at present, it will be certainly sufficient for the rest of my life.