Today’s Philanthropists Herald a New Gilded Age

Sanford I. Weill, chairman emeritus of Citigroup, and other mega-wealthy philanthropists are touted in a New York Times article as titans of a new Gilded Age, in which financiers and chief executives are largely responsible for the country’s economic, philanthropic, and political gains.

Many of the new barons view themselves as the backbone of an era in which their successes and their philanthropy have made government less important than it once was, according to the article.

“People can look at the last 25 years and say this is an incredibly unique period of time,” said Mr. Weill. “We didn’t rely on somebody else to build what we built, and we shouldn’t rely on somebody else to provide all the services our society needs.”

See the Chronicle’s coverage of Mr. Weill’s philanthropy.

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