Summary

A. Extreme Wealth

More and more people are struggling with rising costs. At the same time, the super-rich are getting richer and richer. Take a moment to watch the video in this chapter. It powerfully illustrates the extreme gap of wealth between the super-rich and the rest of us. Then study the following chapters to understand how this extreme inequality also causes the other major problems in our world, such as poverty, refugees, pollution, social unrest and wars.

B. Three Professors

1. Professor Ricchiuti highlights how the accumulation of wealth among the few is exacerbating economic challenges and harming overall prosperity.
2. Professor Piketty presents four transformative reforms designed to address wealth inequality and promote a fairer economic structure.
3. Professor Tobochnik provides compelling evidence that the only effective solution to combat the consequences of wealth concentration is a global wealth tax on the super-rich.

C. Four Facts

1. The big flaw in our financial fystem: People have to be warned that our current financial system is the core problem of all major problems in our world. Urgent reforms are needed to restore balance in our financial system.
2. Our financial system creates a vicious circle of unrest and wars: Extreme wealth caused by our financial system is fuelling extreme inequality, conflict, and societal breakdown.
3. Our financial system has left us in a political impasse: The current political systems are stuck and unable to address the crisis. However, hope can be offered by proposing bold changes that could overcome this paralysis. Humanity stands at a critical crossroads.
4. We are on the cusp of our next evolutionary step, the Financial Revolution: Humanity has reached some major milestones in its evolution and is about to take the next evolutionary step by changing its financial system.

D. New Rules of the Game

When the rules change, the game changes. That’s why creating a better world begins with rewriting the rules that shape our economy and society. Below are three bold proposals that address the fundamental flaws of the current financial system. These are not driven by ideology, but rooted in fairness, sustainability and shared prosperity.

1. A wealth tax for the superrich: Reclaiming Shared Prosperity. A 30% annual tax on net assets over €10 million to rebalance extreme concentrations of wealth.
2. Profit Sharing for Employees: Fair Rewards for the Value Makers. Require all companies to share 50% of their net profits with the employees who help generate them.
3. Tax Relief for Workers: Lightening the Load of Labor. Reduce income taxes across the board for all workers, easing the financial burden on everyday earners.

These new rules aren’t radical — they’re reasonable. They show us a way forward: from an economy that takes to one that gives. From stockpiling wealth to investing in one another. This isn’t just a financial revolution — it’s a movement to build lives of meaning, dignity, and shared success.

E. Vote

Are you also ready to stand behind these bold new rules that shape a better world for everyone?

The time is now.

Cast your vote — and help amplify this movement.

Spread the message through what you read, wear, and share. Our books, stickers, caps, and T-shirts are conversation starters, rallying cries, and symbols of a future worth fighting for. Speak it. Wear it. Live it.

A. Extreme Wealth

More and more people are struggling with rising costs. At the same time, the super-rich are getting richer and richer. Take a moment to watch the video below. It powerfully illustrates the extreme gap of wealth between the super-rich and the rest of us. Then study the following chapters to understand how this extreme inequality also causes the other major problems in our world, such as poverty, refugees, pollution, social unrest and wars.

B. Three Professors

1. Professor Ricchiuti

Check out below TED talk by Professor Ricchiuti—it’s a powerful wake-up call. He reveals how the extreme concentration of wealth among the super-rich is actually holding our economies back. As he says, “Something really needs to change.”

In the talk, Ricchiuti explains that big corporations, largely owned by the wealthiest 1%, are sitting on billions in cash, but instead of reinvesting it to create jobs or boost innovation, they’re buying back their own shares and increasing dividends. This boosts their stock prices—and the wealth of the super-rich—while doing little for everyday workers or the real economy. While financial engineering has delivered record profits to those at the top, it’s leaving out everyone else.

But here’s the key takeaway: there is a better way forward. It’s time to push for an economy that works for everyone, one that prioritizes real growth, opportunity, and shared prosperity. Watch the video, get inspired, and join the call for change—because together, we can build an economy that lifts us all.

2. Professor Piketty

Watch below the inspiring video by Professor Piketty, where he lays out four powerful steps to build a fairer, stronger future for all of us.

In his talk, Piketty highlights the changes that could transform our economies and bring about real opportunity. First, he advocates for fair tax progressivity—ensuring everyone pays their share. Next, he calls for a global financial registry to increase transparency, keeping wealth in check. He emphasizes making education and well-paying jobs accessible to all, helping people thrive. Lastly, he points to reducing public debt, which would allow for vital investments in education, health, environmental protection, and infrastructure.

These aren’t just ideas—they’re the building blocks of a brighter future. Imagine a world where opportunity is within everyone’s reach, and where our shared resources fuel progress, not just for a few, but for all. Watch the video and let’s commit to pushing for these essential changes. Together, we can create a more equitable world, one step at a time.

3. Professor Tobochnik

In below eye-opening TED talk, Professor Tobochnik uses a powerful mathematical model to show how we can tackle one of today’s biggest challenges: the extreme concentration of wealth. His conclusion? A global wealth tax is the key to stopping the harmful effects this imbalance has on our economies and societies.

“This is not a crazy idea,” he says. Backed by groundbreaking research from economist Thomas Piketty, Tobochnik highlights how a worldwide tax on wealth could bring transformative change. Why global? Because it prevents wealth from being hidden, ensuring fairness and transparency across borders.

Imagine a world where wealth supports communities instead of accumulating in the hands of a few. This solution isn’t just theoretical—it’s achievable. Watch the video, get inspired, and join the movement toward a balanced, prosperous future for everyone. Together, we can push for change that benefits all of us, not just the few.

C. Four Facts

1. The Big Flaw in our Financial System

The video below shines a light on a simple but powerful truth: our financial system is designed to favor a tiny, ultra-wealthy few, leaving most people behind. The current rules don’t just allow this—they drive it, widening the gap between rich and poor.

But recognizing this problem is the first step toward change. This “Message of Hope” encourages us to imagine and create a financial system that benefits everyone. Picture a world where wealth supports communities, opens doors, and improves lives—not just for a few, but for all.

This isn’t just about money—it’s about fairness, dignity, and a future where everyone has a chance to thrive. Let this message inspire action. Together, we can reshape the system and turn this vision into reality.

2. Our financial system creates a cycle of inequality and wars

On the eve of the greatest war the world would ever know, the streets buzzed with unrest. The wealthy amassed palaces of gold, while millions toiled for mere scraps. Inequality was no longer just a number in a report—it was tangible in empty plates, cold homes, and the shattered dreams of ordinary people.

This growing gap between rich and poor didn’t just cause social unrest—it undermined the very foundations of peace. And when the system finally buckled under its own weight, the storm broke: a world war that would touch everything and everyone.

Ironically, this all-destroying war brought with it something unexpected. The bombs that flattened cities didn’t just destroy buildings—they wiped out vast amounts of capital. Bank accounts vanished, stocks became worthless, and the power of the super-rich was shattered. What remained was a world laid bare, where everyone had to start again.

And it was exactly there, among the ruins of the old system, that something new was built.

The years after the war were marked by cooperation and solidarity. Governments invested in education, infrastructure, and healthcare. Workers received fair wages, businesses paid their share, and wealth was not above scrutiny. For the first time in a long time, not only did the economy grow, but so did the middle class. There was a sense of justice, of collective recovery. Society flourished.

But systems are like rivers—if you don’t actively steer them, they find their old course.

Little by little, the balance started to change. Taxes stayed high for workers, but rich people found ways to protect their money. They built new kinds of wealth—hidden in digital systems and complex finances. Money started flowing again, but mostly to the richest few. Slowly, inequality returned — quietly, but steadily.

Today, we stand at a crossroads once more. History whispers its warning: when inequality grows, peace trembles. But it also speaks of hope: change is possible. We’ve done it before. We can choose a system that values not just what you own, but what you contribute. That honors work and taxes wealth fairly.

The question isn’t if we should act—but when we will. And who will take the first step.

3. Our financial system has left us in a political impasse

The world faces urgent challenges: rising living costs, wars, and climate change. Yet, political systems remain stuck. Left-leaning parties call for higher taxes, while right-leaning parties argue this will make things worse. Both sides have valid points, but neither offers a real solution, leaving us in a stalemate.

Still, there is hope. Humanity is at a turning point. We can either continue with broken national politics, letting wealth concentrate in the hands of a few, or come together globally to create bold laws that return wealth and opportunity to the working majority.

The choice is ours, as the video below explains.

4. We are on the cusp of our next evolutionary step, the Financial Revolution

Humanity has reached some major milestones in its evolution and is about to take the next evolutionary step by changing its financial system. Below are the major evolutionary steps of humanity.

1. Bipedalism (≈ 6–7 million years ago)

One of the earliest defining traits of human evolution was walking upright on two legs. This adaptation freed the hands for tool use and carrying, improved energy efficiency for long-distance travel, and provided a better vantage point for spotting predators.

2. Tool Use and Manufacture (≈ 3.3 million years ago)

Early human ancestors, like Australopithecus and later Homo habilis, began making and using tools. This marked a key shift in problem-solving abilities and survival strategies, as tools allowed access to new food sources (e.g., meat and marrow) and offered protection.

3. Mastery of Fire (≈ 1 million–300,000 years ago)

The ability to control fire was a transformative moment in human evolution. Fire provided warmth, protection from predators, and the ability to cook food, which made it easier to digest and more energy-rich, supporting brain development.

4. Language and Complex Communication (≈ 300,000 years ago or earlier)
The evolution of complex language allowed humans to share detailed information, cooperate on a large scale, and pass on knowledge across generations.

5. Agricultural Revolution (≈ 10,000 years ago)

The shift from hunting and gathering to farming and domesticating animals marked a profound change in human lifestyles. It enabled permanent settlements, population growth, and the rise of complex societies but also introduced challenges like disease and social inequality.

6. Technological and Industrial Revolutions (past 300 years)

Advances in science and technology (e.g., the printing press, steam engines, electricity) drastically altered human life, enabling global communication, mass production, and medical breakthroughs. These changes profoundly influenced humanity’s trajectory and our impact on the planet.

7. Financial Revolution (started in 2014 by Professor Piketty)

Ever since Thomas Piketty’s global bestseller Capital in the Twenty-First Century hit the world stage in 2014, one thing has become painfully clear: our financial system is broken. It concentrates wealth, fuels inequality, and drives the kind of social unrest and conflict that threatens us all. We can no longer afford to look away. Humanity stands at a crossroads — and the time for change is now.

We as humanity are on the verge of taking the next evolutionary step: the financial revolution. We do this by implementing three bold new rules of the game as described in the next chapter.

D. New Rules of the Game

When the rules change, the game changes. That’s why creating a better world begins with rewriting the rules that shape our economy and society. Below are three bold proposals that address the fundamental flaws of the current financial system. These are not driven by ideology, but rooted in fairness, sustainability and shared prosperity.

1. Wealth Tax for the Super-Rich: Reclaiming Shared Prosperity

Rule 1: A 30% annual tax on net assets over €10 million.

Today, the super-rich control more than half of the world’s wealth, while millions go without essentials — housing, healthcare, and basic dignity. A 30% wealth tax on the ultra-wealthy isn’t a punishment; it’s a recalibration. It activates stagnant capital and redirects it toward the common good: funding education, climate action, infrastructure, and resilient public services — the very systems that made wealth possible. This isn’t retribution. It’s reintegration — a return to economic balance.

2. Profit Sharing for Employees: Fair Rewards for the Value Makers

Rule 2: Require all companies to share 50% of their net profits with the employees who help generate them.

Workers power every product, every innovation, every success. Yet the divide between those on the floor and those in the boardroom has widened into a gulf. Profit sharing reimagines business as a collective endeavor — not a pyramid, but a partnership. When employees are treated as true stakeholders, loyalty grows, creativity thrives, and dignity is restored to the workplace. This is how we reward the people who create value — not just those who own it.

3. Tax Relief for Workers: Lightening the Load of Labor

Rule 3: Lower income taxes for all workers.

Right now, we tax labor more heavily than speculation. Effort more than entitlement. That’s upside-down. By reducing income taxes for workers and families, we ease everyday burdens, increase disposable income, and revitalize local economies. This isn’t a handout — it’s long-overdue fairness. Because when we reward work instead of wealth, we build an economy that works for everyone.

These new rules aren’t radical — they’re reasonable. They show us a way forward: from an economy that takes to one that gives. From stockpiling wealth to investing in one another. This isn’t just a financial revolution — it’s a movement to build lives of meaning, dignity, and shared success.

E. Vote

Are you also ready to stand behind these bold new rules that shape a better world for everyone?

The time is now.

Cast your vote — and help amplify this movement.

Spread the message through what you read, wear, and share. Our books, stickers, caps, and T-shirts are conversation starters, rallying cries, and symbols of a future worth fighting for. Speak it. Wear it. Live it.