Rutger Bregman: Quotes about wealth

Rutger Bregman is Dutch journalist, writer and historian. Explore interesting quotes on wealth.

Rutger Bregman: 6 quotes0 likes

“Think back a minute to the definition of a rentier: someone who uses their control over something that already exists in order to increase their own wealth. The feudal lord of medieval times did that by building a tollgate along a road and making everybody who passed by pay. Today’s tech giants are doing basically the same thing, but transposed to the digital highway.”

"No, wealth isn’t created at the top. It is merely devoured there"

“There are two ways of making money. The first is what most of us do: work. That means tapping into our knowledge and know-how (our “human capital” in economic terms) to create something new, whether that’s a takeout app, a wedding cake, a stylish updo, or a perfectly poured pint. To work is to create. Ergo, to work is to create new wealth.But there is also a second way to make money. That’s the rentier way: by leveraging control over something that already exists, such as land, knowledge, or money, to increase your wealth. You produce nothing, yet profit nonetheless. By definition, the rentier makes his living at others’ expense, using his power to claim economic benefit.”

"No, wealth isn’t created at the top. It is merely devoured there"

“No, wealth isn’t created at the top. It is merely devoured there.”