This study investigates a discourse about billionaire philanthropy established in letters submitted by 187 of 209 signatories of the Giving Pledge. The philanthropy of the wealthy is gaining increasing public attention and is subject to growing criticism, which demands additional study of how the wealthy collectively explain their generosity. The mixed-method analysis finds a strong emphasis on education and health causes and identifies two distinct and coherent rationales for being generous. The majority of letters express a social–normative rationale, consisting of two prevailing explanations: an expressed gratitude and desire to “give back” (1) and references to family upbringing as a socializing force (2). A minority of letters articulate a personal–consequentialist rationale, highlighting three separate explanations: a large inheritance may harm offspring (1), giving as personal gratification (2), and an acknowledgment of excess wealth with no better use (3). An expressed desire to have impact and make a difference appears in both rationales. The overall dominance of a social–normative rationale projects a discourse emphasizing benevolence as well as a narrative in which billionaires are an exceptionally productive and grateful subset of society. While previous studies have primarily focused on identifying individual psychological motives, this study shows how the Giving Pledge letters reflect a philanthropic discourse among the wealthy going back to Andrew Carnegie’s Gospel of Wealth.

这项研究调查了有关“亿万富翁”慈善事业的言论，该言论是在“捐赠誓言”的209个签署国中的187个提交的。富人的慈善事业越来越受到公众的关注，并且受到越来越多的批评，这需要对富人如何集体解释其慷慨进行进一步的研究。混合方法分析非常重视教育和健康原因，并确定了两个慷慨的截然不同的基本原理。多数信件表达了一种社会规范的理由，包括两种流行的解释：表达的感激之情和渴望“回馈”（1），以及将家庭教养作为一种社会化力量（2）。少数信件阐明了个人对结果论的基本原理，并强调了三种不同的解释：大量的遗产可能会伤害后代（1），给予个人满足（2）并承认多余的财富而没有更好的利用（3）。两种理由都表达了产生影响并有所作为的渴望。社会规范性理论的整体主导地位凸显了仁慈的话语以及叙事，其中亿万富翁是社会中异常富有生产力和感激之情的子集。虽然以前的研究主要集中在确定个人的心理动机上，但这项研究表明，“捐赠誓言”信件如何反映出回溯至安德鲁·卡内基的富人之间的慈善话语。两种理由都表达了产生影响并有所作为的渴望。社会规范性理论的整体主导地位凸显了仁慈的话语以及叙事，其中亿万富翁是社会中异常富有生产力和感激之情的子集。虽然以前的研究主要集中在确定个人的心理动机上，但这项研究表明，“捐赠誓言”信件如何反映出回溯至安德鲁·卡内基的富人之间的慈善话语。两种理由都表达了产生影响并有所作为的渴望。社会规范性理论的整体主导地位凸显了仁慈的话语以及叙事，其中亿万富翁是社会中异常富有生产力和感激之情的子集。虽然以前的研究主要集中在确定个人的心理动机上，但这项研究表明，“捐赠誓言”信件如何反映出回溯至安德鲁·卡内基的富人之间的慈善话语。财富福音。