When Elites and Outlaws Do Philanthropy: On the Limits of Private Vices for Public Benefit

Abstract

In the last decade, elitist philanthropy exploded in certain parts of the West and so did philanthropy of outlaw motorcycle clubs. The question is, under whatconditions does philanthropy become an effective strategy of legitimization of one’spower in society? Neoliberalism did not only result in extreme inequality, weakening ofthe state, and emergence of increasingly disillusioned population, but also enabledphilanthropy to become an effective strategy of legitimization of the informal power of both billionaires and criminal organizations alike. Philanthropy became instrumental both to image management in face of crises of reputation and to the insertion of these transnational non-state actors into governance. The destructive effects of neoliberalismallowed both groups to grow, and to reproduce and accelerate the very conditions in which they thrive, thus further weakening the state and fuelling inequality. The argument counters popular narratives about how private vices and greed can serve public benefit. This is a submitted manuscript of a published article. The final version of this research has been published in Trends in Organized Crime. © 2017 Springer Verlag