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Comment by schneems | Hacker News Reader

> we should probably celebrate gifts to the US government more than we do.

I had the idea that we should put a donation box on tax forms. The 100 top donators get on the “US 100” list (like Forbes) but it’s based ONLY on how much you donate, not how much you claim to be worth.

It’s one thing to claim to be rich to a Forbes reporter, it’s another to have the (tax) receipts to back it up.

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reminds me of the way dubai auctions off the 3 digit car license plates, then hotels do things like only letting low number license plates park out front

Brilliant move, then use the money to support those that are less well off. You can have the ultra-rich bragging about how much they paid, while those that need it most are benefitting. A real win-win.

yep, iirc on the huberman podcast on testosterone it even said that the competition that's decided by society has an impact on t-levels. societies that make prosocial / win-win games for men obv end up better off

> I had the idea that we should put a donation box on tax forms.

I don't believe it's on a tax form, but you can absolutely just donate money to the US. They make it very easy, just go to pay.gov.

https://fiscal.treasury.gov/public/gifts-to-government.html

I like your idea of adding a leaderboard.

This is sorta genius. I could totally see Musk and Bezos engulfed in an ever escalating leaderboard feud:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrickcai/2021/09/28/elon-musk...

Most tremendously wealthy people don’t want to be known for being tremendously wealthy. Unless being known for being tremendously wealthy is a part of your wealth accumulating strategy, the attention it brings is almost entirely negative. Being tremendously wealthy without millions of people constantly chirping about clawing as much of it away from you as possible, or demanding an explanation from you every time you wipe your ass is a far better outcome, and most people who are savvy enough to become billionaires are savvy enough to figure that out pretty quickly.

> Most […] don’t want to be known

But some do.

Only the ones at the top of the list would be interested in donating and keep donating. If a rich person calculates that he could only reach the 57th place by donating a large part of his money, then he would have no incentive to donate. 57th place means nothing.

The key though is that you don't know how much everyone else puts in. There's a psychological effect of seeing the amount and saying "That's it? I can do better than that." It's basically a silent auction.

> 57th place means nothing.

It means you're on the board and got one higher than 56th place. I'm a top 50 rails contributor, that means something to me and to others.

It's kinda like F1. Some teams are racing for the constructors championship. Some teams are racing for the midfield. All of them are racing for even a single point and to stay in the game.

Billionaires flaunt their wealth via yachts, mansions, space rockets and super-PACs. Which to me seems way more fun than getting your name on a tax list…

I think it's a great idea. It would generate good press for the donors and some billionaires care a lot about that. Guys like Buffett would do it. It's basically free money for the government.

That's not flaunting it; that's just buying things you like because you have the money. Flaunting would definitely be getting your name on a list that you don't need to be on.

Gigantic luxury yachts of ever-increasing lengths are absolutely flaunting.

> Flaunting would definitely be getting your name on a list that you don't need to be on.

Oh, like a list of the largest yachts and their owners?

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