Why a German billionaire says that pledges like Mark Zuckerberg’s are really bad
&gt; <i>I find the US initiative highly problematic. You can write donations off in your taxes to a large degree in the USA. So the rich make a choice: Would I rather donate or pay taxes? The donors are taking the place of the state. That&#x27;s unacceptable.</i><p>Or flip that around - is Krämer&#x27;s implied solution not a case of the state taking the place of the individual?<p>Put another way, if you founded a company, created thousands of jobs for families and individuals, and made a fortune, why should the state be the one who decides what happens with your money? Why should the state have more of a right to decide which causes get your charitable donations than you do?