Wijze Raad

This podcast series from the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development focuses on pressing societal issues. In the first series, we explore the pros and cons of billionaires. Are the gap between rich and poor becoming too wide? Or are billionaires actually the driving force behind innovation and progress?

Science journalist Jelle Posthuma, affiliated with the Schools for Science & Society at the University of Groningen, will be speaking with experts. Together, these experts form a Wise Council that offers clarity and insight into major societal issues.

One of those issues is extreme wealth. According to Oxfam Novib, the ten richest men in the world (yes, all men) each gained an average of almost $100 million a day in 2024. At the same time, almost half the world's population lives on less than $7 a day.

How fair is that really?

Money is never just money. Money is power. Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg are among the richest people in the world, and they all attended Donald Trump's inauguration. Rarely has the connection between money and power been so starkly visible.

Yet, there are also arguments in favor of the billionaire class. Many super-rich invest their wealth in innovation and social progress. Consider Bill Gates, who, through his foundation, spends billions on combating malaria and other global problems.

Are billionaires too powerful, or are they an engine of progress?

The Billionaires series is the first installment of the Wise Council. In subsequent seasons, we'll focus on other major societal issues. And of course, we'd love to hear your opinion.

Episodes

S1 / E4 - A Danger to Our Democracy | Billionaires

18 December 2025

In this episode, we hear from Lisa Herzog , professor of political philosophy at the University of Groningen. Her recently published book, "The Democratic Market," argues that our unequal economy poses a significant threat to our democracy. Because democracy is much more than just going to the polls...

S1 / E3 - In search of a level playing field | Billionaires

27 November 2025

In this new episode, you'll hear from Dirk Bezemer . He's a professor of the Economics of Financial Development at the University of Groningen. Bezemer researches how the financial system - think banks, stock markets, and pension funds - influences the broader economy. We'll discuss inequality in the Netherlands and what we can do about it.

S1 / E2 - Is it about money, or something else entirely? | Billionaires

13 November 2025

Welcome back to the billionaire podcast. Are billionaires becoming too powerful, or are they actually a driving force for progress? This time, we continue our quest with Lukas Linsi. He is an associate professor of International Political Economy at the University of Groningen and has conducted research on the salaries of top CEOs, among other things…

What about the arguments for extreme wealth: what justifies the high salaries of these top chefs?

S1 / E1 - How fair is it, really? | Billionaires|Billionaires

28 October 2025

In this episode, we kick off our quest. Fortunately, we're not exploring the billion-dollar question alone. The first episode features Job de Grefte, lecturer in philosophical skills at the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) of the University of Groningen. He's enthusiastic about exploring the pros and cons of billionaires, based on some of history's most important thinkers.