Philanthropy and the Origins of Giving

To give to another is to give up something you have. It’s the basis of the world philanthropy, “phila,” meaning love for one another. Two episodes ago we talked with Alan Mulally, about how that kind of love isn’t wired anywhere in our brains. We are not that far from our hunter-gatherer ancestors – why would we ever give up our food to strangers?

Aren’t we hungry too?

Our guest today is a philanthropist, to no surprise. Gail Miller is the wealthiest person in the state of Utah, having taken on leadership of her late husband’s foundation after he passed in 2009. In the time since, Gail’s reorganized almost all of the company’s assets, selling off the Utah Jazz, moving money and effort into real estate, healthcare, homelessness services. 

What does philanthropy mean to Gail? I hope you enjoy.