student isn't so bad, pledging more than half his career earnings to
charity.
Dr Toby Ord, a 30-year-old ethics researcher with the Future of
Humanity Institute, has agreed to give up 10 per cent of his annual
salary, plus any yearly earnings above £20,000 ($35,631).
Dr Ord says if he lives like a student, he should be able to give away
around £1 million ($1.78 million).
"My student years were not extravagant, but were immensely enjoyable,
with the chief enjoyments such as reading beautiful books and spending
time with my wife and friends costing almost nothing," Dr Ord said.
After completing Science and Arts degrees at the University of
Melbourne, Dr Ord took his Masters and PhD in ethics at Oxford, where
he is in his first year of paid work, expecting to earn about £30,000
($53,447).
He has calculated that on an academic's salary, he should earn about
£1.5 million ($2.67 million) over the course of his career.
"I realised that if I were to continue to live modestly like I have as
a student, I should be able to give away about £1 million ($1.78
million)," he said.
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He says life on his diminished income is "very good".
"If I spent the extra money on myself I could go on holiday more
often, get an iPhone, eat out at expensive restaurants. It would be
nice but not all that much better."
On Saturday, Dr Ord will launch a society called Giving What We Can.
Members take a public pledge to donate at least 10 per cent of their
salary to organisations they believe can best use the money to fight
poverty in the developing world.
At the launch, Professor Alan Fenwick from Imperial College London
will talk about his work fighting neglected tropical diseases through
his organisation, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI).
Dr Ord will give him a cheque for £10,000 ($17,815), an amount he put
aside while he was still a student.
He is also giving money to a tuberculosis charity, the Stop TB Partnership.
"As an undergraduate, I often argued with my friends about political
and ethical matters," Dr Ord said.
"I regularly received the retort: 'If you believe that, why don't you
just give all of your money to people starving in Africa?'
"This was meant to show that my position was absurd, but as time
passed and I thought more about ethics, I found the conclusion
increasingly sensible - why not indeed?"
"More purpose in life"
The society will share information about the most effective charities
and tax-effective ways to give.
Members can choose to give their money wherever they think it will
best help eliminate suffering in the developing world.
"Once you get used to the idea, it is actually not much of a burden,"
Dr Ord said.
"I feel much more purposeful in life. What is difficult is agonising
over whether you can justify each luxury.
"By making a pledge, you don't have to do that anymore - you just live
within your new means."
....I wish I could meet him
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