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Elitist philanthropy exploded in the last decade across the West and so did the philanthropy of outlaw motorcycle clubs and other criminal organizations. The question we must ask is: under what conditions becomes philanthropy an effective strategy of legitimization of one's power in society? In other words: why is philanthropy such an effective ideological phantasy precisely at this moment in history? It appears that neoliberalism did not only result in extreme inequality, weakening of the state, and emergence of increasingly disillusioned population, but also enabled under these conditions philanthropy to become an effective strategy of legitimization of the informal power of both billionaires and criminal organizations. Philanthropy in turn became instrumental to the insertion of these transnational non-state actors into governance, while also improving their image in face of crises of reputation, massive exploitation, human and environmental destruction. However, these destructive effects of neoliberalism did not only allow both groups to grow, but also to reproduce and accelerate the very conditions in which they thrive, thus weakening the state further and fuelling the rise of inequality. The argument counters popular narratives about how private vices and greed can serve public benefit.

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