Crazy Rich – Julia Friedrichs
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Elon Musk. Bill Gates. Mark Zuckerberg – we all know the names of the prominent super-rich, but it is only in recent months that public discourse has begun to focus decisively on their influence on democratic structures.
In her acclaimed non-fiction text Crazy Rich. Die Geheime Welt der Superreichen (Crazy Rich.The Secret World of the Super-Rich) , bestselling author, journalist and filmmaker Julia Friedrichs deals with the reality of life for the super-rich in our society. She had conversations with many of them and asked them what their wealth means to the people. Is wealth a private matter? Do we need a different tax system? What extent of inequality can a community, can democracy tolerate, in which, at least theoretically, every vote is supposed to be worth the same? And how much may individuals be allowed to claim for themselves in a world where resources are finite?
Her research trip takes the author to luxury yachts, family offices, and tax havens. In conversations with academics and experts, she unearths exclusive new data on the country’s wealthiest families. An eye-opening trip through the world of money and a multi-layered look at those who otherwise remain silent.
Moderation: Emily Grunert (Head of Literaturbüro NRW)
cast
Julia Friedrichs, born in 1979 in the western part of the Münsterland region, studied journalism in Dortmund and Brussels. Since then, she has been working as an author of reports and documentaries for ARD, ZDF, and Die Zeit. In 2024, she founded production company Tell Me Why, together with Jochen Breyer.
Julia Friedrichs has written several highly acclaimed books, including the bestsellers Gestatten: Elite. Auf den Spuren der Mächtigen von morgen (2008) (May I Introduce: Elite. In the Footsteps of the Powerful of Tomorrow), Ideale. Auf der Suche nach dem, was zählt (2011) (Ideals. In Search of What Counts), Wir Erben. Was Geld mit Menschen macht (2015) (We Heirs. What Money Does to People) (2015) and Working Class. Warum wir Arbeit brauchen, von der wir leben können (2021). (Working Class. Why we need work that sustains us (2021)).
She has received numerous awards for her work, including the Axel Springer Prize for Young Journalists, the Young Talent Award of the German-French Journalism Prize, the Dr. Georg Schreiber Media Prize, the Grimme Award, the Hans Matthöfer Prize for Business Journalism, the „Journalist of the Year 2022“ award in the reportage category and, most recently, the Stern Prize 2024 for the ZDF documentary „Billionaire Game“. Julia Friedrichs lives in Berlin with her family.
credits
Eine Kooperationsveranstaltung des Literaturbüros NRW und des FFT Düsseldorf.