#FollowTheMoney 🧵 47/n

This was a combination of two papers: one on unpaid Eastbourne climate activism, one on sustainability professionals in the palm oil sector. It is very strange that I gave that lecture and wrote that paper - this is me now! I am out here in the wilderness, having to make a living, and yes, doing consultancy work. Which, of course, as I am rapidly learning, does not have to mean “selling out “ - my current work for the RSPB is really rewarding.

https://journals.librarypublishing.arizona.edu/jpe/article/id/4717/

#FollowTheMoney 🧵 48/n here also a link to the other paper on Eastbourne climate activism, i’ve shared it before but doing so again as it has a brief section on what kind of work is rewarded by high salaries, and what isn’t. I still feel this is an incredibly important topic and not really talked about enough in #ClimateAction circles. Maybe we can talk about it more together here?

https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4060/2/4/32

#FollowTheMoney 🧵 50/n Today adding this excellent video by @RichardJMurphy on how “the City” is not our “Jewel in the Crown”, as Rachel Reeves put it, but a parasite extracting huge amounts of money for self-enrichment. It does not add any value to the economy.

So important to see the City for what it is.

https://youtu.be/yZYXZR4AXSY?si=YTtLWpLD7wzzt5hd

#FollowTheMoney 🧵 51/n Richard’s video has spurred me on to do a few posts now on #PrivateEquity. Long overdue here, because private equity is at the heart of how our world works!

(Just to state again: i am not an expert, just someone who is trying to make sense of our world by #FollowingTheMoney, in an eclectic 🧵)

To start with basics: what is private equity? I like this clear definition by Justin Robertson

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13563460903288270

#FollowTheMoney 🧵 52/n

The amount of wealth and assets held by private equity is vast. The biggest private equity firm of all is of course #BlackRock, founded by Larry Fink in 1988. Here is a lovely Statistica chart showing how its “assets under management” grew from $1.31 trillion (i mean, not bad) to $10.41 trillion in 2024. Bloomberg predicts they will hit $15 trillion in a few years

https://www.statista.com/statistics/891292/assets-under-management-blackrock/

#FollowTheMoney 🧵 54/n

This article is hard to stomach for all those of us currently looking for work, and not finding anything suitable, or anything at all. But it’s good that at least rising #unemployment is recognised now.

My own #redundancy last year and subsequent struggles have made me so alert to all these wider structural changes; I am really scared that this may be just the beginning. Terrible combination of AI and money going only to the rich

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/feb/10/britons-hunting-for-a-job-uk-jobseekers-pay?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

#FollowTheMoney 🧵55/n

“Keri said her father had been “powered by unconditional love” but he felt the government took advantage of the nearly 6 million people like him who care for a loved one, saving the taxpayer at least £162bn a year.”

This reminded of a thought I had a while back: how salaries/wages are directly negatively correlated with love.

When you do something you love, or out of love, this is instantly punished by capitalism.

Carers, nursery workers -

https://www.theguardian.com/society/ng-interactive/2025/mar/24/nobody-found-him-in-time-how-neglect-and-stress-led-to-the-deaths-of-a-full-time-carer-and-his-son?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

#FollowTheMoney 🧵56/n

- nurses, art gallery workers, conservation NGOs, academics, etc - all these jobs that people do out of love for something/one are poorly paid. Love is exploited. More love = less money.

Only love of money itself and nothing else is rewarded with money (high salaries, bonuses, etc). Maybe not surprising - what do you expect in capitalism - but not much honesty about it. All that neoliberal motivational #Passion talk (“my work is my passion”) - exploitative bollocks.

#FollowTheMoney 🧵57/n

This LinkedIn post resonates … wanted to share here just in case there are others who are in this situation too.

Also one reason I hardly ever add to this 🧵any more is that, of course, I am literally trying to #FollowTheMoney, or rather, divert some from somewhere to my bank account😄 #JobSearch #FediHire

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/staggmacey_this-week-a-friend-told-me-theyd-taken-activity-7325917928724336641-LOlX?utm_medium=ios_app&rcm=ACoAAAIt0BkBUaNgLl_2JLMYW8cY32uxAbZO8FY&utm_source=social_share_send&utm_campaign=copy_link

#FollowTheMoney 🧵 58/n

I think so much about middle class-ness at the moment. More research in news this week how it’s the top 10%, those with incomes over £36,000, who are largely responsible for CO2 emissions; but it’s even more than that; middle-class aspirations shape everything. So conscious of this now as I am so driven in finding work so as not to have to sell our (nice, middle class, highly mortgaged house). Then a friend just sent me this - must read. #ClimateDiary

#FollowTheMoney 🧵59/n

Meanwhile our lovely king..

Meanwhile also, as I am listening to the radio as I am typing this: yet another horrific attack in northern #Gaza. Another 50 killed, after yesterday’s 80. This is our world.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/may/16/king-charles-wealth-swells-to-match-rishi-sunak-and-akshata-murty-on-uk-rich-list?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

#FollowTheMoney 🧵60/n

“The wealth of the world’s 3,000 billionaires has surged by $6.5tn (£4.8tn) in real terms over the past decade, according to Oxfam, equivalent to 14.6% of global output”

Capitalism is shit.It is by the rich for the rich and destroys everything else in the process. Let’s keep saying it!

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/jun/26/billionaires-wealth-oxfam-report?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

#FollowTheMoney 🧵61/n

Just adding this here. A little poll I did a while back!

https://mastodon.green/@pvonhellermannn/113610652987592955

#FollowTheMoney 🧵62/n

A key dimension to capitalism’s destructivism is, of course, its complete intertwining with warfare. Here more than anywhere it’s crucial to #FollowTheMoney, as Craig Murray does beautifully in this piece.

Dystopia UK: Genocidal RAF Squadron Targeted by Palestine Action is Owned by a Hedge Fund

#PalestineAction

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2025/06/dystopia-uk-genocidal-raf-squadron-targeted-by-palestine-action-is-owned-by-a-hedge-fund-and-leased-by-the-raf/

#FollowTheMoney 🧵63/n Excellent article by Tim White on how across Europe #privateequity has been buying up significant proportions of housing and driving up rental prices. A key dynamic in growing inequality that contributes to alienation and rise of far-right.

Everything is about #Assets.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/07/europe-financial-sector-house-prices-politics?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

#FollowTheMoney 🧵64/n The article made me think once again about Monopoly, and how perfectly it captures what the world is like. Originally called “the Landlord Game”, it was invented in 1903 by left-wing feminist Lizzie Magie who wanted to expose how rentier capitalism works through a game. She more than succeeded but - this being capitalist US - never got the credit for it. Interesting piece about it all here.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/apr/11/secret-history-monopoly-capitalist-game-leftwing-origins

#privateequity #Assets #Monopoly

#FollowTheMoney 🧵65/n

Why is the FTSE 100 at a record high? Could it be that the markets love war, chaos, the prospect of building concentration camps and more? Is the City rubbing its hands in glee at the prospect of making profit from oppression?

https://mas.to/@RichardJMurphy/114833077182019950

#FollowTheMoney 🧵66/n Have to add this here, too. As Takei says, always follow the money!

Soencer Hakimian: I have good reason to believe that somebody knew the copper tariffs were coming and traded the news ahead of time, and made an ungodly amount of profit.

Trump announced his new 50% copper tariff at 12:58 PM yesterday.

But as my charting shows, the price of copper began spiking at 12:56 PM.

https://universeodon.com/@georgetakei/114831067277402693

#FollowTheMoney 🧵67/n

Forgot that this post should havev been part of this thread, really! 😊

https://mastodon.green/@pvonhellermannn/114857121567594421

#FollowTheMoney 🧵68/n Have been reading up a bit on Elbit Systems, the Israel military corporation that has been a key supplier in rhe genocide, that Palestina Action protested about, and that the UK government may shortly be signing a £2billion contract wirh to train UK military. Was wondering whether UK pension funds may be investing in Elbit Systems - and yes, they are!

“good returns”

https://novaramedia.com/2025/05/30/britains-biggest-pension-fund-invests-in-israeli-weapons-firm-elbit-systems/

#FollowTheMoney 🧵69/n I then looked up whether USS (the university oension scheme) invests in Elbit, and of course, yes, indirectly , they do

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-pension-fund-worth-billions-used-university-staff-invests-companies-linked-israel

#FollowTheMoney 🧵70/n and THIS is the USS statement on this - really worth reading. #Gaza

Financialisation is so evil.

https://www.uss.co.uk/news-and-views/latest-news/2024/08/08092024_recent-media-reports-on-our-investments-in-the-middle-east

#FollowTheMoney 🧵71/n Great to see Zack Polanski use “Follow The Money” as a political slogan - so it should be! (apologies for sharing an X post, tried to find the video elsewhere, failed) #ZackPolanski
#GreenParty #UKPolitics

https://x.com/evolvepolitics/status/1962853759148597753

#FollowTheMoney 🧵72/n “Vice like grip” - nice.

“In 2025 you can still buy advantage, massively increasing your chance of getting into the most powerful roles in the country. This is grossly unfair, and a waste of talent on a huge scale. If we want a fairer country and a stronger economy, employers and policymakers must take responsibility for levelling the playing field, where privilege is no longer a passport to power.”

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/sep/18/private-schools-educated-most-powerful-jobs?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

#FollowTheMoney 🧵73/n

American billionaires have reached $7.6 trillion of personal wealth , up $4.7 trillion (or 160%) in the less than eight years since the first Trump-GOP tax law was enacted in December 2017.

Most of that wealth increase has never been taxed and may never be under current law.

Number of billionaires grew from 551 to 905. But the top 15 - each worth over $100 billion– have seen their wealth grow by more than 300%.

https://americansfortaxfairness.org/billionaires-7-trillion/

#FollowTheMoney 🧵74/n Just finished listening to this 2part #TheDig podcast interview with Melinda Cooper about her book “Counterrevolution. Extravagance and Austerity in Public Finance”, and really cannot recommend it enough. A really excellent, grounded and stimulating account of the neoliberal “counterrevolution” as a deliberate project carried out over several decades by different political actors making fiscal choices that reshaped economy, values and politics

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-dig/id1043245989?i=1000729326228

#FollowTheMoney 🧵75/n what i particularly appreciated:
1. Disaggregating each decade - how assets became the key focus of economic over time
2. How this links to a conservative political project - the family the key unit for multiple reasons
3. How asset economics the material basis for far right populism
4. Brilliant focus on changing construction worker politics,property speculators (Trump) and homeownership - construction such a key sector in all this

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-dig/id1043245989?i=1000731213819

#FollowTheMoney 🧵76/n i have just ordered the book (Counterrevolution) - i really feel it’s so important to get a grounded understanding of how this world that we now all live in was created - and, as Melinda Cooper brings out so clearly: none of this was inevitable, it was all done, bit by bit, on purpose. This doesn’t make it any easier to undo necessarily but understanding all this is surely a first, key step.

Here also Katrina Forrester’s review in the LRB

https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v47/n12/katrina-forrester/i-appreciate-depreciation

#FollowTheMoney 🧵77/n This piece really chimes with Melinda Cooper’s analysis ⬆️ (74-76) and many previous posts: it’s about how asset capitalism (and AI) is hollowing out the middle class, with a small number joining the elite, the rest working increasingly on close to minimum wages. Also speaks to my own recent experiences… and many others too, I imagine. Especially recent graduates. The whole university>white collar job>decent salary model is crumbling.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/03/the-guardian-view-on-britains-new-class-divide-the-professional-middle-is-being-hollowed-out?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

#FollowTheMoney 🧵78/n #ZohranMamdani’s win has to be logged here - for three reasons!

1. This 🧵 all about the #oligarchy, the way it structures our world, and Mamdani taking it on directly, talking about it, making us all #SEEtheoligarchy is just 🔥

Mamdani condemns ‘oligarchy and authoritarianism’ in speech directly talking to Trump

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/nov/04/nyc-mayor-election-zohran-mamdani-andrew-cuomo-results-latest?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

#FollowTheMoney 🧵79/n

2. Melinda Cooper’s brilliant #Counterrevolution (posts 74-76 ⬆️ ) describes how #NewYork was the place that the neoliberal counterrevolution began - where fiscal policies redistributing money towards the rich, assets and property (Trump’s world!) were first tested and then taken elsewhere.

So exciting that New York is now the place where a different, socialist politicsl economy is emerging! Go New York! Let this spread everywhere from here, too!

#ZohranMamdani

#FollowTheMoney 🧵80/n #ZohranMamdani

3. Lastly, I am also super excited that the son of an anthropologist is now Mayor of New York! Of course it’s wrong to claim Mamdani for anthropology- he is own person, and his mother is brilliant too - but I want to just do this for now. Anthropology, as David Graeber said, is about possibilities, - this is what Mamdani is showing us all now, too. I see so much of anthro in what he is doing I will shamelessly share this 🧵

https://mastodon.green/@pvonhellermannn/112144067417740154

#FollowTheMoney 🧵 81/n From Foreign Correspondent to Uber Driver

This is an incredible, moving personal perspective on this system that we are all entangled in, that shifts money to the few away from the rest of us at accelerating rate.

Having also experienced #Redundancy not too long ago and still very much in the doldrums of short term, part time jobs, this resonates deeply. So many are going through this, we need to help each other. #Precarity

https://open.substack.com/pub/stevescherer/p/my-journey-from-foreign-correspondent?r=4ug8&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay

#FollowTheMoney 🧵 82/n In the UK, the best thing you can do to try and mobilise against rising inequality is to join the Green Party!

This new campaign video by #ZackPolanski is brilliant. This too, reaonated deeply - this is me right now. We need to find ways to collectively stop running and pause!

https://youtu.be/bF_a_w7Dozo?si=ppSHwPEic6Zy4qH2

#FollowTheMoney 🧵 83/n Linking nicely to #GreenParty ad i shared yesterday (⬆️ do watch! it’s great!) - here an interesting discussion on Novara Media on the relationship between low growth (and ordinary people not benefiting from growth even where there is some) and the decline of liberal democracy. A lot to unpack and do agree with discussants that more complex, but good to centre economic stagnation and rising inequality in decline of political trust and #Democracy

https://youtu.be/frhDxiBZjbE

#FollowTheMoney 🧵 84/n Record number of people in UK live in ‘very deep poverty’, analysis show

“People want to feel like the country is turning a corner. That means taking action on record levels of deep poverty so everyone can afford the essentials. It means making people feel supported rather than being one redundancy or bout of ill health away from failing to make ends meet.”

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/27/very-deep-poverty-uk-record-numbers-joseph-rowntree-foundation-analysis?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

#FollowTheMoney 🧵 85/n

Mandelson: “I do not want to live by salary alone”

This whole Novara Media episode on the #Epstein files is so worth listening to. How it all works. Mandelson feeding market sensitive information from inside No 10. Epstein transferring $75,000 to him. It all stinks, it is all deeply corrupt, but this is the system under which we all live.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/novara-live/id1510920958?i=1000747764420