Nicolai and Katja Tangen

Our Giving Pledge

Having grown up in Norway, a generally egalitarian society, Katja and I are very aware of how fortunate we have been. We know life is unfair and that our children are already privileged through their education and having had a safe upbringing. Moreover, we believe that their happiness will principally depend on factors that cannot be bought. Therefore, and for many other reasons, joining the Giving Pledge feels like the only right thing to do.

AKO Capital, the source of our wealth, mainly runs capital for charities and foundations and we feel that we are not owners but stewards of our assets. Although we have already for many years given through the AKO Foundation we are looking forward to increasing the amount we give whilst at the same time having the opportunity to learn from others about how we can be most effective. Thus, as much as we see the Giving Pledge as a goal, it is also a beginning.

Our focus is on education and the arts, and our belief in the change that both of these can make to the lives of others is a big motivational factor. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing how education transforms lives, and the return for society generated by investment in education will always outweigh financial returns.

At the end of the day, this is not about Katja and myself or even about the AKO Foundation, it is about the sort of world we should be living in: a world which is fair, which gives and creates opportunities, and in which we all share.

Katja and I are truly delighted and proud to be joining the Giving Pledge.

Sincerely,
Nicolai and Katja Tangen