麻豆社

Tony Hawks is a very lucky man. He has done well in life, thanks to luck, hard work, plus many years of writing, travelling and making people laugh on 麻豆社 Radio 4. But he doesn鈥檛 fancy a nice car. He鈥檚 not into flashy holidays. And he doesn鈥檛 want to pass any of the money he鈥檚 earned down to his only child.

Tony acknowledges that he鈥檚 aspirational. But he aspires to do good, not to accumulate. And that鈥檚 the legacy he wants to leave to his son. Not money. Because, in Tony鈥檚 opinion, money passed down through inheritance corrupts aspiration, it corrupts ambition, and it has a corrosive effect on personality.

What鈥檚 more, he believes inheritance has a harmful effect on society - it perpetuates inequality and makes a mockery of equal opportunity. In short, Tony is dead against it.

If Tony were to leave just money to his young son, would it give his boy a vital leg-up or would it take away his drive and motivation to achieve things on his own terms?

The series follows Tony鈥檚 efforts to make a decision about his will, his son and his money. He argues for a radical shift away from the idea of inheritance. But is it even possible in today's world?

Inheritance is a complex issue that sits at the heart of British society. And it鈥檚 about to become a whole lot more pressing as we face the biggest transfer of wealth in history. The Baby Boomers are dying out and they will be leaving vast sums of money to the next generations over the coming decades.

Speaking to Lord David Willetts from the Resolution Foundation, Tony hears about some possible solutions to the financial divide between the generations. Tony also speaks with psychotherapist Vicky Reynal and comedian Russell Kane to get some clarity on his final decision.

In this final episode of his series, Tony wonders if there鈥檚 a more balanced way of looking at the problem of inheritance that might help him come to a decision about what to leave his son.

Presenter: Tony Hawks

Producer: Tom Woolfenden

Editor: Kirsten Lass

A Loftus Media production for 麻豆社 Radio 4

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