Making Big Bucks and Saving the World

Jason Trigg is a 25-year-old MIT graduate who decided to work for a hedge fund. Yes, he’s in it for the money, but not for himself — he figured that he could do his small part to make the world a better place if he earned a lot of money and gave half of it away to charitable causes:

Trigg makes money just to give it away. His logic is simple: The more he makes, the more good he can do. He’s figured out just how to take measure of his contribution. His outlet of choice is the Against Malaria Foundation, considered one of the world’s most effective charities. It estimates that a $2,500 donation can save one life. A quantitative analyst at Trigg’s hedge fund can earn well more than $100,000 a year. By giving away half of a high finance salary, Trigg says, he can save many more lives than he could on an academic’s salary.

Some people don’t have money so they donate their time and energy. Some people are able to earn a lot and give generously. What Trigg is doing is admirable, and he’s not the only one taking the route, according to the WaPost story.

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