Sample Letter to Billionaires

Below is a template letter that campaign participants can adapt when contacting their "adopted" billionaire. Feel free to personalize it with specific details about your adoptee's business interests, assets, and environmental impact.

ADOPT A BILLIONAIRE

[Billionaire's Address]

Dear [Billionaire's Name],

We are delighted to invite you to participate in a new international project — Adopt a Billionaire.

The objective of the project is no less than to save the world from climatic catastrophe.

It has been determined that the very wealthiest citizens of the world, including yourself, are, at present, most responsible for allowing man-made emissions of greenhouse gases to bring about unsustainable global warming.

We are sure that you are aware that climate change is already causing untold misery and that the problem will get much worse in the very near future with whole populations being forced to migrate from lands made barren by drought. Massive conflict is likely to occur over competing access to vital resources. Food prices will rocket causing widespread civil unrest and causing untold levels of disease, death, and destruction. Changes in the climate will accelerate already unacceptable loss of animal and plant species and the widespread bleaching of coral reefs.

Most billionaires seem to be unaware that they, like the rest of us, have no planet B to go to where they would be unaffected by this disaster. Their ownership of much of the climate-change-denying media and think tanks, their financial contributions to politicians and political parties that deny the facts of climate change, and their extremely wasteful private habits which cause greenhouse gas emissions many thousands of times the average person's carbon footprint has landed them with the greatest responsibility for the impending disaster but also the greatest opportunity to receive the respect and gratitude of all the world's population by using their monetary and political power to reverse the cause of the problem.

We note that you are the owner of [specific superyacht name and length]. You also own [specific private aircraft details] and have bought several unnecessarily large houses, including in [specific locations]. Your main business is [specific industry], one of the greatest polluting industries on Earth, and you deal in billions of dollars-worth of fossil fuels.

As our adoptee in this campaign, we would ask you to desist from this kind of irresponsible activity and to live a life more in keeping with an assurance of a sustainable planet for yourself and your family. As an egregious member of the 'consumer society,' you set a poor example for the rest of us to follow.

We would be most grateful if you could take a lead and let us know your own emissions cutting target.

If all your fellow billionaires were to follow what we hope will be your example, we believe that our environmental problems would be brought under control.

We look forward to entering into a much more detailed dialogue with you in the future. We are, for instance, very interested to learn how you respond to our request.

You would be able to walk down the street and people would smile at you, wanting nothing but a smile in return. You would not suffer the oppressive atmosphere generated by uncontrolled envy. You would be welcomed at our tables and those of our friends.

Sincerely,

[Your Name] Adopt a Billionaire Campaign

Tips for Writing Effective Letters

Be respectful: While we're challenging billionaires' behavior, maintaining a civil tone increases the likelihood of engagement.
Be specific: Research your adoptee thoroughly and include precise details about their environmental impact.
Personalize: Add details relevant to your particular adoptee rather than using a generic approach.
Be clear about expectations: Outline specific actions they could take to reduce their environmental impact.
Invite dialogue: Make it clear that this is the beginning of a conversation, not just a one-way criticism.
Keep records: Document all communication for the campaign's broader awareness efforts.

Follow-Up Strategy

If you don't receive a response within 30 days: 1. Send a follow-up letter requesting acknowledgment 2. After another 30 days, notify the campaign for public awareness actions

If you do receive a response: 1. Share it immediately with campaign coordinators 2. Prepare a thoughtful reply that acknowledges any positive elements while maintaining pressure on areas of concern 3. Continue the dialogue as long as it remains productive