Founded by Alexey Antropov of the Antropov Foundation, the
event highlighted the social responsibility of wealthy individuals and luxury
brands. Speakers included the Director of the Prince Albert II Foundation,
Olivier Wenden, and Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannu, founder of the Stelios
Philanthropic Foundation.
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| Alexey Antropov (second from right), Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannu with his award, Aya Glagoleva, Ambassador of the Antropov Foundation, and Summit organiser Vladimir Lyaporov (Picture: International Philanthropy Summit Monaco) |
An emotional moment
Cypriot-born Sir Stelios spoke passionately of his work to
bring food aid to struggling Greeks in Athens, where he spent his youth. He is
proud to have signed up to the Giving Pledge, the global initiative that
encourages high net worth individuals and their families to dedicate the
majority of their wealth to philanthropy.
An emotional moment came from Monaco-based Luc Pettavino, founder of OnlyWatch, a charity auction of unique timepieces for Duchenne
Muscular Dystrophy research. He told delegates how his life’s mission is to
bring people together for charitable endeavours. His OnlyWatch event – which tours
the world with its spectacular, one-of-a-kind timepieces from the world’s top
brands – was sparked after his teenage son died of Duchenne
Muscular Dystrophy. “I didn’t want to get up every morning without a purpose –
I wanted to look forward to each day by bringing people together for a good
cause.” He has certainly achieved his goal.
Three speakers were presented with trophies, designed by
Monaco-based artist Marcos Marin. The first trophy – an eye-catching silhouette
of the late rock star Prince, who was a notable philanthropist – was given to
Dr Rupert Graf Strachwitz. He founded the Maecenata Institute for Philanthropy
and Civil Society in Berlin, whose involvement with not-profit organisations
for over 30 years has earned him acclaim as one of Germany’s key
philanthropists.
Philanthropy trends
Strachwitz spoke of the latest philanthropy trends, namely
that philanthropists are getting younger and are starting their Foundations as
their life’s work – not towards the end of their lives, as has often happened in
the past. A notable example in this regard is Mrs Sung-Joo Kim, a Korean
businesswoman and passionate philanthropist who supports women’s empowerment,
among other issues.
The second prize was awarded to Sir Stelios, whose
Foundation is committed to supporting entrepreneurship.
Daniel Gros, director of the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels, also received an award. Gros, a speaker at the World Economic Forum in Davos, previously worked for the International Monetary Fund.
Daniel Gros, director of the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels, also received an award. Gros, a speaker at the World Economic Forum in Davos, previously worked for the International Monetary Fund.
