A fair point about money? Hamilton’s bold claim about billionaires
Hamilton - whose net worth is a reported £300m, an increase of £40m on the previous year, has often been vocal on a variety of issues ranging from racism and discrimination, diversity and poverty.
The 38-year-old is also Britain’s richest active sportsman - an accolade he’s held since 2020, overtaking retired football star David Beckham.
Despite Hamilton’s wealth, he launched Mission 44 - a charitable foundation which aims to empower young people from underrepresented groups.
He was also fifth on The Sunday Times Giving List, donating £20m to a variety of charities, including his own, to aid issues surrounding youth, education and employment.
Speaking to Jay Shetty on his On Purpose podcast, Hamilton was asked what laws he’d like to see changed in the world.
“One of the things I struggle with every day is, and it’s just how life is and it’s been the way for thousands of years, is there is such a disparity between the wealthy and the poor,” he said.
“When you drive around L.A., there’s still so many people living on the streets.
“You shouldn’t be able to have billions. There should be a limit to how much you can have. Because there’s enough to go around to everyone. So somehow creating a law that creates more equality and equal access for everyone. I don’t know how you would implement that law.”
Hamilton also shared his experiences, meeting kids in poverty and how that affected him.
“I’ve met kids that are starving,” he said. “And you think how we are so, so lucky, so many of us. And knowing that and taking advantage of your every day is so, so important.
“There are so many causes. There’s so many problems out there and so many amazing causes. And there’s only one of you, so where do you put the focus?
“It took a long, long time to really find what that was for me. I think for me, education was something that I felt extremely passionate about because I’d been out to India, I’d been out into some of the really poorest places like Manila and seeing young kids who are like us but begging for food and not having the same opportunities. And for me, that was that broke my heart and I realised how privileged we are and how fortunate we are.
“I want to be working with people out there that are trying to create more. There’s over a hundred million kids that don’t have access to education, so how can I get involved in that? So align yourself with people that do.”
With a sharp eye for F1’s controversies and storylines, Connor is the heartbeat of our unbiased reporting.
