Public events
Upcoming public events
The everywhere millionaire: who is really rich in America and how they got there
Hosted by the Centre for the Analysis of Taxation and the International Inequalities InstituteTuesday 2 June 2026, 6.30 to 8.00pm. In-person and online public event. Old Theatre, LSE Old Building.
Speaker:
Professor Eric Zwick, Joel F. Gemunder Professor of Economics and Finance, University of Chicago Booth School of BusinessChair:
Dr Andy Summers, Director of the Centre for Analysis of Taxation and an associate professor in the Law School at LSEThe story of wealth in America isn’t just about Wall Street or Silicon Valley—it’s also about the quiet fortunes of Main Street business owners, whose growing economic and political power often escapes the spotlight. For every public company CEO, more than a thousand private business owners hold now transformational wealth. These fortunes have been supercharged by changes to the taxation of business profits in past decades and are quietly rewriting the rules of money and power.
Eric Zwick will discuss his forthcoming book The Everywhere Millionaire, co-authored with Owen Zidar. Drawing on novel data and a decade of research, this work sheds light on a class of Americans who have built staggering fortunes in everyday trades whilst largely passing under the radar. He will reveal where “Main Street Millionaires” come from, how they’ve become rich, and how much they make. He will also highlight the increasing power they hold over political processes, often shaping policy to protect what they’ve built. This group is both growing the economic pie and grabbing bigger slices for themselves, necessitating a detailed look at their rapid, yet under-studied rise.
Can we tackle climate change without deepening inequality?
Hosted by LSE Festival: How to save the planetFriday 19 June 2026, 1.00pm - 2.00pm. In-person and online public event. Marshall Building.
Speakers:
Professor Giles Atkinson, Acting Director of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and Professor of Environmental Policy, LSE Department of Geography & Environment
Dr Lucas Chancel, Associate Professor of Economics, Sciences Po and Co-Director and Senior Economist, World Inequality Lab, Paris School of Economics
Denis Fernando, Senior Rights and Justice Campaigner, Friends of the Earth
Zephanie Repollo, Southeast Asia Director, Just Associates (JASS) and Atlantic Fellow for Social and Economic EquityChair:
Dr Marion Dumas, Assistant Professorial Research Fellow, Grantham Research Institute, LSEThe climate crisis is reshaping economies, societies, and livelihoods—but not everyone bears its costs equally. From heatwaves to floods, the poorest communities, particularly in the Global South, face the greatest risks, while climate policies can impose heavier burdens on those least able to afford them. How can we save the planet in ways that are not only effective, but also fair?
This panel brings together leading academics and practitioners to explore the deep links between climate change and inequality—within and between countries. The discussion will ask how environmental, economic and social policy can work together to ensure that climate action reduces, rather than reinforces, inequality. Drawing on experiences from across the globe, panellists will highlight practical, inclusive approaches to climate action and climate justice, and reflect on how fairness and inclusion can help build the political coalitions needed for a just transition.
New economics for a new era
Hosted by the New Economics Foundation and supported by the International Inequalities InstituteWednesday 1 July 2026, 5.30 to 7.30pm. In-person public event. Sheikh Zayed Theatre, Cheng Kin Ku Building.
Speakers:
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Danny Sriskandarajah, Chief Executive, New Economics FoundationJoin us for an evening of keynote speeches and discussion to mark the 40th anniversary of the New Economics Foundation (NEF), featuring Andy Burnham and Professor Jayati Ghosh.
In 1986, the LSE hosted The Other Economic Summit that led to the foundation of the NEF to address the urgent economic challenges facing people and planet. Forty years later, we reconvene at the LSE as we enter a decisive period for our economies and our democracies. Across the world, people are experiencing the economy not as a source of security or opportunity, but as a force that is distant, unfair and increasingly hostile to their lives and futures. Inequality is widening, the climate crisis is accelerating, and public trust in political institutions is eroding.
Over four decades, NEF has been championing bold, people‑powered alternatives to an economic model that too often fails people and planet. To celebrate this milestone, we are convening an evening that will both look back over the last 40 years while also looking ahead to how we deliver a radically better world. The evening will feature keynote speeches from Rt Hon Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, who will set out his vision for a new localism and Professor Jayati Ghosh, who will talk about how we change the rules of the global economic order.
Previous public events
Catch up on all of our past events here.