Moonshot Philanthropy: achieving responsive social change by privatising failure and socialising success

Why would any self-aware philanthropist associate themselves with the phrase ‘Moonshot Philanthropy’ at a time when big giving is routinely interpreted as a hubristic and self-aggrandising activity? Caution in choice of words is wise, given the potential to mix up moonshot philanthropists with those uber-wealthy individuals who dabble in charity but are driven by dreams of colonising Mars. In this article we explain the significant difference, despite the shared planetary-allusions, through the story of James Chen whose moonshot goal is to make vision correction available to everyone on planet Earth before anyone sees the red planet up close.