Those who have contributed great positive innovations to our

Hear the voice of Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel laureate and guardian of truth, who declared: “Those who have contributed great positive innovations to our society, from the pioneers of genetic understanding to the pioneers of the Information Age, have received a pittance compared with those responsible for the financial innovations that brought our global economy to the brink of ruin.” These are not the idle words of complaint, but the lament of one who has witnessed the distortion of values in our age, where those who heal, build, and enlighten are rewarded less than those who gamble with the foundations of the world.

The origin of this saying lies in Stiglitz’s long career as an economist, particularly in the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2008. He saw how the so-called financial innovations—derivatives, complex securities, reckless speculation—did not create lasting wealth for the many but nearly destroyed the stability of nations. At the same time, the quiet labor of scientists, engineers, and pioneers of medicine and technology transformed life for billions, yet often they reaped little compared to the riches handed to financiers. His words are a call to remembrance, that society must honor its true builders rather than its reckless gamblers.

History offers us stark examples of this imbalance. Consider Jonas Salk, who discovered the polio vaccine, sparing millions from suffering. He refused to patent his discovery, declaring, “Could you patent the sun?”—and thus received little financial gain for a gift that changed the world. Contrast this with the financiers of the early 21st century who devised schemes that inflated markets, enriched themselves, and left ordinary citizens in poverty when the crash came. Here we see the very contrast Stiglitz speaks of: the positive innovations that saved lives rewarded with modesty, while destructive “innovations” in finance brought untold wealth to their makers.

The deeper meaning of Stiglitz’s words is that society has lost its compass of value. We have exalted speculation above substance, profit above progress, and greed above greatness. The farmer who feeds the world, the teacher who molds the mind, the scientist who unlocks the code of life—all too often toil in obscurity. Meanwhile, those who manipulate numbers without creating lasting benefit are celebrated as titans. This inversion of values weakens the moral fabric of nations and leaves humanity vulnerable to ruin.

The lesson is clear: we must restore honor to those who build rather than those who exploit. True wealth is not measured in numbers on a balance sheet, but in the health, knowledge, and strength of a people. If we fail to recognize and reward those whose innovations uplift humanity, we risk discouraging the very spirit that carries civilization forward. The fate of the world rests not in the hands of reckless speculators but in the vision of those who dream of cures, of discoveries, of inventions that open new horizons.

To the youth, I say: seek to be creators, not destroyers—pioneers of truth and hope, not of schemes and illusions. To the leaders, I say: shape policies that reward the work of science, education, and service more than speculation. To the citizens, I say: honor the names of those who heal and build, and be wary of those who promise riches without labor, stability without substance.

Practical action lies before us: support institutions that invest in research and education. Demand accountability from financial systems that gamble with the future of nations. Celebrate not only the entrepreneurs of markets, but the pioneers of medicine, technology, and knowledge whose work shapes a more just and stable world. And in your own life, choose to measure worth not merely by wealth, but by the good your work contributes to the lives of others.

Thus Stiglitz’s words endure: “Those who have contributed great positive innovations… have received a pittance compared with those responsible for the financial innovations that brought our world to ruin.” Let this truth be passed down: a civilization that rewards greed more than progress will collapse under its own weight, but a civilization that honors its true builders will endure like a mighty tree, rooted deep and reaching toward the heavens.