Rutger Bregman Keynote Speaker

Author of 3 Sunday Times & New York Times best sellers
2025 BBC Radio 4 Reith Lecturer, series “Moral Revolution”
Co-founder, The School for Moral Ambition (2024, global impact network)

Rutger Bregman's Biography

Rutger Bregman is a Dutch historian and bestselling author reshaping debates on progress, power, inequality.

His books Utopia for Realists, Humankind: A Hopeful History and Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference have sold over two million copies, become international best sellers, and been translated into more than forty languages. Utopia for Realists makes the radical-but-practical case for universal basic income, shorter working weeks and more open borders, while Humankind challenges the myth of human selfishness and is now being developed as a documentary series. Moral Ambition (Dutch 2024; English 2025) distils his most urgent argument: that success means devoting your 2,000 working weeks to tackling the world’s biggest, most neglected and solvable problems. His newest book is Moral Ambition: How to Find Your Purpose – the Guide to Making the Most Out of Your 80,000 Hours at Work (2026).

Bregman studied history at Utrecht University and UCLA, then moved into journalism with De Volkskrant and the trailblazing platform De Correspondent, where his essays on economics, politics and history twice earned nominations for the European Press Prize. His electrifying intervention at the 2019 World Economic Forum in Davos, demanding that global elites “start talking about taxes”, went viral worldwide, and his TED Talk “Poverty isn’t a lack of character, it’s a lack of cash” has been viewed millions of times. Widely described as one of Europe’s influential young thinkers, he combines archival depth with a sharp, contemporary understanding of capitalism, democracy and media.

In 2024 Bregman co-founded The School for Moral Ambition, a fast-growing international network helping talented people shift from “empty careers” into high-impact roles and channel resources towards evidence-based solutions. In 2025 he delivers the BBC Radio 4 Reith Lectures under the banner Moral Revolution, exploring how morally driven movements can challenge entrenched interests and rebuild trust in public life. On stage he is energetic, plain-speaking and challenging, giving audiences a more hopeful view of human nature and a practical roadmap for careers and organisations driven by moral ambition.

Moral ambition: redefining success and using your 2,000 workweeks well

Rethinking human nature: insights from Humankind

Utopia for Realists: basic income, shorter working weeks and open borders

Moral Revolution: what bold movements teach us about leadership and power

Inequality, taxation and the future of capitalism

He challenges conventional thinking on inequality, progress and human nature, equipping audiences with bold, evidence-based perspectives on today’s biggest societal issues.
He translates history, economics and philosophy into clear, practical ideas that leaders can apply to strategy, culture and long-term impact.
He is a globally bestselling author whose work on universal basic income, human behaviour and moral ambition reshapes debates in business and policy.
He engages audiences with provocative, optimistic arguments that inspire individuals and organisations to rethink success and pursue meaningful impact.
His insights help leaders identify high-impact opportunities, align purpose with action and contribute to solving the world’s most pressing challenges.