Hi there,
*Before we start - I just added a few things to my Japan Trip Diary, and a new podcast is out - check it out!
Even though most women still aren’t the ones making this kind of money—at least not yet—we’re finally getting a shot at something we’ve been denied for centuries: a chance to have real financial impact on the world.
Something incredible is happening: women are about to inherit over $40 trillion. It’s part of the largest wealth transfer in history. Already, 70% of intergenerational wealth will end up in women’s hands. Millennial women alone are projected to control $30 trillion by 2030.
As wealth changes hands, so does power and, honestly, it’s about freaking time.
Through history, women’s financial influence has been a series of 2 steps forward, 1 step back. Josie Cox’s new book (and our conversation on the podcast out today) dives into this messy timeline, and she shares the stories of some of the women who changed everything and were then conveniently forgotten.
I learned about Katharine Dexter McCormick. I never heard of her until I read Josie’s book. She used the vast majority of her wealth to fund the development of the birth-control pill and reshaped the history of women’s health. She also smuggled about 1,000 diaphragms from Europe, sewing them in her coat lining every time she visited. She then donated to one of Margaret Sanger’s women’s clinic. How great is that?
And how about Dr. Pauli Murray? Legal genius, civil rights architect, mentor to both Eleanor Roosevelt and Ruth Bader Ginsburg (!!!). Her work shaped the very language of gender equality. How is she not a household name?
The list goes on, and Josie and I commiserate and talk about them and much more (like the glass cliff), take a listen when you can:
🎧 Available now on Apple, Spotify, and Youtube
💌 Full audio, video and + weekly episodes for Paid Subscribers in our Podcast page
Through all women’s economic trials and tribulations, one thing is certain:
Women contribute to the world differently (and arguably, better).
Women are more likely to reinvest in their families, in their communities, in health and education. Financially secure women raise healthier, more prepared kids. And the feminine approach to power—collaborative, future-focused, community-minded—is exactly what the world is starving for.
And when it comes to giving back (and lifting all boats with the rising tide), 93% of high-net-worth women donate to charity, compared to 87% of men. They’re more likely to support causes that benefit women and girls. Women-led households don’t just give more intentionally; they give more often and with more consistency.
And it’s not just the top 1%. Across the board, women show up. They give more frequently. And their giving doesn’t shrink during a crisis, actually it often increases.
Globally, women make up roughly 73% of all charitable donors.
You’ve heard me say this before, but it’s worth repeating: MacKenzie Scott has donated over $17 billion since 2019. Melinda French Gates recently launched a $12.5 billion fund for gender equity. These women aren’t just giving. They’re changing the rules entirely.
Yes, men still dominate the mega-gift headlines, but only because they still dominate the wealth. That’s changing. Now imagine what the 40 trillion wealth transfer will do.
And as women gain more financial control, we’re going to see a different kind of generosity: more targeted, more consistent, more transformative.
This is a global reset, and it can’t come fast enough.
So fight to get and keep your financial power. Not just to protect yourself, but to make a dent. Learn the names of the women who helped us get here, and tell their stories louder. Follow the money. Support women-led funds, founders, and initiatives.
We need to make women rich. For peace. For progress. For all of us.
Sending love ❤️
Patricia