Curious what three days of global wealth research felt like? Our new 90 second recap film brings the ISI Wealth Conference 2025 to life, from packed panel rooms to the quiet sparks of ideas taking shape. You will catch glimpses of debates that pushed the field forward, moments of unexpected clarity and the energy of a community discovering its own momentum. And yes, for everyone who has heard the rumours, the video finally reveals in glorious moving images how Fabian Pfeffer tapped the beer barrel. Click, watch and step into a conference that might change how we think about wealth.

We knew our Inaugural Report was a bit of an adventure. What we did not expect was that it would win three awards for science communication. The FOX AWARDS honored it twice, and the International Creative Media Awards added another trophy. Our absolute favorite sentence from the jury still makes us smile: “The jury noticed the approach of unusually understandable language, which is still uncommon in science.”

What delights us most is that this recognition grew out of a team that only truly formed this year and then worked together with the ease of a long established crew. There were plenty of coffees, laughs and at least three moments when we all said the same sentence at the same time.

We are proud, grateful and full of team spirit.
Read the full story here.

How do you teach students to imagine a better world? The LMU Research Magazine has just published a wonderful portrait of our colleague Lena Radau, whose work at Fabian Pfeffer’s chair blends serious inequality research with playful experimentation. From oversized Monopoly boards to visits at real life utopian projects, Lena shows how bold ideas can take shape when we loosen our usual ways of thinking. Her approach is creative, grounded and quietly radical, and we are proud to be connected to her work.

If you want to see how real utopias look in the classroom and beyond, the full feature is well worth the read.

We finally signed the lease for our future offices. Starting in spring 2026, ISI will move into Ohmstraße 8 in Munich. At the moment the building is a full construction site, complete with scaffolding, dust and plenty of imagination. The upside is that we get to help shape the redesign, and we have big plans. One highlight will be a beautiful event space, for which we already have more ideas than wall paint samples. (If you got an idea, too, hit us up!)

We will keep you posted on the progress and take you along as our new home slowly takes shape.

Our Bites of Inequality will return in January with new questions, surprising facts and the kind of small insights that stay with you long after you have scrolled on. We will look at wealth, power and everyday inequality in ways that are sharp, accessible and sometimes unexpectedly fun. If you are curious about what shapes society beneath the surface, this is your perfect monthly snack.

See you in the new year — hungry for more.