Adam Smith explained the Feldstein-Horioka Paradox, arguing that it is the pursuit of security that leads owners of capital to invest at home and that it is the pursuit of security, not profit, that leads them to promote the good of society.

This paper finds that individuals in Japan do not leave very significant bequests, that parents often require a quid pro quo for bequests to their children, and that wealthier individuals leave less bequests, meaning that bequests ameliorate wealth inequalities.