Palmetto Publishing announces the release of When Money and Power Do Not Buy Class or Integrity by Alexander Benjamin Hart on Wednesday, February 4, a rare first-person examination of how wealth and influence often operate independently of ethics, accountability, and character.
Blending memoir with institutional critique, the book draws on Hart’s lived experience inside elite, private institutions to challenge the assumption that success, prestige, and power are reliable indicators of integrity. To mark the official launch, the Kindle edition will be available for 99 cents for one day only on February 4, making the book widely accessible upon release.
When Money and Power Do Not Buy Class or Integrity traces Hart’s journey from a difficult upbringing in Eastern Europe to immigration in the United States, where he rose through the hospitality industry and later became CEO of the Wellington Heights Social Club—an exclusive private membership institution in a wealthy Southern town he refers to as “River City.”
Inside the organization, Hart encountered a culture of exclusion maintained not through written policy, but through custom and tradition. Racial segregation, resistance to women and minorities in visible leadership roles, and generational gatekeeping were quietly normalized, reinforcing social and economic hierarchies while shielding the institution from scrutiny.
“Tradition is often treated as something neutral or honorable,” Hart said. “But in many elite institutions, it functions as a barrier—protecting power, discouraging accountability, and preserving systems that benefit a few at the expense of many.”
Beyond social exclusion, the book examines how private clubs and similar institutions function as informal centers of influence. These spaces quietly shape business relationships, political access, and professional outcomes, often beyond the reach of public oversight. Hart documents how such environments normalize misconduct, discourage dissent, and retaliate against internal reform efforts.
Hart’s perspective is informed by deeply personal experiences, including surviving the September 11 attacks—an event that reshaped his understanding of responsibility, conscience, and leadership. When he later sought to modernize hiring practices and challenge discriminatory norms, he faced escalating resistance, professional isolation, and reputational pressure, underscoring the personal cost of confronting entrenched power.
Alexander Benjamin Hart is an accomplished executive and scholar-practitioner with extensive experience in nonprofit governance and leadership ethics. As former CEO of a historic nonprofit membership institution, his career has focused on operational excellence, organizational culture, and organizational accountability in complex environments. His work has been recognized across the nonprofit sector, including being honored as CEO of the Year in Nonprofit Leadership by a leading professional organization. He holds an honorary professional doctorate along with advanced academic credentials in nonprofit governance and executive management.
Hart’s decision to remain anonymous reflects the book’s central message: that leadership is defined by character rather than status, and that speaking truth within powerful institutions often carries lasting consequences.
Scheduled for release on February 4, When Money and Power Do Not Buy Class or Integrity arrives amid growing public scrutiny of elite institutions and leadership culture, challenging readers to reconsider how class, integrity, and power are truly defined.
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