Nicolas Berggruen is a philanthropist and investor that centers himself around culture, politics, and philosophy. He is the founder and president of Berggruen Holdings, a private investment company, and the co-founder and chairman of the Berggruen Institute, a non-profit, non-partisan think tank that works to address global governance issues. In 2014, through the Institute, Berggruen launched Noema Magazine, formerly the WorldPost, a digital and print publication dedicated to exploring global issues.

In 2012, Nicolas Berggruen and Nathan Gardels published the book Intelligent Governance for the 21st Century: A Middle Way Between West and East. The Financial Times named it as one of their "Best Books of 2012". In 2019, Berggruen and Gardels published their second book, Renovating Democracy: Governing in the Age of Globalization and Digital Capitalism. The focus of this book advocates for restructuring the democratic framework to ensure adequate living conditions for all.