Social power, defined as an individual’s relative capacity to modify the states of other people by providing or withholding rewards or administering punishments, has been recognised as a persuasive influence on human behaviour. We investigate whether power really corrupts by examining the effect of power on ethical behaviour. We are interested in testing whether the powerful are more or less likely to donate to charity as compared to the powerless, and whether the powerful are more or less likely to buy counterfeit luxury products. The research will contribute to our understanding of the triggers of (un)ethical behaviour and the role of power in the ethical domain.