Buffett to give fortune away
- Thread starter volatilitypimp
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True. Although the point here was something else. Gates with his charities reminds me of Andrew Carnegie. They became insanely reach by strongarming their competitors and exploiting their employees.
Once they became older and realized that there is just so much money one can spend before he dies, they started to do charities.
My point was:
What if instead of building an empire by not so decent business practicies and do charities later, they would do the charities by not exploiting workers or screwing competitors with good products???
The lesson here is two fold in my opinion.
1. Both of these men never really cared about the money, they did it because they loved it.
2. Both of these men FINALLY realized that helping others is what's TRULY one of the MOST important things in life.
Johnny Cash summed it up when he said "I've built an Empire of DIRT".
You can't take it with you folks and the more you give to those in need the happier it will make the journey.
I just hope that those foundations are for REAL and they spend that money VERY VERY WISELY.
1. Both of these men never really cared about the money, they did it because they loved it.
2. Both of these men FINALLY realized that helping others is what's TRULY one of the MOST important things in life.
Johnny Cash summed it up when he said "I've built an Empire of DIRT".
You can't take it with you folks and the more you give to those in need the happier it will make the journey.
I just hope that those foundations are for REAL and they spend that money VERY VERY WISELY.
the number 1 reason why the fabulously rich create their own charities is this
http://www.inc.com/resources/tax/articles/20051101/taxbreak.html
the number 2 reason is to further build relationships with government organizations. the charity contribution in this case is just a legal form of under the table payments in exchange for favors.
have you considered what actually happens to the money after a "donation" is made to a foreign country to help their poor? what happens to the money after the wire transfer reaches the destination? the poor will eventually get a few bottled water and t-shirts and some extra grub to eat, but where's the rest of the money?
if bill gates really wants to help people, there are plenty of ways of helping them directly. there are plenty of people and organizations who need help. you know the 1000 people who died yesterday because they couldn't afford surgery? maybe start there. whenever you see a charity that doesn't accept RFPs and has some wishy washy goal about helping people by collaborating with the government, count on 95% of it being bs.
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/ForGrantSeekers/OpenRFPs/
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/ForGrantSeekers/
http://www.inc.com/resources/tax/articles/20051101/taxbreak.html
the number 2 reason is to further build relationships with government organizations. the charity contribution in this case is just a legal form of under the table payments in exchange for favors.
have you considered what actually happens to the money after a "donation" is made to a foreign country to help their poor? what happens to the money after the wire transfer reaches the destination? the poor will eventually get a few bottled water and t-shirts and some extra grub to eat, but where's the rest of the money?
if bill gates really wants to help people, there are plenty of ways of helping them directly. there are plenty of people and organizations who need help. you know the 1000 people who died yesterday because they couldn't afford surgery? maybe start there. whenever you see a charity that doesn't accept RFPs and has some wishy washy goal about helping people by collaborating with the government, count on 95% of it being bs.
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/ForGrantSeekers/OpenRFPs/
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/ForGrantSeekers/
I have no complaint on MSFT's software, it's only a small percentage of people are complaining. Most of them are just MS hater and basher. XP is stable, and the only time I am having problem with it is after I installed a 3rd party software. Most software "flaws" in Windows or Office requires user intervention. Again, user intervention, people are the problem. MSFT is a great company, whenever there is a problem, their or other 3rd party. They suck it up and work on a fix. For other companies, they just point finger back to you or other. And for security, don't tell me how Linux is more secure, you don't login as Root all the time. Windows users are lazy, login as full admin all the time. Against, people are the problem.
Nobody need 42 billions, I think 1 billion is over kill nowaday. But he didn't ask for 42 billions, he doing what he love and money come. He does more good than bad to the IT industry as a whole. His vision is to put a PC (of course with MS software) on every home. The only way his vision can be archeive is to make software easy to use for the mass, and he accomplished that. When I started using computer back in 94, computer was hard to operates. It actually requires reading book to operated the damn thing. Now, anybody can buy a computer, unwarp it and be productive. And Bill (and MSFT) made this possible.
I thank Bill for his hard work. And also thank him for giving back his wealth to society.
Maybe it has to do with one's believe. If I don't believe in the case, there is no way I will donate my hard earn money to it. Simple put, if I see somone beg for food/money in the street and is not disable, I will walk away. Even if they look like they haven't eat for days, I will walk away. Why, because they can work, and shouldn't be beggin for food and money. Some might counter said they cannot find work. Whatever, if my neighbors who are in their 70s can go out to pick up soda can, those beggers can do it too.
There are people who set up foundations just to avoid tax, but with Gate's foundation, it won't be possible. Like one poster put it, who need 42 billion. Even if Bill has to pay 80% in tax, he still left 8 billions. How the hell is he going to spends all of it? Just use your own judgment when you read something.
1. Find new sources of cheap energy, instead of petro.
2. Make rain over desert or semi-desert.
In many places, people has no hope of getting out of poverty simply because they have to spend several hours a day just to fetch some water.
3. The Magic Pill to make people live 200 years. This has been the dream pursued by many kings and ultra-rich men.
2. Make rain over desert or semi-desert.
In many places, people has no hope of getting out of poverty simply because they have to spend several hours a day just to fetch some water.
3. The Magic Pill to make people live 200 years. This has been the dream pursued by many kings and ultra-rich men.