Finance More: Hedge Funds Marc Andreessen Dan Loeb Bill Ackman Hedge fund managers unload on Malcol

[dealmaker]

• Julia La Roche

• Jun. 4, 2015, 4:43 PM
• 21,345
• 48

Twitter.com/Gladwell





On Wednesday, hedge fund manager John Paulson donated $400 million to endow Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, making it the largest gift in the school's history.

Soon after the news broke, the internet exploded with criticism.

The ire really picked up when best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell trashed the billionaire on Twitter.

"It came down to helping the poor or giving the world's richest university $400 [million] it doesn't need. Wise choice John!" Gladwell Tweeted.

That initial Tweet was followed by a series of Tweets suggesting Paulson should volunteer at the "[Hermès] store on Madison [Avenue]" or work the "coat check at Art Basel."


http://www.businessinsider.com/defense-of-john-paulson-harvard-donation-2015-6

 

[Baron]

This is one of those topics I have always struggled with. In other words, if I was ever in the position to donate a large sum of money, would I consider it better to donate that money for engineering and research purposes in hopes of creating solutions to big world problems? Or would it be better to give it directly to the poor and needy in an effort to get them out of poverty today?

 

[Gringo]

This is one of those topics I have always struggled with. In other words, if I was ever in the position to donate a large sum of money, would I consider it better to donate that money for engineering and research purposes in hopes of creating solutions to big world problems? Or would it be better to give it directly to the poor and needy in an effort to get them out of poverty today?

What these criticizers are forgetting is that it's not their property to give, nor their decision to make. Based on the above comments these people would have been less upset had Paulson simply burnt the money.

With that kind of money I would donated it somewhere where a person is taught to fish instead of just being handed the fish. Perhaps a school or training institute in an impoverished neighborhood.

I wish Baron soon gets to a point where he is contemplating making that decision.

Gringo