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MSFT Co-founder Giving Half of His Money Away

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For as evil as people say MS is, their founders are pretty good people. Also as great as people say Apple is, their founder is well... well you can figure that one out :)
 
[citation][nom]back_by_demand[/nom]If the money that Paul Allen donates is what finally cures Cancer, or eradicates Malaria, or Diabetes, or the common cold then the world will sing their praises the same way they do Alexander Fleming (if you don't know then look it up).[/citation]

Except things like the common cold will never be cured. Even if someone finds a cure, it will never be released. It's a multi-billion dollar yearly market. That's why all cough medicines only suppress symptoms and not actually do anything to cure them. They want you to buy more medicine later.

Not that this had anything to do with the topic at hand...
 
[citation][nom]beayn[/nom]Except things like the common cold will never be cured. Even if someone finds a cure, it will never be released. It's a multi-billion dollar yearly market. That's why all cough medicines only suppress symptoms and not actually do anything to cure them. They want you to buy more medicine later.Not that this had anything to do with the topic at hand...[/citation]
Nice to see that someone is representing the cynics of the world, thanks
Shall we just slit our wrists now?
 
[citation][nom]back_by_demand[/nom]Nice to see that someone is representing the cynics of the world, thanksShall we just slit our wrists now?[/citation]

I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that realistic thinking was forbidden. Do you really think that if a company can continue to make money, it won't bother? Don't underestimate corporate greed. They sell bottled water for twice the price of gasoline ffs! Why? Because they can.

Curing the common cold would arguably hurt the economy as well.
 
"Bill Gates is famously a very charitable man."

Because that way he can get tax breaks.

The art of becoming rich is the art of evading taxes.
 
[citation][nom]DawnTreader[/nom]If people were not so greedy the worlds problems would be solved. 80% of the worlds resources are used by 20% of its population. if that 20% gave just 10% to the other 80% of the world, there would be no poverty."Its their money, they can do with it what they like, and that is OK by me" wow is that a lame excuse for letting the other 80% of the world die needlessly.[/citation]
Have you ever studied economics? Do you know why there are ANY jobs? Its because those people with the resources use them to make more money... and in turn create jobs so that other people may do the same. High taxes and redistributive policies operate on your logic and have failed time after time.

And who said anything about not caring about people dying? You liberals... Put words in peoples' mouths, try to make them feel bad, then take advantage of them.

And last I checked "80% of the world" isn't dying. Idiot.
 
to say he is buying the public goodwill is honestly , wrong as we often forget about philanthropists . he has a big heart to say the least.

People who have done charity know that it is the feeling , the goodness in helping someone out and not how much one is giving .
 
[citation][nom]fball922[/nom]Have you ever studied economics? Do you know why there are ANY jobs? Its because those people with the resources use them to make more money... and in turn create jobs so that other people may do the same. High taxes and redistributive policies operate on your logic and have failed time after time.And who said anything about not caring about people dying? You liberals... Put words in peoples' mouths, try to make them feel bad, then take advantage of them.And last I checked "80% of the world" isn't dying. Idiot.[/citation]

Well said . everybody has the right to earn money and life . and keep it . lets all not forget that paul had no obligation or bound by law to do so .
 
Now that is stupid on his behalf as he already lost 50% "devalued" with the recent recession and dollar becoming worth less that used toilet paper, now he wants to cut he pre-recession money into 25% or even 12.5% .

The good side is that it will go to charity's that will likely only end up producing less that 12.5% of his "100%" donation to the people that need it if even that much might end up with the needy.

"Commisions, bribes, fee's, excuses, fraud ect. at charity's eating away at this donations"

Haiti Red Cross all over again. "US$37,500.00 per human on Haiti" is available yet they still starve and have no homes dew to greed at Red Cross.

His money must be worthless to him as he could not spend it and even if he could make use / spend it on something there is nothing worth buying with that type of money.

He must be extremely miserable with all that money and nothing to do with it + tax eating away at what remains.

If only the USA was progressive + expansive like "Dubai UAE" and caring about their citizens like UAE then maybe the USA like Dubai would be over successfully and he could actually "democracy" invest and enjoy his money while helping others.
Free schools, free university's, 0% interest on loans "pay some extra back to help others", real updated technology, free updated hospitals or "Dubai/European" 10 year old technology that still has to be invented in the USA "not here yet"

Heck why does he not just buy one of the USA bankrupt states like Arizona or something smaller that has intelligent life living there unlike "Redneck-Zona"

This way he could help much more people with great ideas "NOT-Arizona people" and fund useful helping project like solar panel manf. + Solar power plants ect.

Extremely upset USA citizen here.
 
If this guy gives away half his fortune before he dies, he is a philanthropist, but don't mistake charitable donations for tax purposes with honest generosity. Most of those guys donate only because if they don't, they lose the money to taxes anyway, which in my mind doesn't make them generous nor does it mean they are a philanthropist.

You can compare the amounts some of them give (not labeling anyone in particular) to a normal $50,000/year person giving $1000 per year to charity so that he doesn't have to pay $1000 in taxes. Just because the amounts they give are in the millions, doesn't mean they are any more generous than the person giving $1000.

A true philanthropist will give away far more than the required 'tax break' amount and shouldn't technically be living in a $100 million mansion, at least in the true spirit of philanthropy.

Also note that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gives only 5% of its assets away per year to qualify as a charitable foundation. While that may be a lot of money (in the billions), the return on their investments are possibly a lot higher, giving them a nice tidy profit in the process. I can't say what they might do with said profit as that information is unavailable where I was reading about it.

 
[citation][nom]fball922[/nom]Have you ever studied economics? Do you know why there are ANY jobs? Its because those people with the resources use them to make more money... and in turn create jobs so that other people may do the same. High taxes and redistributive policies operate on your logic and have failed time after time.And who said anything about not caring about people dying? You liberals... Put words in peoples' mouths, try to make them feel bad, then take advantage of them.And last I checked "80% of the world" isn't dying. Idiot.[/citation]

You go girl, you tell em.

O and the stupid foreigners that brings 5000 jobs to the USA has to pay $500,000.00 for a $470 piece of paper stating he can invest and or travel in the USA, this paper takes 5 to 7 years to hopefully be approved with congressional investigations and NVC / USA Govrmn. trying everything to block foreigners to invest and create jobs in the USA.

Places like Arizona doing everything in it's power to block persons not of the same Moron religion to pay tax of something small like $120m per year on a small order of the products that the foreigners / not Morons religion has to produce in the Arizona.

The USA embassy's general official view of the world:
"Only USA born people are supposed to be successful and the rest of the world is a charity case that may never be allowed to be successful just like the SMALL people of the USA like all of us here"

Man it feels so good to be a USA citizen with this proud country and the fact that we can "slave labor / oppress" the less fortunate and cheat them out of jobs / foreigners investment jobs here in the USA.

Extremely unhappy USA citizen here.
 



Reality Check,

Nothing says that foreign countries cannot be successful on their own without a handout from the U.S. Most handouts are squandered by people within their own country from internal bickering or warlords in less fortunate countries. Latin America in a whole has had a huge stream of money pouring into it in the last decade and I believe that incoming money transfers alone in Mexico is very substantial compared to their GDP. I do not know what you mean by a $500,000 piece of paper that costs $470 dollars but if you are referring to a green card or visa you are seriously misconstruing the truth. A visa costs a good deal less than $1000 dollars, and Permanent Residency (green card) just recently went up a year or so back to near $1000 dollars. With those I believe you can easily invest or make you way to the top is you have the initiative and will to succeed. If you were referring to preexisting corporations having to pay some tax to invest and do business here, please elaborate. It would significantly change the scope of your statement if you were referring to a multi-billion dollar corporation paying half a mil to do business here, that is definitely within their means. Also how are we cheating people out of jobs, last time i looked we have 20 million plus illegal aliens, and they aren't here on vacation at Disneyworld. They are working while at least a good 7-10% of our countries citizens are unemployed due to the recession. Get those guys back home and wow..instant end of recession or at least unemployment...But that would be neither politically correct nor gain votes in Washington.

I'm saying that people should realize that they are NOT entitled to the sweat off someone else's brow.
Click to expand...

That statement by r0x0r is a two way street and many don't realize it, actually those who are rich did make their money in part to the sweat off someone else's brow. Do you think whatever salary or hourly wage you are receiving is exactly your worth to the company you are employed with. A fundamental part of capitalism is general is making money off others, your boss only has you employed because for every hour of your labor he/she is making money from the "sweat off of someone elses brow"
 
"Its because those people with the resources use them to make more money... and in turn create jobs".

Yeah, they create jobs in China, India, and Mexico while downsizing every aspect of the domestic market. And still they complain they can't maintain profits and need tax cuts to create "more jobs". And the domestic jobs just keep getting better in the private sector. No more pensions, no more 401k matching, lousy or non-existent medical benefits, keeping hourly wage workers at 39 hours per week to avoid paying any type of full time benefits whatsoever, firing employees that been with a company for 10+ years on a whim, etc. Yes. Thanks big business for being so ethical.

 
This is a great thing i wish they would donate to NASA too. if i were any of the big tech companies (intel,AMD,Microsoft,apple) id be trying to get my money and my technology in to space to show the direction of technology and civilization is moving next 🙂
 
[citation][nom]Cmartin011[/nom]This is a great thing i wish they would donate to NASA too. if i were any of the big tech companies (intel,AMD,Microsoft,apple) id be trying to get my money and my technology in to space to show the direction of technology and civilization is moving next 🙂[/citation]

Space, yes. NASA, no. With that kind of cash on hand I'd start my own space agency.
 
Well, if I'm not mistaken the US is about to re-impose the dreaded death tax on estates over $1 million. So giving half away is pretty much gonna be mandatory from this point forward.
 
Take a look at where are the money is in our country.. its not in the hands of people like Paul who actually made anything. Most of our cash is in the hands of the "finance" industry. If you want to be rich, be one of the people who shuffles money around.
 
[citation][nom]RichBill[/nom]"Bill Gates is famously a very charitable man."Because that way he can get tax breaks.The art of becoming rich is the art of evading taxes.[/citation]
He gives away more than he gets in tax breaks, therefore a net loss.
Not exactly a method for accruing wealth, is it?
Can't anyone just see this for what it is, trying to do some good in the world?
 
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