Microsoft's Gates Gives $13M To UK University

[Nomad559]

http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/0-0&fp=449b200e625d5873&ei=3yybRPPmOIS6pwK-3ZSQBg&url=http%3A//www.forbes.com/2006/06/22/microsoft-gates-philanthropy-cx_cn_0622autofacescan04.html&cid=1107416711

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates is as good as his word.

The billionaire made an ex cathedra pronouncement last week that he would transition out of his C-level role beginning in July 2008, and work full time for his charitable organization and part time for the software leviathan.

Gates, who has an estimated $50 billion fortune, has given scientists in Yorkshire, U.K., more than 7 million pounds ($13.6 million) to fund the fight against malaria. A U.K. newspaper reports that the University of York--a historic institution often ranked within the top ten universities in Britain--has received the windfall from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to pay for research on a plant, which could help alleviate the global shortage of effective treatments for the infectious disease.

Malaria is an infection caused by a parasite and carried from person to person by mosquitoes. It is preventable and treatable but kills more than one million people--most of them young children living in Africa--each year. The vast majority of malaria deaths occur south of the Sahara, where the disease also presents major obstacles to social and economic development. Malaria has been estimated by the World Health Organization to cost Africa more than $12 billion every year in lost GDP, even though it could be controlled for a fraction of that sum.

[IsIt1984Yet]

1. The Gates Foundation rocks

If you ever get a chance to hear him speak, you can hear his emotion and dedication when he talks about the foundation. It's quite moving and I am blown away by his generosity.

I'll stand back and await the flames from all the people who hate him... but I, for one, am DAMN glad he got the cash he did because he's doing WONDERFUL things with it.

[Catherine Vincent]

2. Who here hates Bill Gates?

I think he's doing a great thing with his fortune.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. He certainly hasn't bombed anyone with his fortune.... while

elsewhere, people bomb other people with other peoples' money... yes, this means you shrub.

[IsIt1984Yet]

5. Good point.

[Deja Q]

18. No, but he's bombed out lots of competition, some of which

were dumb enough to partner up with him...

And people look at that man as being some sort of god. Filthy. Damn filthy, forgive me.

If Gates is utterly genuine in his altruistic turn, hell yeah I'll apologize. But I've seen nothing yet to suggest the contrary. Just words followed by dollar amounts that are nothing to him. And I should be saying euro amounts...

And I said in another response (to this thread) why I am cynical. There has to be a balance and counterpoint. And mine is most definitely fair.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

29. In his previous lifetime.... ruthless does come to mind. Sharing

isn't part of his vocabulary when it comes to things software.

[IsIt1984Yet]

4. Oh cat_girl...

PLENTY of people do. Just wait, they'll be here and thumb their noses at the "pocket change" he threw to this latest cause.

I agree, what he and his family do is amazing. Very very few of the ridiculously rich do this. Just look at Babs... donating chump change and demanding that the cash be used to buy products that increase sales and profit for her family... :wtf:

[William769]

9. Your joking right?

He gets ripped here as much as Shrub does.

Bill Gates is a man of vision, and no one, I mean no one will change my mind on that.

[IsIt1984Yet]

12. I agree 100%

:thumbsup:

[Deja Q]

14. Look up his business practices... Oh, do you like Wal-Mart?

n/t

[IsIt1984Yet]

17. You're comparing MS to WAL-MART!?

Fer serious?

His employees are treated very very well.

[Deja Q]

20. Dude, the comparison is about his COMPETITION and business methods.

So Microsoft treats its employees to free gallons of fizzy carbonated sugar water, so what?

Look at his business practices and how he treats his competition. He's as much a predatory vulture as walmart, if not more so.

And I happened to live in a time when Microsoft wasn't powerful. And I've read up on what I didn't experience. Too many people blindly give the guy more credit than he's worth.

[Ikonoklast]

37. That is capitalism

That is how it works. Eliminate the competition. He just knows how to play the game better than the others. He is a very successful and ruthless man when it comes to business deals. You had better know your shit when dealing with him, or else it was bye-bye.

If Bill Gates got swallowed by IBM thirty years ago, would anyone have cared?

No.

[IsIt1984Yet]

38. And IBM wouldn't have put the kind of cash into these causes that he is.

And, again, would anyone have cared?

[William769]

22. Don't bother, some people just are not worth it.

[OhioChick]

31. Which employees are treated well?

Gates has outsourced so much, I'd be surprised if there were really that many employees left to treat well...........unless we're talking about his set-up in India.

[IsIt1984Yet]

33. I met several of his 30,000+ employees from Redmond.

[Deja Q]

11. Look up how he got his fortune; the people he had no qualms hurting.

Read my other posts. I may be too negative on him, but you're being waaaaaaaay to kind.

Nice to see his changing his tune, but I can't help but to wonder "What's in it for him". He is, after all, a businessman and has been for decades... and his business practices speak a considerable history. I think you'd be smart for reading up on his actions. Actions make a man.

[William769]

19. Have you noticed anyone foaming at the mouth yet in this thread?

P.S. I have! :rofl:

[Deja Q]

21. So have I. And it's me. And I think my reasons are valid.

:rofl:


Oh, if I had a healthy s...ocial life, I wouldn't be here complaining. All Bill Gates need to is set me up with some lovely lady; I'm cheap. That's all I need. :D

[IsIt1984Yet]

30. I swear he'd get less shit around here is he squandered the cash

:wtf:

[Avalux]

6. I am happy to hear this.

Malaria is a huge problem that gets little attention. Thanks Bill. :thumbsup:

[Deja Q]

8. I agree.

We paid into his predatory practices. The least he can do is help us in return.

He's just hope he's thinking of us. Don't forget, he is a businessman. First and foremost. Is he really being altruistic? This is the same guy who said "The old dollar, she is going down" in January 2005 when he converted his wealth to the Euro.

Look at his entire business history. There are precious few altruistic moments. So what is his gain by turning over a new leaf?

[Avalux]

15. Not sure what his gain would be -

I really do hope he just wants to contribute to humanity in some way and isn't in it to make a buck. Not may bucks to be made in malaria, but I guess we'll see. :hi:

[Deja Q]

26. Agreed. Like I said, if his altruistic turn is 100% genuine,

I will owe him one hell of an apology. But I do believe there's something in all this for him. The guy is in his mid-50s. What would have prompted him to go from Predator to Savior? Most people in their middle-50s are set in their ways...

Also, Malaria is worst in Asia. You know, where all the computer jobs are going while America is being abandoned; left to rot... There is a reason. It just has to be found.

[Avalux]

28. How about ego?

I guess it's possible, once a person's made more money than imagineable, they might veer off into other things for satisfaction, for fulfillment. To be able to boast "look what I've done" and be seen as a some sort of superhero. Possible.

[Deja Q]

7. America made Gates. Why isn't he investing in America?

He can do what he wants, but his actions show him to be the patriot prune he is.

[OhioChick]

16. Good Point. n/t

[IsIt1984Yet]

24. He is. Do some research. He spends a TON on education.

The main focual points for the Gates Foundation are Education and Global Health - specifically the diseses that are the top "killers".

[Deja Q]

27. Ah yes, his tax shelter foundation.

:D

BTW: A lot of those diseases are worst in the countries American corporations are offshoring to. It may be too cynical on my part, but I do believe his actions are not as entirely benign as we may be thinking.

We'll wait and see. And unlike Bill O'Reilly, I will apologize when proven incontrovertibly wrong.

As if my opinion matters.

[William769]

32. He has given over 100 million to AIDS research

I sure am glad AIDS is not a problem in the U.S.!

[Peace Patriot]

10. Well, good for him! But I wish he'd also give $13.6 million dollars to

DU,
www.UScountvotes.org
www.votersunited.org
www.verifiedvoting.org
www.VoterAction.org
www.solarbus.org/election/index.shtml
www.freepress.org
and
www.bradblog.com

...to organize free and fair elections in the United States. If the Bushites weren't killing us with a $9 trillion deficit, endless war, torture, destruction of the middle class, lies, spying, unconscionable tax cuts for the rich, lost billions in Iraq, and non-transparent elections counted with "trade secret" programming code by Bushite corporations, we might be a force for good in the world, and have some resources to help the poor at home and abroad.

Bill and Melinda? You lurking? Psst! Non-transparent vote counting is a lethal disease that ends up killing tens of thousands of innocent people!

[Catherine Vincent]

25. Can you imagine if that happened?

Good lord, the freepers would find out and proceed with their usual death threats.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

39. You can't fix BBV with broken software.... his donations don't

even begin to cover the damage his software has done to the minds of fledgling computer techs worldwide. I'm sure many have gone to the booby hatch over win95, 98 and others.

[Deja Q]

13. If I gave $13M, would I be so well treated? Indeed, would I tell the world

that I've just given money?

Even the Bible says the best charity is done anonymously.

Gates is the uber-Attention whore.

He's also worth multiple billions. $13M is to him what a (less than half a penny) is to us. We're praising him for something so comparatively little?

Perspective. And I tend to overlook the bright side because most people tend to ignore the dark sides. And they are valid too.

[MyNameGoesHere]

23. Oh christ

another thread full of I hate M$ i hate Gates i hate everyone with money.

[Catherine Vincent]

34. Well, I guess I'll take htoad's advice and search up on Gates.

I know there was disagreement with other competitors at the beginning but I didn't pay much attention to that. I read that he is worth billions and that every now and then he gives millions to different charities which I think is a good thing.

[MyNameGoesHere]

35. good place to start

I believe his foundation has given more than a measly 13 mill as some here would have you believe.

http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Grants/

And i can't seem to find the Steve Jobs or Linus Torvalds foundations. Why do that not have one?

[IsIt1984Yet]

36. It's a lot more than "every now and then". Somewhere like $750 million.

Of his billions, he's trusted $10 million for each kid. MILLION, not billion. He rest of his fotune will go to the foundation. Check out the foundation while you're researching, it's amazing: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/default.htm

[muriel_volestrangler]

40. While York is indeed a highly regarded university

I don't think somewhere founded in 1963 quite counts as "a historic institution".