I just read that one of the richest men on the planet, Warren Buffet, has announced his plans to give away the bulk of his $42 billion fortune to various charities. Interestingly, the bulk of it will go to the Gates Foundation.
I like it. It suggest gates is trustworthy according to
buffet. I say “Bill Gates for president”
He can afford a pay cut for 8 years.
Kropotkin
I am the only one who’s see the irony in the second richest man in the world giving his money to the richest? 
Of course, Gates is stepping down from MS to devote his time to his charity. I think that’s commendable, and really surprising given the criticism he recieved for his notorious stinginess in his early years.
Oddly enough this kind of reminds me of Atlas Shrugged in that they are throwing in the towel…cept I don’t see the US going towards a Communist state.
I read that Buffet is 75 years old with rumors of health problems. Is he facing down his mortality now, wondering if his life meant anything? I don’t pretend to know his mind, but I’m curious if he isn’t trying to…well, I won’t speculate here on his motivations.
That kind of money could do some great things if applied intelligently. Or it could be wasted on band-aids.
Trying to buy his way into heaven? Was that going to be the end of your sentence?
Chances are, it’ll be wasted. Charitable organisations need to buck up their ideas - the quality of their PR, for one, is absolutely terrible. I’m only an amateur, but I could do better.
I think it’s great, donating 37 out of his 44 billion dollar estate to the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation. They send aid to help crappy little countries with health problems. Not only is 37 billion dollars amazing, the way he’s got it invested will make it double 
Too bad they don’t use it to help create universal healthcare in our own country. 
Phaedrus: Too bad they don’t use it to help create universal healthcare in our own country.
K: apparently, concern for our own citizens is socialism.
Let um die. That is the capitalist way, death.
Capitalism, the real culture of death.
Kropotkin
No, Pete- expecting the government to do it is socialism. When private citizens do it it’s philanthropy. The difference between the two is that the latter involves a freely made choice. The former is you doing “good” things with my money. Who do you trust more with your money, Pete? You or the government?
They can slip me a few bills to pay off my last year of undergrad studies.
The really good scholarship money tends to be out of my grasp because I’m not non-traditional college student. The investment would be sound as I plan to keep up the 4.0 GPA. =D>
He could slip me a billion to embark on a life of hedonism and excess.
Holy shit! I gotta hand it to you. You’re right.
I admire Buffett’s intelligence in the first place and then his altruism.
I like how Gates and Buffet are modest guys. They dress and appear very modest.
The money should instead go to veterans and the familys of veterans. People have no idea how much they’ve sacfricied.
06.27.06.1344
I was waiting for someone to bring this topic up. 
The old man gives over an estimated 85% of his net worth to the Gates Foundation and doesn’t believe in “dynastic wealth,” meaning his kids won’t be getting any inheritence. This is probably the most noble thing Buffett could ever do as a final hurrah (what thing could he do to overshadow this?). He said at the press conference in response to a reporter asking why he didn’t spread the money around to other charities: (summerized) he had watched the Gates Foundation closely over the years and found it to be able to do the most “good” for the most possible people. It’s no wonder Bill is stepping even further away from Microsoft to spend more time with the organization. So once again, Buffett proves why everyone loves him.
Then again… for the love of conspiracy theories…
Buffet has tapped this money to Gates to launder into a vast network of technological control over the world… Bill made Warren an offer he couldn’t refuse… little did they both know, Melinda pulls the strings from behind the curtains! 
The New World Order is coming sooner than you think!
I was also under the impression that Gates wasn’t leaving much of an inheritance to his kids either.
Am I right about this? 
Don’t be fooled, this is a sign of the nearing stock market crash. He’s getting out early, that’s all.
Altruism? By donating all of that money, dosen’t Buffet avoid paying massive estate taxes on it? And didn’t Buffet just disinherit American taxpayers because without the estate taxes paid on that donated money, those lost tax dollars can’t be used to fund any services for Americans?
And do you really think the money is going to be “spent†to help the poor? I’m more inclined to believe that the money will grow and grow within the trust itself and the trust not the poor are most likely to be the major beneficiary of this seemingly transparent transaction. Is it possible that this transaction is all about “keeping†rather than “sharing?†passion
So, is there really any such thing as true altruism without some sort of ulterior motive attached?