I think that's an excessively harsh judgement on a couple who more than any other wealthy people have led the way in focussed charitable giving.
Bill Gates kids only to inherit $10 million each
- Thread starter DarthTom
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I think that's an excessively harsh judgement on a couple who more than any other wealthy people have led the way in focussed charitable giving.
Its amazing to see just how much money he has managed to save by getting a free copy of every new windows released.
Agreed. I think it's inarguable that Gates has rehabilitated his image from a ruthless monopolist to someone who's likely historically the most generous philanthropist ever. And unlike the monopolists of days past that built art museums in their families honor [Getty] Bill and Melinda Gates help real people survive desperate circumstances.
J
Jetfire
Guest
Well you have to see the bigger picture:
By funding charities, money is frittered away on many small agendas.
By funding a vision, money is focussed into a set of ambitious interrelated goals that will better everybody, and that could make many of those small agendas rather meaningless.
Its amazing to see just how much money he has managed to save by getting a free copy of every new windows released.
Pfft. He's Bill Freakin' Gates. He doesn't need to get a free copy. He can just write his own operating system.
Surely that's the job of consortia? You may sneer at the Trust choosing many different recipients but the effect on people as well as the broad spectrum of research is huge. By 'effect' I mean jobs as well as the ultimate benefit from research. The bigger an ambition becomes the greater the opportunity for it to be mismanaged, become sidetracked and generally fail to reach its potential. If you look at the recipients from the Trust there is a pattern of preferred research without ever going for something overly grandiose.
Its amazing to see just how much money he has managed to save by getting a free copy of every new windows released.
Pfft. He's Bill Freakin' Gates. He doesn't need to get a free copy. He can just write his own operating system.
Ohh...i never thought of that.
It's the Centurion Card. It's available by invitation only, but if you spend over $250,000. a year on your card, you can call and ask for it. The initiation fee is $5,000. and the annual fee is $2,500. This card along with the green, gold and platinum cards have no pre-set limit, but if you're going to make a large purchase, you usually have to prove that you can cover it. One person supposedly bought a private jet with his black card. That said, I heard that Gates still sticks with the Platinum Card.
$10 million isn't that much. It's probably enough though. You can use it as principal to generate about $100,000. a year to live off of.
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I could live off half that quite easily, just because you have money doesn't mean you have to spend it.
To those of us who will never see a fraction of that in our lifetimes, it's a fortune.
You are, of course, joking.
I did say it was probably enough. I wouldn't spend it, I'd have it invested, and the return on that wouldn't be more than a percentage point or two if it were invested conservatively. You can certainly live off the return on $10 million, but I wouldn't chance a lavish lifestyle with it. I'd also have to be aware that a market crash or poor investing could erode away a good chunk of that, and along with it, an already small but reasonable return.
That's what I was thinking.
$30 million? $50 million? Now we're into "well off" territory.
That's what I was thinking.
$30 million? $50 million? Now we're into "well off" territory.
You could spend $10 million very, very quickly.
And considering the guy is worth billions, then $10 million is really not much money to be leaving his kids.
I've seen that article, but I don't remember what the figure was or what was said exactly. I recall reading that there's always some level of worry or concern no matter how much money you have. Once you have the money, you have to make sure you don't lose it. In Gates' case, he probably thinks about privacy issues.
Makes me wonder if Gates will increase the amount at some point.
If you made a big enough deposit to your card and told Amex ahead of time about your purchase you probably could. As it stands now, you couldn't. "No pre-set limit" doesn't mean "no limit". Your limit, while not a fixed amount, is actually a threshold amount based on a number of factors such as income and spending habits, and I'm guessing that a private jet would excede that.I have a green "no limit" AmEx. I wonder if I could buy a private jet with it.
It would be enough to start your own business which is probably what the old man is thinking.
Nah, I'd lean back and live from those 100,000 a year. That really is perfectly fine.