Re:Bill Gates' Philanthropic Impact Put in Perspective
by mblode on Saturday April 23, 2016 @08:57AM
(#11555358)
Bill Gates reminds me a lot of John D. Rockefeller. He had earned $260 billion (adjusted for inflation) through standard oil and is said to be a ruthless business man. However, in the second half of his life, he turned to philanthropy and created a contrastingly positive image in the public's eye. I'm not sure the depth of their similarities but this is what it seems like to me on a surface level.
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Re:Bill Gates' Philanthropic Impact Put in Perspective
by WalterBright on Saturday April 23, 2016 @04:11PM
(#11557208)
> and is said to be a ruthless business man.
Rockefeller reduced the price of kerosene by 70% over the years he ran SO, thus (literally) fueling the industrial expansion of America, and making cheap kerosene available to everyone.
To say that benefitted nobody but him is ridiculous. Read "Titan" by Chernow.
Re:Bill Gates' Philanthropic Impact Put in Perspective
by tunap on Saturday April 23, 2016 @10:18AM
(#11555613)
Mobsters, thieves & politicians tend to do "good" after getting caught for malfeasance, too. WG didn't get "caught", he(MS) gamed the system, incorporated others' work & ruined most competitors. Now he gets to live with his conscience.
Extend. Embrace. Extinguish. Atone.
Re:Bill Gates' Philanthropic Impact Put in Perspective
by WalterBright on Saturday April 23, 2016 @04:13PM
(#11557221)
If you read "In Search of Stupidity" by Chapman, you'll see that most of his competitors ruined themselves all by themselves.
It's not easy to run a successful business. My own, Zortech, would have been far more successful if I'd had half a brain instead of only a quarter of one.