The Faux Generosity of the Super-Wealthy: Why Bill Gates Is a Menace to Society

Re:The Faux Generosity of the Super-Wealthy: Why Bill Gates ... by js8 on Wednesday May 26, 2021 @02:10AM (#27286969)

Too much money is like "The Ring", it slowly corrupts you, gives you a little bit of privilege here and there...

Gandalf: Don't... tempt me, Frodo! I dare not take it. Not even to keep it safe. Understand, Frodo, I would use this Ring from the desire to do good. But through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine.

Bill Gates is like Gollum, he cannot let go of his wealth and power, so he has to invent charities to keep control of it. He is trapped in his world of privilege. That is the most generous interpretation.

I have much bigger admiration for Linus Torvalds, or Steve Wozniak, who could have possibly been wealthy but chose not to. (Or they were stupid not to take the Ring?)

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Re:The Faux Generosity of the Super-Wealthy: Why Bill Gates ... by gentleman11 on Wednesday May 26, 2021 @02:13AM (#27286992)

I read that torvalds makes $2M a year, with $150M net worth. At least, the top search results say that

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Re:The Faux Generosity of the Super-Wealthy: Why Bill Gates ... by js8 on Wednesday May 26, 2021 @02:29AM (#27287109)

Honestly, I don't see that much different from a hollywood actress or NHL player being paid in millions. Which might be seen as a moral issue but a different one, of equal renumeration for work.

But it's important to point out that main source of income for B.G. (or any capitalist, for that matter) is not a reward for work, but rather reward from ownership of capital, which is essentially a share of economic decisions. It's pretty unclear to me why the society should reward ownership and not just work.

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Re:The Faux Generosity of the Super-Wealthy: Why Bill Gates ... by Nevermark on Wednesday May 26, 2021 @02:34AM (#27287137)

Society should reward good stewardship of owned resources, as well as good work.

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Re:The Faux Generosity of the Super-Wealthy: Why Bill Gates ... by js8 on Wednesday May 26, 2021 @02:58AM (#27287271)

Stewardship is not ownership, though.

A king, an absolute monarch, effectively owns the country, and his position is hereditary. A prime minister does not own the country, despite "being in charge", and it's not hereditary. People overwhelmingly prefer the latter system.

I don't see why business (economic production) should be any different.

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Re:The Faux Generosity of the Super-Wealthy: Why Bill Gates ... by ceilingcorner on Wednesday May 26, 2021 @03:37AM (#27287518)

Ownership of capital is not stewardship.

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