TaxEat the rich!Here’s the thing. Even if he lives up to this promise, it’s still him deciding where that money should go, and it won’t be towards long term support of social safety nets for the commoners. He should just have been paying his fair share of taxes all along and into the future.
Based on current spending, it will most likely be spent getting drinkable water to the majority of the world’s population.
I don’t like how he got his money, but he’s been reasonably responsible with it since his divorce.
That said, he has over $113b dollars. If he gives away 99% of it, he’ll still have over a billion dollars.
Behind the bastards has a good two parter on him. I wouldn’t say he’s been responsible with it.
He’s been buying up huge swathes of farm land in the middle of the country. Not everything he’s doing has been philanthropy
There are books on him exposing how half of his charities are frauds. Given his past records humanity should be wary of putting this man anywhere near anything drinkable or useful
…or paying his employees more.
Funny how we don’t have a popular term for the portion of an employee’s deserved wage that turns into “record shareholder profit.”
Imagine if all corporations were required to put a line item on check stubs showing how much you made them.
That term is wage theft: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wage_theft
Too knee jerk. Needs “tax” incorporated as it’s so unpopular.
Who do you think Bill Gates’ employees are right now? Do you think he’s still the CEO of Microsoft? Are you referring to the Gates Foundation? If so, have you got data on what they’re paid?
This is him avoiding estate taxes, change my mind.
How much would his estate taxes be vs giving up 99% of his fortune?
I mean if I want my next of kin/whoever to get my money, it’s better to do it while alive when you can get creative with the accounting. Especially when you’ve got Gates money and setting up something like a nonprofit is relatively easy.
Once you’re dead and you’ve got this lump declared assets you’re trying to pass on that Uncle Sam will take up to like 40% of.
Yeah but that’s communism, so no way it would’ve ever happened. The average American voter thinks they can become billionaires some day.
Does the word communism even have meaning any more, or is it just something to yell when confused people get confused?
I’m using it sarcastically
I know, I caught the silent /s at the end of your post :) You are referring to people who don’t use it sarcastically - does the word communism have meaning left when they use it?
It means when the government helps people that aren’t me or people I like, or fails to hurt the people I don’t like.
“Communism” like we ever had real communism.
Because it’s a dream that would suffer the same fate that capitalism does.
I’m so glad we have you here to finally tell us how everything works. Thank god.
Do you feel like this has been a meaningful addition to anything? Are you capable of discussing without attacking your opponents?
- Thats an excellent question. Do you apply it sometime? 2. Do you think youre somehow entitled to spew nonsense and not be called out for it?
I’m stating an opinion, you’re the one screeching nonsense.
While I’m all for taxing the rich more than the current system of not at all, I think in the long term it would be better to instigate or modify systems so that we don’t get these exceedingly greedy people going unchecked in the first place. How about a cap on the ratio between the highest and the lowest paid employee in any organisation for a start? Boss wants a raise, everyone gets a raise.
I’ve been sending his chain emails along since the 90s so he owes me some serious interest.
Bullshit, he’s “transferring” his wealth to his own charity for tax reasons…
It’s a trick to protect his money for his children.
Not according to the opening sentence?
The Gates Foundation plans to give away $US200 billion ($313 billion) over the next 20 years before shutting down entirely in 2045
Sure. The Gates Foundation gives the money to the Totally Not A Tax Dodge foundation which quietly pays the Gates kids as much as they want. I’m sure it will be more elegant than that, but that’s the basic grift.
Meanwhile, Gates uses his reputation as a philanthropist, and all the soft power from controlling billions to further his own interests and cement his personal philosophy as the only option.
The charity means that the American people have no control at all over how the money is spent, so the plebians have to beg at their door for money to be used in the way that Gates says it must be used.
foundation which quietly pays the Gates kids as much as they want
Any sources?
You’re asking me to cite a source for Gates’s donation to the “Not a Tax Dodge Foundation”? After I said "I’m sure it will be more elegant than that, but that’s the basic grift. ”
Please go look up the term “hypothetical”. You might want to investigate the Onion too.
No, I’m asking for articles about payments made from the Gates foundation to the Gates children.
It’s the first I’ve heard of this and I’d like more details.
I will say, the business of fake charities is so common that it does sound almost preferable to make their own, and actually understand where aid is needed in the world.
It’s an old topic for me, but I do remember hearing about the B&MGF working on clean water solutions in other parts of the world.
Also; Warren Buffett recently pledged to the charity, while having his own trust for his kids. That action wouldn’t make sense if the charity just existed to protect family.
American people have not been known for wise choices lately.
I’ll believe it when I see it. He’s evil and always has been.
He was anti-competetive towards Netscape navigator, admitted guilt and paid for it, since then he’s putting his money where his mouth is. Anything else I left out?
Microsoft has gone to shit after he left.
Lemmy sounds exactly like magas
“plans”
Doesn’t that leave him still with something like $2 billion? I’m not knocking the philanthropy, but also, his safety net is going to remain about $2 billion dollars larger than
minemost every other human being on this entire planet. And it will continue to accrue value at a higher rate than inflation as long as the good ol’ American engine keeps on chugging along as normal.From his vantage point, this sacrifice will likely impact neither his daily lifestyle nor his long-term comfort one iota.
It’s a great thing he’s doing, and I want to be clear about that. He’s giving a boatload of money to charity. And I also don’t know what else he might be doing with the remainder. I might be being an asshole. I haven’t even read the article. I just saw that fuckin guy and the shining headline and had a strong reaction.
(Edited)
I wouldn’t for a second think or hope that he endures the distress of poverty or feeling needy given where he started - he has tried to do good with his fortune and that is good enough for me…he is doing what he can for the world around him and should be comfortable as he does so. I hope to find my own (much less extravagant) comfort some day.
and thats the thing there are some who could realistically give away 99% of thier wealth and still individually be rich beyond belief. I hope it spawns some Rockefeller thing where the rich realize they can eat thier cake and have it to, they can be unbelievably rich and donate unbelievable ammounts of wealth, leaving a huge, arguably postive mark on history.
Get fucked with a rusty rake bill, you helped stop the COVID vaccines from being patent exempt, among plenty of other awful shit, all for more money.
He made windows.
Yeah
Like the idiots who think philanthropy is an acceptable compromise to a fair society.
You making yourself our enemy won’t make us take your side.
I’m saying ‘saving lives is good actually’ and you declare me an enemy that “endorses capitalism and imperialism”
exhausting
Omg you’re exhausting!!
It would be better if be hadn’t fucked with our economies to start with.
Bill gates isn’t actually going to do this…
Your “nothing wrong” includes frequent trips to Epstein’s island. 😬
I guess I’m just a crazy online Leftist for not thinking a nice donation to NPR is enough to even out molesting kids. I guess you want to give him a tote bag?
what is bill gates sacrificing to do this? As far as I’m aware absolutely nothing at all.
i think in order for this to be praised, in order for it to be good or generous there needs to be any amount of sacrifice. Is he downsizing his mansion for this? Does even one thing about his life change?
this is just a way of buying good pr.
He’s sacrificing power and influence. That’s what the big money people are all about, right?
I think if you use your eyes, you might be able to find the title that explains pretty succinctly what Bill Gates plans to give up in order to save millions of lives.
I know reading is hard Communist, but it helps us understand the world!
…you do realize that, for example, if you had 100 billion dollars, you already have every asset you ever wanted, and then you lost 99 billion, and still had a billion dollars, your life wouldn’t be impacted at all, right?
99 percent of his wealth being lost does what to him exactly? I literally can’t think of one thing he loses with this.
i think you could benefit from reading yourself, my point was about what he loses by donating the wealth, if you think money has inherent value I feel very bad for you, honestly.
He could spend billions on megayachts, private islands, hookers, and blow, or hoard it like a dragon as other billionaires do. Instead he’s making a direct material difference in millions of lives around the world.
What he’s doing saves millions of people. I know a communist might think a million lives is just a statistic, but those are individual people. Bill Gates the billionaire is doing more to make the world a tangibly better place than all the conplainers in this thread.
He could spend billions on megayachts, private islands, hookers, and blow, or hoard it like a dragon as other billionaires do. Instead he’s making a direct material difference in millions of lives around the world.
He can still do that, he still will have billions. He will likely not reduce the frequency of these purchases at all.
What he’s doing saves millions of people.
Yeah, and it’s the bare minimum. consider the hundreds of thousands that could be saved if he went down to being a millionare… He sacrificed literally nothing to save millions of people. It’s outrageous that all billionaires aren’t doing this, but it isn’t particularly noble.
I know a communist might think a million lives is just a statistic, but those are individual people. Bill Gates the billionaire is doing more to make the world a tangibly better place than all the conplainers in this thread.
of course he is, but he’s sacrificing literally nothing to do it. So, so what? It just makes it even more disgusting that he built up that amount of wealth in the first place. Nobody should be that wealthy and this should not be applauded, it should be less than even the bare minimum. If he downsizes his mansion or otherwise loses something then it’s a minor act of charity. Until his life is in someway effected this is basically nothing. If you donate a 20 dollar bill it will likely impact your life more than this will impact his.
If you donate a 20 dollar bill it will impact your life more than this will impact his
Why are you measuring this in hardship inflicted on the one donating, and not measuring it in lives saved?
I don’t give half a shit if Gate’s personal life isn’t changed, I care if small children get their polio vaccines and access to potable water.
Like the fuck you mean “so what?”, millions of PEOPLE won’t starve to death because of his personal choice to do this. You’re surely not turning your nose up at that?
Hundreds of thousands will die because of his greed, him making up for some of it doesn’t make him worthy of praise, yes obviously it’s a good thing that fewer people will suffer, but we’re discussing whether he did a good thing. My argument is that he did less than the bare minimum because he is keeping billions
your standards are so incredibly low for humanity that this is good enough to praise, my standards are not so low, I expect him to sacrifice to help others before I think he deserves praise.
Why wait, just do it already.
Individuals hoarding wealth is bad for society.
Because he wants to benefit personally from his wealth and be seen as a good person.
And the idiots will keep eating it up
Don’t give it away.
If you really want to help people, buy media, buy politicans and get REAL change that will actually last.
You giving money to random charities does fuck all, except give you tax breaks.
We need change in the political system so that we don’t need fucking charities for basic needs.
If you really want to help people, buy media, buy politicans and get REAL change that will actually last.
Did he stutter?
He does give money to politicians and the Gates Foundation does as well:
Sorry Bill but it’s too late and not enough. I still want to eat the rich and that includes you.
Although I‘ll admit if all billionaires did this instead of - oh you know - investing in fascism and actively dismembering democracy globally I might feel different about this. But as things stand I am done with billionaires. We cannot coexist. Simple as that.
Give it away now instead you piece of shit. If he actually gave a shit he would have donated it all to charities already. It’s just a billionaire farse, fuck him and the rest of em.
he actually gave a shit he would have donated it all to charities already. It’s just a billionaire farse,
Just not his own goddamned
tax avoidance schemecharityYes, to actual charities.
Which are also tax avoidance schemes
Careful now. Don’t go painting all charities as a form of tax avoidance just because a lot are used for that.
There are many great charities for many great causes out there.
Depends if you are talking about big charities or actual charities
Great tax avoidance. Pay 100% of that money to some charity to avoid paying 20% to government
Bill Gates deserves a lot of shit for creating the original big tech monopoly. But I’ll say this about him: At least he’s not hoarding his money to build a secretive compound to hold hundreds of kids he spawned with right wing crazy women for the purpose of creating a future master race.
How do you know this? It would cost less than 1% of his wealth, and it was an objective of his good friend Jeffrey Epstein.
He could be rapping kids and that would still be less nefarious than having created windows
So many bsods
Can we quit running billionaire’s PR campaigns for them? These people are not our friends, and giving back a portion of what they stole (always in the most public way) doesn’t change that
Is this supposed to impress anyone?
I find it lovely that he’s racked by guilt over his legacy and tries to do something about it.
Racked by guilt? His company is helping commit genocide by providing AI tools to automatically designate civilians as targets for military strikes.
I’d rather he keeps his money and uses his influence to stop that. He chooses not to do so every day.
I don’t think he has that influence any more.
And yeah, genocide would be one of the reasons to feel guilty, but it’s far from the only one.
Yeah he made windows.
Pure evil
Maybe pay some fucking taxes first, Bill.
