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Bill Gates is the world’s third-richest person, and the driving force behind the vastly-endowed Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — which is concerned primarily with global health and education issues. Two days ago, Gates gave a great talk on the problems his philanthropy is tackling. The talk is remarkable first because he’s actually a terrific speaker and knows his topic…but also because he released a small swarm of mosquitoes into his audience:
“Now, malaria is, of course, transmitted by mosquitoes,” said Gates. “I brought some here, so you could experience this. We’ll let those roam around the auditorium a little bit.” [Releases mosquitoes.] “There’s no reason only poor people should have [this] experience.”
The mosquitoes were not malarial, but still. Wow. Have a look at his talk to learn about the work Gates is doing on health issues around the world.
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I’m betting the skeeters were males, as I don’t think his legal department would sign off on releasing the biting insect responsible for more human deaths than any other cause in the last few thousand years.
posted by Tom on 2-6-2009 at 4:38 pm
People often talk about the great work that the gates foundation does (and they do some wonderful stuff) but the trust also invests in many of the companies whose activities cause pollution and sickness in the very same places that the foundation is working. (See my website link for LA times article)
They’d do a lot more good if they donated no money but invested the trust only in ethical and environmentally sound companies.
posted by Neuromesh on 2-6-2009 at 4:59 pm
That LA Times piece had the feel of a hatchet job; the author had an ax to grind (pun intended).
The article glosses over how small the foundation’s investment really is. It says that the Gates Foundation has invested $423M in five oil companies. Just two of those companies have a net worth of over a trillion dollars. The foundation’s investments make no more than a small fraction of a percent.
These companies would not even notice if Gates sold all of his stock.
The party that really shoulders the responsibility are the people who create demand for the products of these harmful factories. Rather than buying fair-trade coffee, perhaps we should be looking for a ‘no-exploitation’ gas.
At lest Bill Gates is doing something good; like Andrew Carnegie before him. I don’t see many titans of industry following that example these days.
posted by n2y2 on 2-6-2009 at 6:02 pm
I don’t think I’d appreciate the mosquito presentation, but it’s good to see he’s giving back considering how wealthy he is.
posted by Rebecca on 2-6-2009 at 8:14 pm
The LA Times is about as trustworthy as Wall St. Bill Gates is an admirable man, and people should commend he and his wife both for the work they’re doing. Warren Buffett is similar…a rich person with a world view that doesn’t consist of everything revolving around him.
Jesus said that a camel has a better chance of passing through the eye of a needle than a rich man does passing through the gates of Heaven. It’s always seemed weird to me that the same rich people who call for prayer in school and the 10 Commandments (which are, by the way, JEWISH law, not Christian!) posted in public buildings…seem to over look this fact.
I’m guessing Bill & Melinda–as well as Mr. Buffet, will receive a well deserved welcome.
posted by Matthew on 2-7-2009 at 3:22 am
Really? You had to bring the religion thing into it. I appreciate the Jesus quote, it’s like quoting Gandhi or the dalai lama, but do you really have to make it all about getting into heaven as appose to helping millions of people who never have a chance?
posted by chuck on 2-7-2009 at 12:02 pm
It didn’t seem like Matthew was making too big a deal about religion. It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a man or woman who is generally good and decent in life is thought to receive some sort of afterlife compensation (unless your an atheist, I guess, in which case no). And Matthew didn’t mention a specific heaven. It seemed general enough for me, and the point was just “Bill Gates is a good guy.”
posted by Allison on 2-7-2009 at 8:16 pm
Matthew: Jesus’ point in saying that wasn’t to point out that it’s more difficult for a rich man to make it into heaven than a poor man, but that it’s impossible for any man to gain heaven on his own merit. “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Yes it’s wonderful that Bill & Melinda give so much philanthropically, but I wonder what percentage of their net worth and annual income their giving comprises.
posted by Dave on 2-7-2009 at 10:29 pm
quit whining. its money for a good cause. they don’t get enough, so what if they invest into other things, as long as the money goes to help.you tree huggers whine and moan about the small things when the reality is that helping the world requires some less than desireable relationships. they own the world, so we have to share it with em. be a realist, not an idealist. no one, i mean NO ONE is squeaky clean, everyone has to get their hands dirty and play with the big boys if they want to make a change.
posted by leo on 2-18-2009 at 3:30 pm