Gates provided my local library with dozen of FREE computers. Now many low-income people who had no access to them can be part of the digital world.Gates is A-OK in my book. He has changed real lives, not just make pretty computers.
I'm tired of hearing all this "Bill does it for tax purposes"Fact: Bill Gates makes $1M/yr in total compensation (bonus and salary).Fact: Bill Gates no longer receives stock bonuses or options. (Nor does Steve Ballmer). Fact: Bill Gates donates well in excess of $1M/year.If Bill donated nothing. He'd pocket $1M less his taxes. There are caps to tax benefits from charitable donations (~50% of AGI). So if he were truly to maximize his benefits, he'd donate ~$500,000 year. That he donates in the *billions* gives him nothing additional in tax benefits. So now all you've got is whether he's doing it for ulterior motives (to bolster his image) or if it truly is philanthropy, or if its a mix of both. But what this isn't is some tax dodge. That he has a salary is really irrelevant anyway. Same goes for Jobs. What difference does a $1 salary or a $1M salary make when your net worth is in the billions?
People using the example of Jobs giving away OS X with every MIT laptop as a charitable act is lame and - yes, I'll say it - "fanboyish". It's software. It's bits and bytes. It's replicated and distributed at little to no cost. I understand that there is money to be made in the software industry, but it's not like by giving it away to sub-saharan africans he's losing share in a market that could have actually helped his bottom line otherwise. Of course, I'm also totally open to the idea that Jobs does a lot of charitable work anonymously... which is a good thing of him to do. However, loudly proclaiming an intent to give away your software might be considered a counterexample of that kind of behavior.I'm just saying... magnetizing a hard drive isn't at all in the same league of charitable works as financing medical care.
@e3mw"Everyone who gives a crap about this is officially an idiot."The self-referential nature of your post is rather apparent.anyway...Who would've thought a pop culture war over two LSD taking college dropouts would erupt on Digg?
mcziggzJan 25, 2006
meh.Jesus > both of them:-P
farlaneJan 25, 2006
OS fight club dugg
Closed AccountJan 25, 2006
Gates provided my local library with dozen of FREE computers. Now many low-income people who had no access to them can be part of the digital world.Gates is A-OK in my book. He has changed real lives, not just make pretty computers.
gunbusterJan 25, 2006
I'm tired of hearing all this "Bill does it for tax purposes"Fact: Bill Gates makes $1M/yr in total compensation (bonus and salary).Fact: Bill Gates no longer receives stock bonuses or options. (Nor does Steve Ballmer). Fact: Bill Gates donates well in excess of $1M/year.If Bill donated nothing. He'd pocket $1M less his taxes. There are caps to tax benefits from charitable donations (~50% of AGI). So if he were truly to maximize his benefits, he'd donate ~$500,000 year. That he donates in the *billions* gives him nothing additional in tax benefits. So now all you've got is whether he's doing it for ulterior motives (to bolster his image) or if it truly is philanthropy, or if its a mix of both. But what this isn't is some tax dodge. That he has a salary is really irrelevant anyway. Same goes for Jobs. What difference does a $1 salary or a $1M salary make when your net worth is in the billions?
silent1Jan 25, 2006
"Why People Think Other People Care About Their Pointless Opinions ..."
baddmojoeJan 25, 2006
People using the example of Jobs giving away OS X with every MIT laptop as a charitable act is lame and - yes, I'll say it - "fanboyish". It's software. It's bits and bytes. It's replicated and distributed at little to no cost. I understand that there is money to be made in the software industry, but it's not like by giving it away to sub-saharan africans he's losing share in a market that could have actually helped his bottom line otherwise. Of course, I'm also totally open to the idea that Jobs does a lot of charitable work anonymously... which is a good thing of him to do. However, loudly proclaiming an intent to give away your software might be considered a counterexample of that kind of behavior.I'm just saying... magnetizing a hard drive isn't at all in the same league of charitable works as financing medical care.
deepsubJan 26, 2006
@e3mw"Everyone who gives a crap about this is officially an idiot."The self-referential nature of your post is rather apparent.anyway...Who would've thought a pop culture war over two LSD taking college dropouts would erupt on Digg?