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Bill Gates convinces 40 Billionaires to give away half their fortunes to charity

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Teaddict

G Doctor will be along to condemn the billionaires for not donating more of their money...
Maybe Martyn will be along to call it a conspiracy theory and this G Doctor they have discovered that it is really a conspiracy to purchase charities and close them down so they can attack the poor more directly.

Cannot purchase charities in the UK, though I don't know about the US.

Reply 41

mellie220

Personally, I'd give it to that Donkey charity, the advert where their backs are hurting and they need water :'(

Srsly though, I'd give it to NSPCC, Help for Hero's, Obv Donkey Charity, Great Ormond St. and some Cancer Charities.
Anyway, it's really good that the billionaires are doing this, but boy they took their time. I hope they pick some select charitys so their money makes a massive difference to a certain area of need rather than spread it out everywhere and barely make a difference.

Reply 42

mart2306

Quady

Thats what happens when you try and live in a desert :biggrin:

Most of Africa, this may come as a shock to you, isn't a desert.
Sure, its better looking than Milton Keynes maybe. On a good day. :smile:

Reply 43

Alastair904

Splodger

Not something I'd do to be honest, I worked hard for the money you think I'm giving it to some cheap charity **** no. Saying that I'd throw some money at Help For Heroes and maybe Cancer research but the rest could piss off.

My thoughts exactly, well played kind sir.

Reply 44

ExcessNeo

cowleya

Even worse, how did Al Gore manage to get one?

Services for humanity by killing manbearpig?

Reply 45

Quady

mart2306

Most of Africa, this may come as a shock to you, isn't a desert.
Sure, its better looking than Milton Keynes maybe. On a good day. :smile:

But its only the bits with a water supply that don't need aid.

Reply 46

v-zero

miike1234

How has Obama got a Nobel Peace prize but not Bill Gates??

Everybody knows Obama's peace prize has shamed the name Nobel, it's a ******* joke.

Reply 47

ciawhobat

It will all be pissed away, as usual.

Reply 48

The-Real-One

TheLouisVuittonDon

Pretty amazing.

http://gizmodo.com/5604368/bill-gates-convinces-40-billionaires-to-give-away-half-their-fortunes

God, what idiots, don't they understand the principle of compound interest? They must, but where's their head gone..

Their money could support their family dynasty for a millenia, getting richer and richer.

And they want to fritter it away on some aids ridden african who's going to roll over dead in a ditch in about a weeks time?!?

Reply 49

ScouseWheelTrim

unknownking321

That chap's a top bloke. :yes:

M$ is based on a stolen OS.

Reply 50

mart2306

mellie220

Yes, pump a few billion into each of the major cancer charities doing different research, it will tend to pay off.
Turn terminal into chronic maybe. And chronic into manageable.

Many charities have an ideal of putting themselves out of work. Better treatment, better survival rate, even just something as simple as better facilities for families can make a difference.

Reply 51

CandyFlipper

Rockefeller and Carnegie were so much cooler than Bill Gates!

I wonder what charities will benefit from this then, hopefully they're helping good ones.

Reply 52

mart2306

Alastair904

My thoughts exactly, well played kind sir.

<note to self, don't ask Alastair 904 for money for my charity>

Seriously, people have their favourites. Which is as it should be.
I'm in the trade and I'll only support a handful at best, that I care about. The ones I don't care about no matter what they send me or how they datamine me won't get a penny.

Reply 53

gloved_hand

God, there's a lot of really horrid people on this forum.

Reply 54

dhjana

mart2306

Scientists are also involved in the military R&D budget. Which is considerably bigger in size in total in the US than most of us spend on our military.

Are you making that out to be a bad thing? I'd say any research is good, military technology sometimes benefits society at large too and perhaps with the extra funding they could build smart bombs which actually hit the target.

Reply 55

Dirac Delta Function

He's making amends for inflicting **** software on the world. So far, I reckon he has just about covered ~~Windows 3.1~~ Mr Paperclip

Reply 56

int_applicant

thegaffer91

Wow. Their kids must be pissed

lol...i am sure they..i would, to be honest...lol

Reply 57

mellie220

gloved_hand

God, there's a lot of really horrid people on this forum.

I like to think that some people are joking...
:unsure:

Reply 58

mart2306

dhjana

I'm saying that R&D is far bigger than people expect.
Its not just science, and research on one area can impact later research too - including ways not to do things.

Technology that allows soldiers to carry more can be used, with suitable modification, in civilian life. So an exoskeleton could help someone keep walking or start walking.

Technology that allows wounded troops to be found and quickly stabilised can be used in disasters.

Some R&D is just weird. Millions was spent on a robotic vehicle that could be used in the rough terrain of modern areas of operation <cough> Afghanistan <cough> for carrying additional supplies and ammo.
Eventually the scientists concerned looked at what the locals used and decided better off investing in some mules.