Bill Gates

[lukey121]

Does anyone know if Bill Gates has donated any money to the Tsunami appeal?

[The Tiggster]

It was reported about a week ago that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $3m. That's about �1.6m.

[Philtaz]

To be fair, it often goes unreported how Bill Gates and his wife give vast amounts to various charities, though I think that is only right and proper when you're just about the wealthiest person on the planet!

I also read recently that Sandra Bullock(Speed) gave $1 million to the Tsunami fund, which she also did after 9/11.

[Corkyb]

I think many 'celebraties' have donated money, but not all have publicised the fact.  Hence the sometimes bitter debate 'Why hasn't xxx donated money, after all they earn/own this, that or the other. They can afford it'.

[WaldoMcFroog]

I agree with Corkyb - if you do publice your donations, you're a publicity-hungry egocentric (does a lotta good work for charidee, but doesn't like to talk aboudit, mate) and if you don't, you're a tight-fisted, cold-hearted scrooge.

 

Of course, one can make a whole different arguement about whether it is desirable for a few people to earn more money than some of the countries they're donating to in the first place, and another about whether celebrities are obscenely overpaid, but I suspect that's one for another time... 

[5029]

If celebs let the public know what they've given, they're accused of doing it for publicity

 

If they don't, they're accused of not giving.

 

Cant win

[FP]

So true 5029! 

[FP]

I think we should be grateful that celebrities are giving large sums of money whether publicised or not.  The more money the better.  And if celebrities do not donate then they should not be criticised.  They should have the choice and not be hounded by the general public. 

[mixers82]

Isn't it more worrying about the fact that people are concerned about who is donating and what have they donated.

Surely the important factor is the aid not who is given and how much they have given.

[Aa01]

I don't know, but I certainly hope so, considering that he's practically the weathiest person alive. You would think that it would be over news headlines as there have been other famous faces donating hundreds of thousands and millions.

[avis50]

There is a full-page article in the Times today (25th January) about the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has just given another $750 million to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, which he set up in 1999 with an initial $750 million grant.  It is estimated that since 2000 the Global Alliance has saved 670,000 lives because of improved access to children's vaccines.

The Gates Foundation gives away over $1 billion a year and he has stated his intention of giving away 90 per cent of his fortune.