As a long-time gamer and avid follower of tech news, I have always been fascinated by the lives and actions of tech titans like Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jack Dorsey, Bill Ackman, and Peter Thiel. Melinda French Gates‘ recent remarks on the new generation of billionaire activists in an interview with The New York Times caught my attention.
Melinda French Gates points out that a new crop of billionaires exist who don’t truly fit the label of philanthropists according to her, despite their immense wealth.
As a fan and follower of philanthropy, I was recently interviewed by The New York Times about my thoughts on the emerging generation of billionaires. This group includes influential figures such as Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and X Corp., Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter and Square, Bill Ackman, a prominent hedge fund manager, and Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and venture capitalist. It’s fascinating to see these individuals make their mark on the business world, and I’m curious to observe how they will shape philanthropy in the future.
She remarked during the recent interview, published online on Sunday, that the individuals you mentioned haven’t shown much generosity or kindness towards charitable causes yet. They may be vocal and influential, but I wouldn’t categorize those gentlemen as philanthropists.
The NYT interviewer grouped French Gates and her husband Bill alongside Warren Buffet, recognizing they share a more conventional philanthropic style. When asked about Musk, Dorsey, Ackman, and Thiel, she suggested these individuals might belong in a separate category since they haven’t committed to the Giving Pledge – an initiative where the world’s affluent pledge to contribute substantially to charitable causes.
“Certain individuals have put their signatures on the pledge, yet I’m not insisting that’s the only method. Instead, examine their history of monetary contributions to society. Frankly, it’s not substantial. So, you may group Bill, me, and Warren together as philanthropists following a specific approach. However, I don’t believe it’s fair to compare us to those who choose not to engage in philanthropy. They are simply non-philanthropists.”
French Gates explained her reason for taking a more public political stance recently. In June, she endorsed President Joe Biden for the first time, and later supported Vice President Kamala Harris following Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race. She stated that she felt compelled to use her voice after the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision, which ruled that the Constitution does not secure the right to an abortion, thereby granting the authority to regulate abortions to elected officials.
After the Dobbs ruling, I recognized the necessity of advocating for women’s rights. If there existed a candidate who opposes women’s rights and demeans women, I could never support such an individual. This decision carries significant consequences for women’s health, access to care, and disproportionately affects Black women. The far-reaching impacts on maternal health in the US are profound and will continue to unfold. As someone who values women and their rights, I felt compelled to express my viewpoint. Women hold immense power in this election, particularly in battleground states, and their voices could sway its outcome. Consequently, I believed it was crucial for me to stand up for what I believe in. However, reaching this conclusion was not an easy process.
After openly supporting Biden, Musk commented on X that her endorsement could potentially lead to the collapse of Western civilization. In response, French Gates dismissed Musk’s reaction as childish.
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2024-07-29 03:39