Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Good News You Might Have Missed in 2013

thegatesnotes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

1–10 of 171 posts

Re: Good News You Might Have Missed in 2013

#7

Post by tptacek »

mateuszb wrote: post #4

Things you might have missed in 2013: The Gates Foundation's Hypocritical Investments http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/12/gates-foundat...

Oh for fuck's sake. How do you think a double-digit-billion endowment gets managed? By Bill Gates sitting around with a copy of the Wall Street Journal and a cup of coffee, picking stocks?

No. The money manager roles for the Gates Foundation are extremely serious, and extremely high-status. The guy who runs money management for the Gates Foundation was the former CFO of Merck. Presumably, managing the endowment for an organization with goals like "eradicate polio from the face of the earth in the name of Bill and Melinda Gates" is a job done with at least as much deadly seriousness as your average pension fund or university endowment, both of which are organizations that handle their money the same way.

"Hypocritical investments in Wal Mart". Sheesh.

Re: Good News You Might Have Missed in 2013

#8

Post by tptacek »

salient wrote: post #6
mateuszb wrote: post #4

Things you might have missed in 2013: The Gates Foundation's Hypocritical Investments http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/12/gates-foundat...

Seems like the Gates Foundation is mostly a front for a profit-seeking venture.

Yeah, Bill Gates has sure pulled the wool over all our eyes on this one.

Re: Good News You Might Have Missed in 2013

#9

Post by dredmorbius »

Daishiman wrote: post #5

I wish he were to post something similar regarding climate change and energy developments.

Yep. That was a pretty conspicuous omission from his list.

That and coordinated approaches to significant problems, whether at the national or international level. I'm seeing less rather than more success at both scopes.

Re: Good News You Might Have Missed in 2013

#10

Post by simias »

paul_f wrote: post #2

I am proud that the technology industry, of which I am a part, has created Bill Gates, a living saint.

Mmmh, I'm trying really hard not to be contrarian for the sake of it but "a living saint" seems a little too strong an expression.

I mean, of course what he does is awesome and I'll probably never be in a position to do anything remotely that significant in my life but I feel it's easier to do that kind of stuff when you're that insanely rich.

That being said he could probably as easily not do it, so props to him for that. He seems like a good man, saint or not. Humans are rarely all black or all white, that's what makes us interesting.

Post reply on HN