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AMA: Bill Gates

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Re: AMA: Bill Gates

#171

Post by solveit »

EpicEng wrote: post #104
briandear wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bill Gates writing billion dollar checks is not exactly micro.” He could lead by example and encourage other billionaires to write checks as well. He could start the change he wants to see. When these kinds of billionaires start actually writing checks, then maybe I’ll take their platitudes seriously. It’s like Al Gore flying in a private jet while telling everyone else that flying commercial is killing the planet. I…

>Bill Gates writing billion dollar checks is not exactly micro US GDP was $19.39 trillion in 2017. 0.01% is micro on any scale. He could write those checks again and again and it would never solve systemic problems.

Yeah, but that would require people understand big numbers. Million, billion, trillion, what's the difference?

Re: AMA: Bill Gates

#172

Post by solveit »

pastor_elm wrote: post #95
what_ever wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He seems to have answered this one - https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/aunv58/im_bill_gates_... Doesn't feel like a non-answer as well.

it's a non-answer because he doesn't describe the benefits of being a billionaire. Only the benefits of being above middle class. It would have appeared crass of him to say, 'yeah i love living in a $200 million 66,000 sq ft mansion and having the world's biggest foundation named after me. Having a such a legacy produces genuine happiness.' But he played the false modesty card.

I think his point was that a $200 million home doesn't actually buy you all that much more happiness than a $20 million home. Well, apart from the trampoline room that he seems very fond of.

Re: AMA: Bill Gates

#173

Post by solveit »

SkyMarshal wrote: post #147
blueside wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Definitely not a "hot take" but there are certainly a lot of users on here who would argue otherwise. A lot of older programmers who were well into their careers during Microsoft in the 90's seem to have a different opinion of Bill and his business practices.

The irony is that ultimately Gates and MS did relatively little significant or lasting damage to the world, and FOSS eventually took over many important parts of global infrastructure. Afterwards, Gates went on to create the most effective and well-funded philanthropy since the Carnegie Foundation, eradicated Malaria, etc. While his former competitors spent their riches on superyachts and the like.

The irony could go deeper now that MS has github. Only time will tell...

Re: AMA: Bill Gates

#174

Post by nec4b »

creato wrote: post #81
reaperducer wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He thought paying $10B in capital gains taxes was not enough and he should have paid more. I'm always annoyed when rich people say things like this. I had one say almost this exact thing to me in an elevator once. There's nothing stopping him from paying more. He just writes a check to "Department of the Treasury" and sends it off to D.C. Problem solved. But then he doesn't get to passive-aggressively whine about all…

It's really, really simple, to the point where I suspect that most people that make the argument you are making are being disingenuous. Bill Gates is willing to pay more taxes if other billionaires pay more taxes. If they don't, he isn't. Just like I think my taxes should be higher, but I'm not going to voluntarily pay higher taxes, unless others in my tax bracket also pay them. Even chimpanzees would probably unders…

Meaningless excuse. Like when a child is being told to stop doing something, and it replies but everyone else is doing it.

Re: AMA: Bill Gates

#175

Post by nicoburns »

rchaud wrote: post #78
nicoburns wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm always annoyed when rich people say things like this. I had one say almost this exact thing to me in an elevator once. Why? Surely it's better than the alternative of them not supporting progressive taxation?

The alternative in this case would be for Gates to use a part of his resources and influence to maybe advocate for such laws, instead of just talking.

This is a good point, and I totally agree.

Re: AMA: Bill Gates

#176

Post by canardlaquay »

soperj wrote: post #131
iambateman wrote: post #122

Hot take: Bill Gates is massively underrated today, compared to how he will be viewed by history. When the reckoning of history books happens, I could see him in the running for “most positive social influence of anyone 1800-2100”. His humanitarian work is second to none and we can expect 20+ more years of his direct influence on global policy. The world is a better place thanks to Mr and Mrs Gates.

Not really. You look at Andrew Carnegie who has a similar history, and even a hundred years out, no one cares. People like Einstein and Picasso are who lasts. No one really gives a shit about businessmen, regardless of their philanthropy.

Except that Bill Gates was one of the precursors of modern computing. Einstein? Modern physics. Picasso? Cubism. That's why these three will be remembered for a long time.

History books will probably talk just a bit about his wealth, maybe about his humanitarian actions, but he'll definitely be remembered as the person who made personal computing a thing.

Re: AMA: Bill Gates

#177

Post by dang »

reaperducer wrote: post #51
creato wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I skimmed the AMA for a few minutes, and saw him say that: - He thought nuclear weapons, bioterrorism, and climate change were the biggest threats to humanity. - He thought paying $10B in capital gains taxes was not enough and he should have paid more. Maybe those are platitudes but it's real enough for me.

He thought paying $10B in capital gains taxes was not enough and he should have paid more. I'm always annoyed when rich people say things like this. I had one say almost this exact thing to me in an elevator once. There's nothing stopping him from paying more. He just writes a check to "Department of the Treasury" and sends it off to D.C. Problem solved. But then he doesn't get to passive-aggressively whine about all…

Can you please stop posting shallow, indignant comments to HN? I realize that's what the internet is for (or #2 anyway), but it's definitely what we don't want on this site.

We've had to ask you repeatedly not to violate the site guidelines with uncivil and/or unsubstantive comments. Continuing to post them will eventually get you banned, and I don't want to ban you, so could you please fix this?

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re: AMA: Bill Gates

#178

Post by niij »

batmenace wrote: post #127
johnnyb9 wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree they probably stop caring about their tax bill because they are billionaires. I find it disingenuous however to then look down the income ladder to people earning more than $1 million and including them in your “we don’t pay enough taxes” bucket.

It's not the same, but even if you are not a billionaire, there comes a point where giving relatively more of your added income serves a greater good (i.e. funding for gov't) than the money just being in your bank account. Once you make more than you need to keep up your lifestyle (at whatever level that may be) the suggestion to give back more is not unjustified.

The question is which is more effective at serving "the greater good": the government or charity? Or option #3: free enterprise, which creates jobs, goods, and services?
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