Once again, everyone wants to believe that giving gobs of money he could never actually spend away to charity makes up for past wrongs. At this point we are arguing in circles and it is apparent some of you have not bothered to read the whole thread, maybe you should.
In the end, all the money in the world can't buy your way into heaven and giving gobs of money to charity doesn't make up for all wrong you've done. Bill is actively trying to distance himself from the activities that got him that money. The only ones being fooled are the ones who want to be fooled, the rest of us are not buying it.
all i can picture is Gill Gates, illuminated from underneath, wringing his hands and laughing malevolently at the world. in fact, this makes him sound like he could of been a Nazi who evaded the trials at Nuremberg and is now building schools for Jewish children.
as corny and wrong as my last statement sounds, that is similar to what i am hearing from some people here. OK, you don't like him but he is not some monster. he didn't sit up late at night plotting how to screw everyone out of their computer OS choices. he founded a company that has turned into a giant and has made him and several thousand others fabulously wealthy.
now he wishes to do something with his share of the money, and i applaud him for it. there are plenty of others out there who have much to spare but spare or share none of it. Bill doesn't have to do this. he wants to. so instead of believing in the altruism of his Foundation, some just want to think they know him so well and that he is trying to cleanse his soul by buying his way out of public and/or eternal jeopardy.
come on, who has the wool pulled over their eyes here.
PS- the "rest of us" that believe (at least somewhat) in Bill Gates outnumber those who do not.
neye: i guess i'm not jaded enough to not have a little faith in people.