Bill Gates Knighted

sprintman · Mar 2, 2005

The Microsoft founder was knighted by the United Kingdom's Queen Elizabeth in a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

The honour bestowed on the American multi-billionaire is actually an honorary knighthood, because royal titles aren't formally recognised in the United States.

Gates was given the knighthood primarily in recognition of his efforts to improve health and reduce poverty in the developing world. To date, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Global Health program has earmarked nearly US$5 billion for the effort.

"I'm particularly pleased that this honour helps recognise the real heroes our foundation supports to improve health in poor countries," Gates said in a statement. "Their incredible work is helping ensure that one day all people -- no matter where they are born -- will have the same opportunity for a healthy life, and I'm grateful to share this honour with them."

Gates was accompanied at the ceremony by his wife, Melinda Gates, co-founder of the foundation.

Nominated for the knighthood by UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Gates was also cited for his business leadership and contributions. In 2000, the Gates Foundation donated US$210 million to Cambridge University to be used toward graduate school scholarships for recipients from outside Britain.

Microsoft employs some 2000 persons in the UK and supports directly and indirectly some 17,000 partner businesses in the UK, Microsoft said. Some 80 researchers are employed at the Microsoft Research Cambridge laboratory.

srivett · Mar 2, 2005

He is a great corporate role model. I won't criticize his products as long as he keeps giving away the profits.

Cheers, Steve

Curious Kid · Mar 2, 2005

A percentage of profit equal to say...lint from the pocket of the average person? I hope he does a little more listening than ordering like some corperations...that whole you're more a number thing than human being like yourself. Some just don't realize how they've got it, the whole interdependent thing, rather than independend. I really shouldn't talk, I really don't follow his doings, and certainly don't know the man.

I will say though, charity and dontaion of time and/or supplies is a good thing, but even better when it's whole hearted, not just PR. Ah, there I go again...just an opinion.

ToyotaNSaturn · Mar 2, 2005

I'm glad for him, he's built a huge company that has driven the computer business like no other.

Now that he's knighted, would you plese release a Service Pack 5 for Windows 2000???

Pablo · Mar 2, 2005

He got it for redefining "robber Baron" for the modern world.

427Z06 · Mar 2, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by sprintman:
To date, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Global Health program has earmarked nearly US $5 billion for the effort.

Earmarked is the key word here. They haven't actually given it all yet, which goes to show what a PR campaign this really is.

quote:

Originally posted by sprintman:
In 2000, the Gates Foundation donated US $210 million to Cambridge University to be used toward graduate school scholarships for recipients from outside Britain.

So thats like about 2% of his income the past year? BFD. Mormons give 10% of there income to their church every year. Many people of other faiths are not to far behind. The big difference is that that 2% would affect many people and/or their children's lifestyles. Uncle Bill could give away a $billion every year and his lifestyle is not affected one iota.

If the day ever comes when people see the light and stop buying into his monopolis ways, they'll also discover what a pyramid scheme M$ really is. Enron will look like the corner store going out of business in comparison. For a clue, look at how much income tax M$ pays in the average year.

DKT · Mar 3, 2005

From the 2004 Annual Report:

Income before income taxes $12,196,000,000
Provision for income taxes $4,028,000,000

This is 33% in taxes.

I have read that he intends to give away his entire fortune before he dies. He got this idea from one of the early American industrialists. Of course this may be PR or it may all end up in Trusts, which they will derive the benefit from, but still better than spending it all on himself (if even could - Brusters Millions sequel Bill's Billions).
I like his basic business philosophy - keep salaries reasonable and compensate the employees on the growth of the company. Of course this is easy when Microsoft was growing like crazy.

keith · Mar 3, 2005

We never seem to be short of people that know how to spend other peoples money

Microsoft created more than 1000 stock $ millionaires, employ thousands of people in high paying jobs, and fueled a technology revolution that enriched the world and especially the US. Not to mention the billions of corporate taxes paid that go towards running the nation. Before you complain about the low tax rate on corporations, please realise that corporate taxes are another tax on the customers of the corporation. That is the only source of funds to pay the corporate tax.

I definitely need to find the world's smallest violin and serenade some of you guys. If Bill Gates chooses to give away 0% or 100% of his fortune, so what. He already contributed about a bazillion times more to the nation than almost everyone else. Combined. It does get my goat when very wealthy politicians sit on their fortunes (Ted Kennedy comes to mind) while devising ways to spend more and more of everybody elses money. Bill Gates does not have the power of deadly force to raid my bank account.

Besides, Bill Gates won't get to take it with him to the afterlife, umless he is planning a Tutankamen like burial. Without running the numbers, I'm pretty confident that I give more of my income to charity than he does, based on percentage of earnings. That doesn't make me better than him.

[ March 03, 2005, 01:11 PM: Message edited by: keith ]

427Z06 · Mar 4, 2005

I don't think anyone is telling Gates how to spend his money on charity, although his crap software could use some help. The point is, why the big fanfare when he could give away billions and not sacrifice one iota of his lifestyle. Further, he got those billions by operating as a monopolist. (See Thomas Penfield Jackson, U.S. District Judge, Conclusions of Law.) For practical implications, ask any small software company that has produced some innovative software what happens when M$ zeroes in on them. The choices are, sell out now, or wait to M$ clones your product and then swamps the market with it. Once your gone, M$ then incorporates the costs it took to wipe you out into license fees and purchase price of their other products (which you never really own, but just get a license to use and M$ insures they wring their hands of any liability from it's use). I could go on for hours on this topic alone. (And if you're interested in more, try to get a copy of the Halloween FUD document, which will be difficult since M$ tried to wipe it from the face of the earth by copyrighting it.)

As far as taxes, yes, you and I pay those corporate taxes when we "buy" MS products. But we also pay for all their profits, which I see as a M$ tax on just about everything you buy or lease. Think about it. There's probably isn't anything you buy or a service you procure, that doesn't have a M$ cost associated with it. Same with Federal, State and Local government services.

Here's some links if you want to read more:

http://www.billparish.com/20030420barronsoped.html

http://www.billparish.com/20000418microsoftnotax.html

http://billparish.com/msftfraudfacts.html

For those of you think he's Mr. Innovation, the only innovative thing he did was to swindle a guy out of an OS, then offer it to idiot IBM execs who thought all the profit was in the hardware. He got the idea for a window and mouse user interface from Steve Jobs who took it from Xerox researchers. In recent years they took networking code from publicly funded research (at Berkeley) and began charging their customers for it. M$ was in such a hurry when they copied this code, they forgot to remove Berkeley comments in the source and got caught red handed, while denying it all the way.

Anyway, if you want to think highly of the man, that's your prerogative. IMHO, he's just an unscrupulous business man, and in my book, he's in the same category as used car salesman.

Gary Allan · Mar 4, 2005

quote:

Further, he got those billions by operating as a monopolist.

Yes, history doesn't appear to hold or railroad tycoons in high regard for their contributions to the building of this fine nation. They remember them for their greed and monopolistic techniques. They revolutionized the era to a greater impact than uncle Bill in comparative impact.

quote:

For practical implications, ask any small software company that has produced some innovative software what happens when M$ zeroes in on them. The choices are, sell out now, or wait to M$ clones your product and then swamps the market with it.

You didn't mention "vaporware". The stiffling of new software by just the hint that MS is going to explore in that direction. No one bothers producing anything that will compete with them.

You must also note that Uncle Bill has made most of his money in the Information Age ..and wasn't responsible for it. That is, the backbone that made many of his billions possible ..is beyond his functional capability to effectively operate.

Besides that ...think of the damage that he had to endure just growing up looking like that. You know that no geek of his magnetude could achieve his level of success without some "dark comedy" revenge for all the sand that was surely kicked in his face at one time or another.

Even the bonevelent looking Chancellor eventually showed that he was the evil Emperor.

Pablo · Mar 4, 2005

I certainly couldn't give a crap what he gives his money too charity, church, himself.........not so sure why the libs are so quick to jump on this one.

WHAT I hold him accountable for is: SELLING fixes for defective products!!! That is modern robbery!

Bill Gates Knighted

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