Normally, the articles for this are about trends and technologies in Windows. This story will be a bit more about Bill Gates, founder and chief software architect of Microsoft. Something Bill Gates and his wife Melinda are becoming more known for though is the charitable work of their foundation. Time magazine made them their “Person of the Year.”
Time normally picks a “Person of the Year” every year and there have certainly been some intriguing people to get that title, which used to be called “Man of the Year.” This year, the magazine split the honors between Bono, leader singer of U2, and Bill and Melinda Gates. While no one doubts Bono’s limitless energy in helping to feed the world’s poor and bring about peace in the world, the Gateses have the closest thing to an unlimited bankroll for any human alive. And they wield that money with the efficiency and passion, intelligence and conviction.
In the tech world, Microsoft and its founder Bill Gates are often maligned. Many suggest they have engaged in questionable business practices, they’re pricing is too high and they essentially have a monopoly on a lot of software. Bill Gates is also the wealthiest man on the planet, with an estimated wealth of somewhere over $50 billion dollars.
Time quoted Gates in a Fortune article from 2002, “”Well, when you have the resources that could make a very big impact, you can’t just say to yourself, ‘O.K., when I’m 60, I’ll get around to that. Stand by.”
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation runs a $29 billion grant for various charities. They watch where every penny goes. They approach this charity with the same eye for detail Gates built his empire on. Earlier in the year, the Foundation funded the “Great Challenges.” The word went out for scientists and their teams around the world to send in feasible projects that can make a difference. The most promising projects that fit the criteria were funded. These were mostly about public health issues.
The Gateses are still young and full of passion for their cause. They watch their charity like hawks because they want to make sure the money is spent right and efficiently. They’ve worked a lot with the singer Bono. Time quoted him also about Gates, “”He’s changing the world twice,” says Bono of Bill. “And the second act for Bill Gates may be the one that history regards more.”
John Stith is a staff writer for murdok covering technology and business.
