[quote=AN]
I actually did a report on him in HS many many years ago. I remember reading him saying that he will only leave his daughter tens of millions (or maybe a couple of hundreds). He always planned to give most of his wealth away. So, his philanthropic actions today isn’t surprising. Melinda Gates has been doing a lot of philanthropic work since the 90s if not earlier.[/quote]
Thanks for your input, AN. Yes, I’m sure that Melinda was altruistic, pretty much from the beginning, but not so sure about Bill Gates.
Just found this:
Around that time Bill and Melinda started talking about giving his money away. They both figured they would wait until Bill was in his 60s, despite flak he was getting about his miserliness. “He had been advised by lawyers and accountants that he should have a foundation,” recalls his father, “but he refused. He said he didn’t need another entity.” Melinda’s wedding shower in December 1993 shifted the thinking. Bill’s mother, Mary Gates, who was fighting breast cancer at the time, read a letter she had written to Melinda. “From those to whom much is given, much is expected” was its essence. Mary Gates passed away the following June. Her message spurred the creation of the first Gates charity, the William H. Gates III Foundation. Bill’s dad ran it out of cardboard boxes in his basement.
Back in the late-80s through mid-90s, I used to work for a computer company and we would hear stories about Microsoft and the way they managed things (the “perma-temp” thing was a big issue at the time, and something that our company copied from them). We would attend the same trade shows, etc., so people would talk and rumors would fly, of course. That’s why I don’t want to state anything as factual since it’s all based on these more personal, anecdotal experiences.
Just figured that a number of techie types post here, so someone who was around at the time could elaborate of have better information about it.
