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NEW YORKâMore than 30 billionaires, including Canadian-born Jeff Skoll, who made his fortune at eBay, pledged Wednesday to give away at least 50 per cent of their wealth to charity as part of a campaign by investor Warren Buffett and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
Among the billionaires joining the campaign are New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, entertainment executive Barry Diller, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens, media mogul Ted Turner, David Rockefeller, and investor Ronald Perelman, according to The Giving Pledge website.
Billionaires pledge to give most of their fortunes to charity - thestar.com
Seeded on Wed Aug 4, 2010 12:05 PM EDT
Article Source: Toronto Star- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
- Public Discussion (5)
Gates and Buffett launched The Giving Pledge in June to convince hundreds of U.S. billionaires to give away most of their fortune during their lifetime or after their death and to publicly state their intention with a letter of explanation.
The full list of billionaires and their letters can be seen here.
The Montreal-born Skoll, 45, began his letter this way: “I grew up in a middle class family in Canada. My dream was to be a writer who tells stories that make a difference in the world. Along the way, when I got out of business school, I became the first full-time employee and the first President of a fledgling company with an online auction service called AuctionWeb. That company later became better known by its corporate name, eBay. When the company went public in 1998, all of a sudden I went from being in debt and living in a house with five roommates, to having hundreds of millions of dollars in the value of my eBay shares.
“Until then, I had not thought much about philanthropy. But with my newfound paper wealth, I resolved to do good things for the world with that money, in smart ways.”
The Giving Pledge does not accept any money; it simply asks billionaires to make a moral commitment to give away their wealth to charity.
Links to the Giving Pledge website and the list of Billionaires above...How big of an impact...I dunno...
I hope there could be poverty eradication at least in ONE country...
Currently Niger is facing the worst and most critical starvation. New crisis in Pakistan. Food needed in Sudan, Chad and Central Stan Asian countries, including the Burmese Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
- 1 vote
#1 - Wed Aug 4, 2010 12:09 PM EDTJust remembering that German rich folks historically tend to practice such philanthropy and altruism in regards to their wealth. Thought they should get mention.
Indian billionaires are said to be least charitable amongst the global billionaires.
- 2 votes
Indian billionaires are said to be least charitable amongst the global billionaires.
I guess the Indian comedian Russel peters now can put an end to the feud on who is the cheapest, Asians or Indians. lol
lol...honestly when I read that report, on Indian billionaires being least charitable, I thought of him too...!
- 1 vote
Nice public relation stunt. Also a possible good deed.
As to when and which charity or how much of the actual donations will filter to those in most need is still to be seen.
I have no idea why these people would want to wait until they die to share (give back) the wealth they legally stole/obtained from everyone else?
I mean if they are worth billions why would they need so much just to live? Many of us have to survive with less then $20,000 per year in North America.
The idea and intent is nice, the results we may never know.
Maybe if they created a charity of need. One whose sole purpose is to ensure everyone gets to have their basic needs for survival covered. Air, water, food, shelter, health care & education. Problem is that along all of these chains there are those that make more money, including profits, then others.
To give after or once one dies is a cop out.
They should give everything they own to reputable worthwhile charities (any out there?) except for $2 Million. If they cannot be comfortable with that amount then they are not worthy of being!.
- 1 vote
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