Sir william gates

[m21man 0]

Quote[/b] ]Bill Gates, the Microsoft founder and the world's wealthiest man, is to receive an honorary knighthood for "services to global enterprise".

The recommendation that he receive the honour was made by the Chancellor, Gordon Brown. Buckingham Palace is expected to announce it tomorrow, when Mr Gates will speak at a conference on "Advancing Enterprise" organised by Mr Brown.

Bill Gates, who is to receive an honorary knighthood

The controversial software company creator - whose commercial success has led to hatred of him among his competitors - is worth an estimated $40 billion (Å22 billion). Microsoft is described as the "Evil Empire" by those who resent its grip on the computer industry.

Other Americans to have received the KBE include George Bush, the former president, Rudolph Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, Steven Spielberg, the film director, and Alan Greenspan, the chairman of the US Federal Reserve Bank.

Mr Greenspan is another speaker at tomorrow's conference. The event has prompted resentment in the Prime Minister's close circle, who knew nothing about it until a fortnight ago.

They are annoyed that the conference - which gathers together luminaries from the business and political worlds including Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank, Sir Terry Leahy, chief executive of Tesco, and Lord Browne, chief executive of BP - is taking place in Tony Blair's most difficult week since he became Prime Minister in 1997.

"On the eve of Hutton and the university fees vote, this is Brown saying, 'Look at all my powerful friends'," said a Downing Street adviser.

Mr Gates has been a notable donor to charities and good causes. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was created in 2000 to improve "equity in global health and learning". He has donated nearly $26 billion to the foundation.

The foundation set up a Å139 million scholarship scheme three years ago to attract the brightest students to Cambridge University. It has also invested millions of dollars in research for an Aids vaccine.

See, there's nothing money can't buy .

[bn880 5]

Good for him I guess. You can't deny the benefits his OS's have brought, despite the issues of monopoly etc.

Only question is, is the right man getting the credit.

Global Enterprize eh?

[shadow 6]

He's a genius as a businessman. There's no denying that.

When it comes to his bad sides, well.... powerful people are always envied by others and therefore dirt will be dug up.

[bn880 5]

I just wish we had a more civilized govt. which removed most of his money so that it is reinvested where it belongs. I guess in this way I support socialist systems.

[m21man 0]

Quote[/b] ]I just wish we had a more civilized govt. which removed most of his money so that it is reinvested where it belongs.

Why? It's his money, he should be able to keep most of it. Besides, most of his money is invested, mainly in Microsoft ( ). As he's an insider, I believe he has to announce if he's going to make any major transactions. If the government tried to take his investments, he'd announce he was selling a ton of stock in Microsoft and investors would scream and run away, causing his stocks to lose much of their value. You can't just run in and confiscate money from him .

[bn880 5]

I disagree, I do not believe anyone should have gross amounts of money, it should be removed in taxes and reinvested. This is one of the ways to bridge the huge gaps you have in capitalistic (overly simplified) systems of government.

EDIT: This may not seem obvious, but whenever you have people sitting on a stack of money it is basically working only towards them, and you create hundreds of poor suckers as a result.

[m21man 0]

Quote[/b] ]I disagree, I do not believe anyone should have gross amounts of money, it should be removed in taxes and reinvested.  This is one of the ways to bridge the huge gaps you have in capitalistic (overly simplified) systems of government.

He built an entire company that has had an enormous effect on computers (And therefore society). Let him keep the cash and invest in Microsoft, then they'll hire more employees and therefore will produce more jobs. I don't trust the government with the amounts of pork they could steal from Gates.

Quote[/b] ]EDIT: This may not seem obvious, but whenever you have people sitting on a stack of money it is basically working only towards them, and you create hundreds of poor suckers as a result.

The amount of money in the world is not fixed, you can generate wealth (Through investing, for instance).

[shadow 6]

I just wish we had a more civilized govt. which removed most of his money so that it is reinvested where it belongs.

Jealous?  

As long as a company obey tax-laws etc a government can't do anything.

A government deciding what a company should invest in.

Good one  

Quote[/b] ]I do not believe anyone should have gross amounts of money, it should be removed in taxes and reinvested.

Do you support communism too?

By the sound of it it looks like you do. Noone should be allowed to be rewarded for their success and the government steals all the money/resources.

Do that and this would prolly never happen:

Quote[/b] ]The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was created in 2000 to improve "equity in global health and learning". He has donated nearly $26 billion to the foundation

[bn880 5]

It is not that I am jealous, it is that I see the results of pure/simplistic capitalism. The gap between rich and poor.

You can make jokes all you wish, I know I am right on this, and if I ever had political influence I would tax the hell out of people with huge accounts. That is simply put, but I think you get the idea.

Collecting this much money and not giving it away shows a lack of intelligence, it is like teaching an ape that they can get stuff for money, and the ape keeps collecting infinite amounts that it will not use.

EDIT: You know me, I'm a pinko ass commie like Denoir. Probably more.

[m21man 0]

Quote[/b] ]It is not that I am jealous, it is that I see the results of pure/simplistic capitalism. The gap between rich and poor.

You can make jokes all you wish, I know I am right on this, and if I ever had political influence I would tax the hell out of people with huge accounts.

It's the socialist dream:

1. Tax rich people until they're middle-class.

2. Entrepreneurs and other rich-to-be wonder why they should work their asses off if all the extra money is confiscated.

3. Government wonders why all the entrepreneurs are leaving.

[bn880 5]

It does not have to be that drastic. Has to be carefully planned out and adjusted, but I can tell you Bill would not have to 1000th of what he has now under my 'dictatorship'. oh man...

EDIT: I do believe inventions and good services/products should be rewarded, but not like this (1 person owning millions of others), however this new Knighthood is a plus.

EDIT2: You know, I have lived under both, Communism and Capitalism, and to speak purely on the conceptualization of both, I would have an easier life under communism if it was not corrupted. On the other hand US Capitalism is corrupted so... heh

EDIT3: It is not usually the best inventions/minds that get the enormous rewards in pure capitalistic systems, it is the best business man. Does anyone here really think we should be rewarding business oriented people more than say scientists? I sure as hell do not.

Good night, I will dream of the responses

[turms 0]

While I belive that there is nothing wrong in the idea of communism, I hate to say it wont work in practise, while there is human nature involved in it.

Bill Gates does a lot of donations and is hereby doing more than expected IMO.

[theavonlady 2]

there's nothing money can't buy

............... except for a secure version of Microsoft Windows.

[Longinius 1]

If anyone should have gross amounts of money, I think its Bill Gates. Why? Because he is going to give most of it back to charity, and he all ready has donated enormous sums. He isnt just sitting on the cash hording it, he is actually using it to do good.

He even said that his kids will get 10 million dollars from him, no more. To us, that is ALOT. To him, its piddly sheit.

Nah, he is a better candidate for wealth than many others.

[cozza 24]

Everytime i think of Bill gates i think of him smashing Homer Simpsons internet company

[Dauragon 0]

It is not that I am jealous, it is that I see the results of pure/simplistic capitalism.  The gap between rich and poor.

You can make jokes all you wish, I know I am right on this, and if I ever had political influence I would tax the hell out of people with huge accounts.     That is simply put, but I think you get the idea.

Collecting this much money and not giving it away shows a lack of intelligence, it is like teaching an ape that they can get stuff for money, and the ape keeps collecting infinite amounts that it will not use.  

EDIT: You know me, I'm a pinko ass commie like Denoir.    Probably more.

if you had 40 billion $ i dont think you'd be saying this hah.

[EiZei 0]

If rich people cant bare those high taxes ill be willing to take their oh-so-heavy burden and they can start living like me.

[shadow 6]

IMO the best man for the job to get Calif back on its feet and zero debt and that without using his own money. As I said, he's a genius of a businessman.

[OmniMax 0]

If you taxxed all of his money or took it away, along with every other entrepreneur, there would be no incentive to start up a booming industry or company, thus then what?

The nation's shit is virtually ruined.

You have the government make and control businesses and industry? Corruption, for one and then you're giving your people an incentive to be lazy. "Yeah, the government gives us our money, we don't have to work. They control everything."

Doesn't quite work now does it?

No ecnomical or industrial model!@!?

Instant faliure.

He is probably forced to make donations.

They're tax-deductable, you know...

Or maybe not...

[Grizzlie 0]

Time to die...

[bn880 5]

if you had 40 billion $ i dont think you'd be saying this hah.

Prove it. You know I am who I am already, money won't change me at this point, it would if I grew up rich and had dumb parents, but not anymore. Therefore you are wrong to say this, and by saying that you think I have no character.

[der bastler 0]

I just wish we had a more civilized govt. which removed most of his money so that it is reinvested where it belongs. I guess in this way I support socialist systems.

Hey, you gave him the money voluntarily...

If you don't like this situation, spend your money on other products. Simple, isn't it?

[denoir 0]

EDIT: You know me, I'm a pinko ass commie like Denoir.    Probably more.

Much more. I'm fiscally fairy conservative and I think Bill should keep his money.

And yes, I think that progressive tax sucks.

[Koolkid101 0]

Everyone should be forced to give 75% of their money to me making everyone except me middle class, so everyone but me can be equal!

[EiZei 0]

How about progressive fines?

http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/01/15/nokia.fine/index.html

103000USD speeding ticket, not bad.