Bill Gates world's richest man - again

Yep Microsoft stock is on a tear, and that allows Bill Gates to surpass Carlos Slim as the World's wealthiest man.

I give credit to the Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg for being a Self Made Billionaire under 30 years of age.

You also have to give praise to Larry Ellison founder of Oracle, born in Chicago from a broken home he was raised by his Grandparents and attended Illinois State college, but ascended to incredible wealth.

Carlos Slim if he was in the USA would not be as wealthy as he is, in part due to laws and restrictions against monopolies. But in any event a great accomplishment.

Carlos owns Telecom in Mexico, but in America AT&T was split up into Baby bells back in the eighties.

Breakup of the Bell System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

George Soros a Concentration Camp survivor, left the country of his birth, learned a new language, and graduated a top University in England, and is a Financial Genius

The Walden Klan proved that Wealth can be Multi-Generational.

Perhaps my favorite is Warren Buffet, self made, Columbia Graduate, born in middle America, still in his modest home although he can afford a Palace, and a great stock picker, his style of horde cash and buy well managed companies stock when there is blood in the streets.

These people are much different than the Millionaire Next Door types, you know, the guy who drives a beaten down old car, his home is paid off, he takes modest vacations, eats home on weekdays, never divorced, may own a business or has a College Graduate job in Middle Management, but is frugal and saves 15-30% of his income year in and year out because that is what he knows.

 

The fluctuations in the market make all these guys shift positions at the top of the list every year. But when you have 25 billion, having 26 seems trivial.

 

I agree, probably doesn't notice it.

 

I guess he can't give it away fast enough.

 

The article said he wants to give away 95% of his wealth. Wonder how his children feel about that?

 

Bill Gates is really the only one to give away to charities in that amount. He is a genius and a good person. Buffet or Slim have money, but they act like Scrooge McDuck

 

I can't speak for Slim, but Buffet is the second largest contributor to the Gates Foundation behind Bill himself. They are very good friends.

 

He also owns mobile phone ventures in the US. TracFone if I am not mistaken. I don't know which ventures were most of his success.

I most admire people who discover science and invent technology. Salespeople -- meh

 

On that note, I give first place to Andrew Carnegie. The Arts and Sciences institutions he founded are remarkably influential in ways that enrich society, and appear able to continue doing so well into the future.

 

Carnegie died in 1919. Steel was his game. Today it seems to be Technology and Finance.

The World's Richest Billionaires: Full List Of The Top 500 - Forbes

 

Five per cent of Gates fortune should still leave them wealthy.

 

Only if you consider 1250 Million USD wealthy

 

When I first heard that statement, Gates didn't yet have any children, and 5% was a half billion dollars, far far more than Gates had ever hoped to inherit from his own parents before he made his own way. So they have never known any different.

???? Buffet has committed most of his fortune to the Gates Foundation, because it is the only one with the infrastructure to responsibly handle giving it away.

As stock values have bounced around, I believe there have been times when Buffet was the first largest contributor to the Gates Foundation, ahead of Bill himself.

 

Fuzzy Logic. I'm sure Buffet with all those Billions can get all the Infrastructure he needs rapidly. Gates and Buffet are very good friends. That is probably Why the deal was done. Need I say more.

Fuzzy if your parents decided in there will to give 95% of everything they own to charity and not the children and grandchildren would you notice? Perhaps you will still eat and have a roof over your head but you will notice.

Now you may disagree with this opinion. Gates lofty goal of immunizing the the third world is lofty as well as education in the USA. Just my thought is if Gates concentrated his wealth on the cure for cancer we may eradicate the top 3 killer of humans.

 

Just a WAG, Fuzzy's parents are not named Bill Gates or Warren Buffet; and they do not have 25B USD.

 

Year sure but if Fuzzy's parents what ever there wealth is decided to give away 95% I'm sure he would have some emotions on the subject.

 

The missing element is personal time. Both Melinda and Bill actively monitor and make key decisions on how the foundations money is spent. They have spent a lot of time in Africa where the problems are. Buffet could have the infrastructure, but not the time to see if it is working like he wants. This is a very major factor beyond being good friends.

It is a very rare case where inherited wealth did not corrupt the heirs into spoiled brats or worse. Raising offspring that can take care of themselves is a much better goal than ensuring your offspring never have to work a day in their life. My parents started with nothing and learned how to do everything themselves to have a happy life for the whole family. That is one of the lessons passed on and it is worth more than all of Gate's money.

The Gate Foundation is focused on saving the maximum number of lives possible with their money. The vast majority of lives saved are children. What is the basis of shifting this spending to cancer, something that the first world already spends huge amounts upon?

 

FL

If I was Buffett among the wealthiest people in the world I can hire an Army of people to accomplish my charity goals. Gates foundation uses UNICEF to distribute vaccines among other non profits. You Guys underestimate the value of friendship and trust.

The Walton Klan did pretty good for themselves inheriting money.

Cancer is the top 3 killer in the world. Gates himself will not get sick from Polio but may die from heart disease, cancer or a stroke. There can never be enough money to throw at a problem like cancer. Susan G Komen much of the money is spent on the uninsured and not the cure. You probably have family members who died from cancer.
I get immunizing the third world has it's benefits and giving them teachers. Perhaps he can do both in a big way. Again just my opinion.

With Vaccines, Bill Gates Changes The World Again - Forbes

 

A dream.

First, lumping (sic) everything together is wrong. You don't say "he has virus" or "she has bacteria". People have "a cancer" not "cancer".

Different cancers have different causes and behave and respond differently. You might find "cures" (rapid, reliable treatment) for different cancers but you won't eradicate cancer.