Something I admire about Bill Gates

I know I shouldn't be exposing myself to admitting admiration for Bill Gates as much as I read Slashdot and drool all over my Ubuntu installation, but the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation impresses me to no end. The fact that Gates is using his substantial fortune not to just enrich himself, but enrich the world, is a model for billionaires. It has the potential to be the single largest philanthropic force the world has ever seen thanks to key contributions from other very...er...mega rich people. Managing all of that money and measuring the impact that it has as it funds causes around the world is no small task. It is as if the time he spent at Microsoft was a honing of his skills so that he could hit the ground running in his new foundation endeavor. Obviously he'll be involved in the foundation to a great degree but he'll have to hand the reins to key individuals to manage the day to day activities.

I don't think I am alone in saying that Bill Gates is doing well by doing good things with his money. His foundation will literally be distributing billions of dollars a year. He was (is) a visionary in the technology sector and, here's hoping, he can transfer that vision to the humanitarian sector as well.


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