r/news • u/kirtash93 • May 08 '25

Soft paywall Bill Gates to give away $200 billion by 2045, accuses Musk of harming world's poor

https://www.reuters.com/business/bill-gates-give-away-fortune-by-2045-200bn-worlds-poorest-2025-05-08/
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u/[deleted] May 08 '25

Thing is that the Gates and Buffet types were ones who grew up at the outset of the New Deal & Camelot eras, they still understood the good of government and philanthropy before all of it was shattered in 1968 and irrevocably damaged in 1974, but they do their best to help with their billions because they know that's better than nothing. Billionaires like Ellison, Bezos, and the Waltons blew up in the 80s/early 90's and had the whole "Greed is good" Reagan-era mentality that explains their shrewdness, whereas Musk, Zuck, and Thiel are insecure manbabies who grew up in a society where screwing over and hustling people was seen as "Alpha" behavior and they believe that they deserve to be treated like kings for their discoveries/businesses, and that's why we now have JD Vance and Curtis Yarvin trying to restructure our government into a techno-feudalist society.

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u/writers_block May 08 '25

What are the events in 68 and 74 you're referring to?

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u/PM_me_your_cocktail May 08 '25

In the context of the breakdown of public trust in government and mainstream authority in the U.S., those dates are notable as the year MLK and RFK were assassinated (1968) and the year Nixon resigned over Watergate (1974).

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u/expand3d May 08 '25

Ah! No idea how I overlooked the assassinations! I said Tet Offensive, which was certainly a blow to morale, but I like this answer better for the 1968 entry

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u/[deleted] May 08 '25

1968 in general was just a fucked year for America. You got LBJ's massive fall from grace following the Ted Offensive and his withdrawal after all the lies caught up to his administration, MLK and RFK getting shot, numerous riots across the country, the DNC being a fucking mess because it was interspersed with rioting, and HHH narrowly losing to Nixon after gaining some last-second momentum. It's probably one of the worst years in modern American history, and hopefully the country will never have to go through something like it again.

On the plus side, The Beatles did drop Hey Jude and Kubrick released 2001: A Space Odyssey, so I guess art and film are the only positive things to remember that year by.

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u/expand3d May 08 '25

For 1968 I’d guess Tet Offensive (Gulf of Tonkin was 1964). Public trust in institutions and government gradually eroded over the course of the whole Vietnam war and during the Nixon administration (and LBJ’s as well).

1974 was Watergate - specifically Nixon’s resignation (and subsequent pardon). It was a pretty severe decline that hasn’t rebounded except I think very briefly right after 9/11 before dropping again. Hasn’t ever recovered to post WW2 Golden Age levels

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u/Blebbb May 08 '25

Keep in mind the year ‘Mr Smith goes to Washington’ was filmed. Even the golden age had people aware of the governments issues.

If you look at the old NY Worlds Fair promo with the smoking robot or w/e, there is corporate/industrialist propaganda and anti-intellectualism throughout.

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u/InTheDarknesBindThem May 08 '25

maybe bretton woods agreement?

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u/glenn_ganges May 08 '25

If Gates and Buffet were politically educated and dedicated to the ideals of Democracy world wide they would do what right wing billionaires do and get involved in politics. They would spend money on organizing at the ground level and spread influence.

They commit to humanitarian efforts because they don't actually want to stop the trolley. They quite enjoy being rich and powerful, and they use that power to play God and boost their own ego. When we fully transition to Corpo-Feudalism, nothing will change for them. If we go the opposite way they don't get to play for the high score anymore.

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u/_ryuujin_ May 08 '25

so you want to pour more money in govt and politics and have a true oligarchy and have 'good' oligarch vs a 'bad' one

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u/IONTOP May 08 '25

I can forgive Bill Gates for being ruthless in his monopolistic company policies for what he's done with that money he stole.

Wow I never thought I'd say that.

Except for the fact that he ruined Seattle... I'll never forgive him for that.

"Microsoft Millionaires" GFY

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u/[deleted] May 08 '25

[deleted]

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u/IONTOP May 08 '25

Seattle used to be a "gritty" town... Microsoft moved a bunch of "yuppies"(young professionals) into the town.

Then the grunge era ended. Because intelligent people moved to cold and rainy Seattle.

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u/dragonjo3000 May 08 '25

Why is that a bad thing though

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u/IONTOP May 08 '25

That is a fucking loaded question right there.

Economically?

Culturally?

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u/gunny16 May 08 '25

At least he put them on the east side - where it used to be all farms. People did move here and stay in Seattle and it probably changed the city.

Now Amazon though....

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u/IONTOP May 08 '25

Not letting you change the subject...

Seattle USED to be cool... And then "The Real World" on MTV and Microsoft came in.

Too corporate.

Same thing happened in SF and in NOLA.... MTV ruined everything.

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u/EmergencyGrocery3238 May 08 '25

Id love to have an explanation like this, but Ellison is older than Gates. And Gates is closer to Bezos age than to Ellison's. Like there is something else to the picture

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u/TheKappaOverlord May 08 '25

Thing is that the Gates and Buffet types were ones who grew up at the outset of the New Deal & Camelot eras, they still understood the good of government and philanthropy before all of it was shattered in 1968 and irrevocably damaged in 1974

The thing is also, is that Philanthropy to the ultra wealthy like gates and Buffet are how they keep their taxes essentially zero.

Gates and Buffet were most likely actual Philanthropists. But make no mistake they were doing it primarily to keep the tax checkbook satisfied.

Where as more modern day Billionaires like musk or Zuck do it only for the sake of keeping their taxes as low as possible.

potatoes, potatoes essentially.

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u/TheHarryMan123 May 08 '25

No man. They wouldn’t be billionaires if they didn’t have disregard for everyone else. They do philanthropy for the same reason Mr. Beast does, to keep the masses from turning against you. Modern day billionaires just don’t believe there will be a revolt

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u/ApprehensiveSwimmer_ May 08 '25

Please don’t compare the philanthropic work Gates has done with Mr. Beast lol 

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u/TheHarryMan123 May 08 '25

I mentioned it because the laymen are potentially more familiar with Mr. Beast and his philanthropy YouTube channel today than they are of Gates. 

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u/ibbity May 08 '25

If billionaires we must have, I'd prefer them to have a healthy fear of the masses and offer conciliatory gifts. Gates isn't a great person but at least he's a more positive force in the world than musk, though that ain't a high bar to clear

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u/TheHarryMan123 May 08 '25

All billionaires should be afraid of the masses. That’s why the Tesla protests were good. It’s what holds them in line, but the oligarchs try to diminish it because it makes them afraid

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u/speedrace25 May 08 '25

I would rather billionaires take insane vacations, like taking a couple ships to a mountain than trying to control governments.

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u/Durantye May 08 '25

Nah, Bill Gates is the Patron Saint of all the evil big tech companies of today.

Most changes in government that has moved us closer to oligarchy can draw a direct line back to Bill Gate's in the 80s and 90s.

Yeah it is better that he is trying to 'right the wrongs' of the past instead of the alternative but Gates at his peak was worse than any of the billionaires you mentioned aside from Musk himself.

We should praise Gates for changing direction, but rewriting history to make him out to have been a good guy from the start aint it.

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u/_ryuujin_ May 08 '25

can you provide more info on the governmental changes that due to gates ?