Slashdot Mirror
The Microsoft Millionaires Come of Age
iseff writes "The NYTimes is running a story about the ways in which Microsoft millionaires are putting their money to use. According to the story, there is somewhere around 10,000 Microsoft made millionaires spending money on various pet projects. For example, former programmer Chris Peters bought the PBA (Professional Bowlers Association), while Stephanie DeVaan founded a political action committee and Rich Tong founded Ignition Partners, a VC firm."
Can't we talk about Google instead?
http://www.google.com/search?q=bill+gates+53+milli on+house
Chris Peters bought the PBA (Professional Bowlers Association), while Stephanie DeVaan founded a political action committee and Rich Tong founded Ignition Partners, a VC firm
Those were the ones that I felt spent their money foolishly. Personally, I planned to make my money really make a difference, so I invested it in RAMBUS's RDRam, SCO's OpenLinux, and those great people at Maui eXtreem that brought us CherryOS, to just name a few. I also have some money in some really rather secret business, but I can tell you this much... apparently a prince somehow somewhere is being locked captive in a sewer ditch, twelve KM outside of Falusia, Iraq, but he managed to get to a terminal somehow, find me, and ask for some assistance. I stand to make millions by helping this individual simply move his money to a safe place. Now that is smart business.
Soon I will be on TV telling Donald Trump, "YOURE FIRED..... NIGGA!"
"When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
Tried shopping for a house in New York City? Being a millionaire used to mean you were rich. Now it just means you are middle class with some savings.
Apparently you don't understand what it means to charge too much.
Charging too much puts you in the poorhouse. Charging what the market is willing to bear makes you wealthy.
It sounds to me as if they are charging correctly. Now, if you want to argue that they have monopolist tactics and such, well, you could build an argument, but to say that charging too much made them wealthy merely shows that you are arguing that MS should be some sort of charitable organization.
I don't think that I would ever go to any company VP (and I know a few) and tell them "You know, we make too much money around here, lets lower prices."
Microsoft gives a crapload of money to different causes though. In fact I think they're number one when it comes to philanthropy. For example, if an employee donates to a charity the company will give twice that.
Especially with the liberal area the Microsoft headquarters is in, it's almost a given that they give tons of money to "disadvantaged" groups.
...buying themselves a new soul?
how nobody spends their money in ways that could help others. Microsoft alone could solve the world's hunger problems. They could cure all the curable diseases. They could save the 33,000 kids that are dying every day because they're hungry.
Okay, okay, we all know MS doesn't give a flying piece of bird crap about people, no matter who they are. But still, it's really sick to see some of the things on which they spend their money...
Bill Gates has personally spent more on charity than everyone who reads slashdot combined. He spent $28 billion endowing his foundation, and they do a lot of good work in, for example, third world health issues.
Whatever Bill Gates' flaws, and he has a lot, he has been very generous with his money.
For what it's worth, I've used my time and money to start up a new company. I don't want to sit around all day long and do nothing. While I really enjoyed working for Microsoft, I have to realize that that chapter in my life is closed and that there are so many other cool things that can be done.
Remember the old bus mouse that Microsoft sold? It was their very first mouse, and it needed a hardware interface on an ISA card. I reverse-engineered that driver, and made my own hardware interface for the S-100 bus which could talk to that mouse. Along the way, I noticed a secret string in the driver that said "Chris Peters rules OK!". That was back in 1984 or thereabouts. I'm glad to see that Chris has done well for himself.
-russ
Don't piss off The Angry Economist
Did anyone read the piece of propaganda? Only the online NY Times site (not in my Sunday NY Times) has the following:
"Julie Bick is a former Microsoft employee and the author of "The Microsoft Edge." (Pocket Books, 1999). The people she interviewed for this article include some friends and former co-workers."
Yeesh. Talk about product placement and corporate tail wagging the dog...
A defense contractor in Antarctica is a bad idea. Get Raytheon OUT of Antarctica.
the $25 billion he's donated to charity probably would've done more good if left in the hands of the people who were overchargd. ...or the people who were 'overcharged' could have chosen not to purchase the product, if they happened to think that it wasn't cost-effective. There are always alternatives.
Just a thought about free markets.
"We have to go forth and crush every world view that doesn't believe in tolerance and free speech." - David Brin
But by 2002, she was itching to do more, so she put her wealth to work in support of abortion rights and helped to found a political action committee called Washington Women for Choice.
Although Republicans are usually pro-business, if it becomes common knowledge that Microsoft employees are dumping money into "abortion rights" groups, that could make the current administration's position on antitrust a lot less friendly towards Microsoft.
LK
"Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano