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The Microsoft Millionaires Come of Age

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the slashdot-editors-accepting-donations dept.

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."

7 of 360 comments (clear)

  1. Microsoft for Microsoft. Microsoft that matters. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can't we talk about Google instead?

  2. Re:$60 Million House - Trickle UP Economy... by Neopoleon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "And one William Gates put $53 million back into the economy the old fashioned way by building a house."

    Along with over $25 billion to charitable causes.

    http://www.gatesfoundation.org/default.htm

    He deserves the house, I say.

    --
    - Rory [Microsoft Employee] | Free dirt: neopoleon.com
  3. A Million dollars doesn't go as far as it used to by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

  4. Re:I know it is capitailism and all... by NitsujTPU · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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."

  5. Re:it's funny by nomadic · · Score: 5, Informative

    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.

  6. Re:How many millionaires in the making still at M$ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative
    Actually, Microsoft has a culture of pushing talented folks out the door and putting the bureaucrats in power. I guess it's a natural evolution for the company, but I have to say that in the seven years that I was with the company, it went from being very entreprenurial to being a place that I no longer felt was worth investing in as either an employee or shareholder. In the three years since I left the company, the stock price has stayed flat and innovation has come to a standstill. While there are still people who remain with the company that I have a great deal of respect for, that number is dwindling quickly. Many in high-level management add little to no value to the company, what us old assembly programmers would refer to as a NOPs.

    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.

  7. Re:$60 Million House - Trickle UP Economy... by vitamine73 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    he might be a great guy and all ...

    but the same year he started providing grant money for research at my university, they signed an exclusivity agreement with microsoft... that means that they started dismantling the mac equiped labs (we would have no more if some faculty members had not fought against it!), and that it is now a hassle for researchers to buy macs with their own research grants! Giving away a few hundred thousand dollars here and there in exchange for valuble contracts does not seem so charitable to me!