Microsoft Tops Corporate-Reputation Survey

Carl Bialik from WSJ writes "Microsoft beat out Johnson & Johnson for the top spot in the annual Wall Street Journal survey of the reputations of U.S. companies. Bill Gates's personal philanthropy boosted the public's opinion of Microsoft, helping to end J&J's seven-year run at No. 1. From the article: 'Mr. Gates demonstrates how much the reputation of a corporate leader can rub off on his company. Formerly chief executive officer and now chairman of Microsoft, he contributed to a marked improvement in the company's emotional appeal. Jeanie Cummins, a survey respondent and homemaker in Olive Hill, Ky., says Mr. Gates's philanthropy made her a much bigger fan of Microsoft. "He showed he cared more for people than all the money he made building Microsoft from the ground up," she says. "I wish all the other big shots could do something like this." To be sure, some respondents still complain that Microsoft bullies its competitors and unfairly monopolizes the software business. But such criticism is less biting and less pervasive than it was just a few years ago.'"

Comments

Inheritance/Estate Tax Avoidance

[Anonymous Coward]

The Gates Foundation has done a lot of good, but like any other foundation setup by the very wealthy, it's a way of avoiding estate taxes on Bill's personal wealth when he passes away.

The foundation is setup and a large amount of personal wealth is donated. The descendents are guaranteed high salary jobs at the foundation and the estate taxes are minimized when the contributor passes away.

The side benefit to society is that they are actually doing some good work, but that isn't why the foundation was setup, it's all about keeping vast wealth in the family.