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Articles on Bill Gates

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Penny Knight and Phil Knight were the second-largest givers of 2023. Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Donations by top 50 US donors fell again in 2023, sliding to $12B − Mike Bloomberg, Phil and Penny Knight, and Michael and Susan Dell led the list of biggest givers

Three philanthropy scholars discuss several trends in giving by the wealthiest Americans highlighted in this yearly report. Among them: Much of this money doesn’t go to charities right away.
Some Luddites simply want to press ‘pause’ on the uninhibited march of technological progress. Stan Eales/iStock via Getty Images

What’s a Luddite? An expert on technology and society explains

Despite the association of ‘Luddite’ with a naïve rejection of technology, the term and its origins are far richer and more complex than you might think.
Bill Gates and Warren Buffett were two of the year’s biggest three donors. AP Photo/Nati Harnik

Donations by top 50 US donors dropped sharply to $16 billion in 2022 – Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Mike Bloomberg and Warren Buffett lead the list of biggest givers

As giving receded to pre-pandemic levels, most of these gifts were designated for foundations, higher education, hospitals and medical research.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, gave their foundation $15 billion right before their divorce became final. Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty ImagesLudovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images

The 50 biggest US donors gave or pledged nearly $28 billion in 2021 – Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates account for $15 billion of that total

Three scholars weigh in regarding the priorities of these wealthy American donors, who gave less to social service and racial justice groups than in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has been one of the targets of misinformation during the pandemic and was falsely accused of helping spread the COVID-19 virus to sell a vaccine. (Reaching the Last Mile Forum via AP Images)

5 ways to help stop the ‘infodemic,’ the increasing misinformation about coronavirus

The World Health Organization says the abundance of misinformation swirling around COVID-19 is as dangerous as the virus itself. There are ways to fight this, however.
After years of claiming they want to fix what’s wrong with public schools, education reformers are still hunting for solutions. Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com

Why big bets on educational reform haven’t fixed the US school system

The cycle of overpromising and disappointment has left donors, politicians and policymakers looking to improve K-12 public schooling with an underwhelming track record.
Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and co-chair of the eponymous foundation speaks at Pretoria University, Mamelodi Campus. His foundation is particularly active in the field of health care but also finances numerous institutions dedicated to research. Marco Longari/AFP

What is the influence of American foundations on universities in Africa?

American charitable foundations have gradually established themselves as key players in the African academic sector. If the benefits have been remarkable, there are risks as well.
Jeff Bezos is now the richest person in the world. Reed Saxon/AP Photo

The world on a billionaire’s budget

There are about 2,000 billionaires in the world, controlling over $7.6 trillion. How does that compare to the income of an average American?

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