• jonne
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    2 days ago

    Just shows that the idea that Bill Gates was one of the good ones was just PR. There are no good billionaires.

    • LOGIC💣@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Somebody said that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a way for him to funnel money to his children without paying taxes, and that the disease fighting stuff is just a side benefit.

      • jonne
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        1 day ago

        I mean, the thing is that a donation to philanthropy is tax deductible, so even if you control the charity 100%, it counts. Instead of paying taxes, you’re just paying yourself. And once it’s in that charity, you can use that money for any charitable cause, even if that cause benefits the non-charitable side of your portfolio. This means that you can

        • pay for your own PR
        • use the charity money to buy a bunch of medicine to eradicate some disease, while you have investments in the pharma company that will provide said medicine
        • donate to academia to steer research goals and then become a early investor in any spinoff companies that result from that
        • donate to a charity run by a politician/other rich person to curry favour

        It’s not a coincidence he’s become richer despite ‘donating his wealth’.

      • IronBird@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        it is 100% a tax-avoidance scheme, they occasionally spend that $ wisely…that $ would 100% be more effeciently spent if done via a properly coordinated/supported government effort.

        that being said…in the Land of the Free…considering how shit is run I 100% understand why so many of these people keep as much of their $ as possible out of the feds hands. the ratfucking doesn’t stop when Dem’s are running things, it’s just slightly better hidden.