

How Bill Gates spends $9 billion a year | The TED Interview
Apr 22, 2024
Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, talks about his philanthropy philosophy, the Giving Pledge, and the challenges of solving global problems efficiently. The conversation emphasizes the importance of scale in making a meaningful impact and encourages collective excitement about giving back.
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Early Philanthropic Influences
- Bill Gates' parents instilled philanthropic values by volunteering for United Way and Planned Parenthood.
- However, his early career at Microsoft consumed him, sidelining those values temporarily.
Motivation for Philanthropy
- Bill Gates' motivation for philanthropy wasn't primarily reputational.
- He finds the work intellectually stimulating, akin to his time at Microsoft.
Rotavirus Vaccine Revelation
- A Nick Kristof article about children dying from rotavirus spurred Gates' interest.
- Discovering a vaccine existed but wasn't accessible to poor children was a turning point.