dcbby 发表于 2025-04-01 15:34 XAI 's take: Critics argue that Bill Gates’ donations to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are primarily a strategy for tax avoidance, with the added claim that his children control the foundation and, by extension, the money. While these criticisms raise valid points worth exploring, a closer look suggests that the reality is more nuanced, and the evidence leans toward genuine philanthropy rather than a scheme for tax evasion or family enrichment. ### Addressing the Tax Avoidance Claim It’s true that donating to charity offers tax benefits in the U.S. When Gates donates large sums—say, $1 billion—he can deduct that amount from his taxable income. At a top federal tax rate of 37%, this might save him around $370 million in taxes. However, this still means he’s giving away $630 million more than he saves. Over the years, Gates has donated tens of billions, far exceeding any tax savings. If his main goal were to avoid taxes, he could use other methods—like offshore accounts or private trusts—that don’t involve parting with most of his wealth. The tax code incentivizes philanthropy for everyone, not just Gates, and while he benefits from this system, the scale of his giving suggests it’s not just about keeping money in his pocket. ### Do His Children Control the Foundation? The idea that Gates’ children—Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe—control the foundation doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a public charitable trust, not a private family entity. It’s governed by a board of trustees, which currently includes Gates, his ex-wife Melinda French Gates, and other independent members. His children are not on the board, nor is there evidence they have direct control over the funds. Gates has publicly stated that his kids will inherit only a small fraction of his wealth—reportedly $10 million each—with the vast majority going to charity. The foundation’s assets are legally bound to be used for charitable purposes, not personal gain, and its operations are subject to strict oversight and public disclosure. If Gates wanted his children to control his wealth, setting up a private family trust would be a simpler and more discreet option, yet he hasn’t done that. ### The Foundation’s Real Impact The foundation’s work provides a strong counterpoint to the critics. It has poured billions into global health, education, and poverty reduction—think vaccine programs that have saved millions of lives, efforts to eradicate diseases like polio and malaria, and initiatives to improve sanitation in developing countries. These projects are independently audited and have measurable, large-scale impacts. If this were just a tax dodge or a way to funnel money to his kids, why commit to such public, heavily regulated efforts? There are less scrutinized ways to hide or preserve wealth, but Gates has chosen a path that invites transparency and accountability. ### Transparency and Rules U.S. charitable foundations must follow strict regulations: they have to distribute at least 5% of their assets annually for charitable causes, and their finances are publicly reported. The Gates Foundation meets these requirements and goes further, regularly sharing detailed updates on its grants and projects. This level of openness makes it tough to argue that it’s a front for personal or family benefit. ### What Drives Gates? Gates has long said he feels a moral duty to use his wealth to tackle global problems, a belief reflected in his co-founding of the Giving Pledge, where billionaires commit to giving away most of their fortunes. His actions—donating billions and pledging even more—line up with this stance. Sure, tax benefits are part of the equation, but they don’t erase the broader intent. Critics might see cynicism in every move, but the foundation’s structure, its impact, and Gates’ consistent behavior suggest philanthropy is the bigger driver. ### My Take The tax avoidance critique oversimplifies things. Yes, Gates gets tax breaks, but he’s still giving away far more than he saves, and the money funds real, world-changing work. As for his kids controlling the foundation, that’s not supported by how it’s set up or run—they don’t have the reins, and the funds are locked into charitable use. While skepticism about billionaires is fair, the evidence here points more to a sincere effort to give back than a clever ruse to dodge taxes or hoard wealth for his family. The foundation’s transparency and results make it hard to dismiss as just a tax gimmick.
你不会真的相信巴菲特是盖茨基金控制人这种谣言吧 谣言就是从你这种人这里传出去
合理 每一版本的windows常常感覺也進步不到1%
规定捐给基金会的钱不得扣税就可以了。只有基金会花给最终用户的钱才能扣税。中间层层转手克扣的钱都是不能扣的。 想要扣税就直接捐给IRS
看来盖茨拿着你交的税钱开发毒疫苗然后逼着你打还不够
八肥是gates-Melinda foundation trustee 15年，2021年辞职
真是把我看笑了，偏偏我这人最喜欢打脸， https://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/leadership/warren-buffett 下面这个是巴菲特2006 年致股东信里面的内容 里面也说明了他在盖茨基金中agree to serve as a trustee…就是三大信托人之一. https://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/2006ltr.pdf 另外2021 年他退出盖茨基金的受托人的时候也发表了声明 我懒的免费教育你了 我猜你下一步会和我辩 ，是受托人啊 不是控制人啊 巴拉巴拉吧啦…… 啊 对对对 你对 你都对 行吗？我没有义务去教育一个愚钝的傻子….你随意…..
说的挺好的。 大门巴菲特这种nerd儿女心不重，而且觉得一个亿完全够花了。是真心想不到给儿女留钱。Charlie munger 就早早都把钱给子女了。老巴怎么劝他，他都不肯捐钱。 这跟避税没啥关系。主要还是想不想给儿女留钱。
trustee有一个board一堆人呢，你不知道吗？ 并不是他造谣说的巴菲特是盖茨基金三大控股人之一
所以第一巴菲特几年前就已经辞职了 第二你也没有找到source哪个说了是三大管理者之一 你不是在造谣么 你不知道trustee的board有很多人吗 你这人除了造谣也没别的能耐了
你说你自己吗
基金会在中国 扶贫减贫 与国家卫生健康委员会等部门合作，在基层卫生服务体系和儿童营养改善等领域设立创新模式试点，支持中国消除绝对贫困，同时探索解决“相对贫困”的长效机制。[7] 与国务院扶贫办以及相关智库合作，进行扶贫政策研究总结经验，推动中国国内以及中国和其他国家之间的经验分享，并动员更多人积极参与并支持中国的扶贫减贫工作。[8] 卫生改善 与中国合作伙伴携手推出一系列项目[9] ，通过药物研发、诊疗技术创新、新防控模式的试点推广和相关政策的倡导，更有效地遏制结核病和艾滋病的传播，并降低吸烟所带来的经济负担与健康风险。[10] 扩大国家免疫规划 与中国疾控中心、国家免疫规划专家咨询委员会等伙伴开展合作[11] ，在政策、定价、供应、预算和异常反应管理等多方面做好充分准备，推动包括肺炎球菌（PCV）、人乳头瘤病毒（HPV）、轮状病毒（Rota Virus）和b型流感嗜血杆菌（Hib）疫苗等在内的疫苗纳入国家免疫规划。 慈善发展与合作 与政府、学术机构和社会组织，以及众多慈善家合作，共同鼓励慈善捐助并倡导有利于公益慈善发展的政策环境，资助创建了深圳国际公益学院，为中国公益事业培养人才。[12] 消除疟疾 与中国商务部和国家卫健委等伙伴开展合作，加快中国制造的高质量、低成本抗疟产品进入全球市场，利用中国的双边和多边合作机制填补资金和技术缺口，并协助中国与疟疾高发地区分享疟疾防控经验。[13] 农业发展 与中国政府、私营部门和金融机构合作，开发并转让技术、方案和模式，帮助农民提高作物产量，还支持中国通过参与国际和区域多边合作机制，分享在农业领域的技术、经验和资源，推动撒哈拉以南非洲地区的农业转型。[13] 药物研发 和北京市政府以及清华大学三方联合成立了全球健康药物研发中心。针对结核病、疟疾等重大传染病进行新药研发，建立具有开创性的药物研发和应用转化平台，为促进中国和全球贫困人群的健康做贡献。[14] 盖茨基金会正在与GHDDI在内的中国伙伴们合作解决全球健康与发展领域的许多难题，例如根除脊髓灰质炎，诊断、预防和治疗艾滋病、结核病，以及开发更加经济实惠、可持续的新一代环境卫生技术，在全球范围内改善人们的生活。[30] 低成本疫苗和基本卫生产品 与中国政府、私营部门和全球卫生合作伙伴一起发现、研发并交付高质量、可负担的卫生产品，这些卫生产品包括乙脑疫苗、灭活脊髓灰质炎疫苗、防治宫颈癌的人乳头瘤病毒（HPV）疫苗以及治疗疟疾的青蒿素综合疗法，等等。[13] 改善医药产品监管体系 通过世界卫生组织（WHO）和其他合作伙伴向中国监管机构提供技术支持及帮助，促使中国的监管标准和流程与国际接轨，提升整体监管能力，实现中国医药产品监管的改革目标。[13] 公共卫生设施技术革新 与合作伙伴一道进行突破性环境卫生和厕所技术的创新和商业化推广，培育市场并倡导公共政策，以支持改善全球最贫困人群的卫生条件。[15]