r/technology • u/DontFearTheCreaper • 1d ago

Social Media Tech CEOs who grinned behind Trump at inauguration lose billions in wake of tariffs

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-tariff-bezos-musk-zuckerberg-b2727147.html
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u/spiderscan 1d ago

Bill Gates has invested in a lot of good causes, and I definitely would rank him among the least gross billionaires... But Microsoft under his leadership was a behemoth that ruled the sector with an iron fist. He's not exempt from criticism, nor do I think the version of History I've seen of him is grossly inaccurate.

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u/tippiedog 1d ago

I don't dispute your point about Microsoft under Gates, and I'm not disputing your point in general, but Gates did do something relatively unusual for people like him: he stepped down from day-to-day responsibilities at Microsoft at a relatively young age and has devoted most of his time since making a serious effort to do good with his money. We can criticize a lot of details about this, but at this high level, that is unusual and, again, relatively better than most oligarchs.

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u/aguynamedv 1d ago

True, but by definition, Gates is still utterly out of touch with the reality of the world for 99% of the global population.

Part of the reason this level of wealth cannot exist in a healthy society is because it allows these people completely optional participation in society.

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u/tippiedog 1d ago

No disagreement from me