06-23-2007, 08:46 PM
There is a public and private Bill Gates and even a public and private Microsoft.
There's the Gates that willfully defied all court restrictions and there is the Gates that is about as generous a human being possible. Schools here in Oakland are benefitting greatly from he and his wife's, foundation's small schools initiatives.
Microsoft has been extremely ruthless (not Enron ruthless, but close), yet they were among the first corporations to truly reward productive employees by sharing the largess. Domestic partnership recognition and many other employee friendly features were pioneered at Microsoft.
There are two edges to that sword. I do think he is a genuinely thoughtful person (they also supported Slate.com for most of it's existence). When you've been a company that copied others for a living, you tend to get ruthless. I'm glad he's sharing though.
There's the Gates that willfully defied all court restrictions and there is the Gates that is about as generous a human being possible. Schools here in Oakland are benefitting greatly from he and his wife's, foundation's small schools initiatives.
Microsoft has been extremely ruthless (not Enron ruthless, but close), yet they were among the first corporations to truly reward productive employees by sharing the largess. Domestic partnership recognition and many other employee friendly features were pioneered at Microsoft.
There are two edges to that sword. I do think he is a genuinely thoughtful person (they also supported Slate.com for most of it's existence). When you've been a company that copied others for a living, you tend to get ruthless. I'm glad he's sharing though.