4 ms·

Why do you think he's not humble? Of all the billionaires I've seen talk he appears to be a pretty decent and grounded person.

sametmax 10y ago
Have you read the same interview ? It's like you try to get a job and the ask "what's you biggest weakness ?" and you answer "I can't say, but people usually say I'm too invested in my work". Why do I even have to explain that ? Gates PR works so well I even have to rewrite the list of all the horrible stuff he's responsible for in the 90's because people keep forgetting. This is terrible, and a reason politicians and big companies manage to get away again and again with bad behavior.
- digler999 10y ago
  I'll excuse all his technical and business misdeeds from 20-30 years ago if he cures malaria. Or even if he scrapes a double-digit percentage gain against the disease. The world has much bigger problems than some dickhead breaking a standard to get a leg-up on his competition. Or buying a competitor and preventing some bullshit technology from budding as early as it otherwise would have.
  - sametmax 10y ago
    Corrupting governments is not misdeeds. And by the way, I got malaria. While working for the Gates foundation in Africa.
throwaway729 10y ago
Remember the 90's? It got kinda crazy: http://lurkertech.com/bill-the-borg/windoze2495.jpg http://lurkertech.com/bill-the-borg/windoze2495.jpg (I kinda agree with you -- as far as billionaires go, you could do a lot worse. But maybe sametmax is right and Gates is just that much better at PR than your average billionaire. Who knows.)
aaronchall 10y ago
I look at Microsoft's uncooperative corporate strategy, which he has direct control over. It really seems to never stop. He could make a dictum: "Ok, from now on, all we do is create value. Desktop Windows will always be able to do the same as the professional/ultimate/bestest version. And we're going to do our best to cooperate with open source, instead of trying to screw them after making friendly." But their strategy is just fine for me - I've long ago switched to a desktop OS that's always the professional version and that comes with everything a desktop OS should come with - GNU/Linux (in my case, Ubuntu, but there are others). It just screws all the other people who don't have the ability/nerve to switch to Linux.
mikeash 10y ago
Being the humblest billionaire has to be like being the shortest person on the basketball team. I agree that Gates seems decent and grounded. But humble? The man is trying to eradicate malaria, and that's just one of many high-profile activities carried out by a foundation with his name on it. (Note, this isn't a criticism. I don't see any reason he ought to be humble.)

sametmax 10y ago

Have you read the same interview ? It's like you try to get a job and the ask "what's you biggest weakness ?" and you answer "I can't say, but people usually say I'm too invested in my work". Why do I even have to explain that ? Gates PR works so well I even have to rewrite the list of all the horrible stuff he's responsible for in the 90's because people keep forgetting. This is terrible, and a reason politicians and big companies manage to get away again and again with bad behavior.

digler999 10y ago
I'll excuse all his technical and business misdeeds from 20-30 years ago if he cures malaria. Or even if he scrapes a double-digit percentage gain against the disease. The world has much bigger problems than some dickhead breaking a standard to get a leg-up on his competition. Or buying a competitor and preventing some bullshit technology from budding as early as it otherwise would have.
- sametmax 10y ago
  Corrupting governments is not misdeeds. And by the way, I got malaria. While working for the Gates foundation in Africa.

throwaway729 10y ago

Remember the 90's? It got kinda crazy: http://lurkertech.com/bill-the-borg/windoze2495.jpg http://lurkertech.com/bill-the-borg/windoze2495.jpg (I kinda agree with you -- as far as billionaires go, you could do a lot worse. But maybe sametmax is right and Gates is just that much better at PR than your average billionaire. Who knows.)

aaronchall 10y ago

I look at Microsoft's uncooperative corporate strategy, which he has direct control over. It really seems to never stop. He could make a dictum: "Ok, from now on, all we do is create value. Desktop Windows will always be able to do the same as the professional/ultimate/bestest version. And we're going to do our best to cooperate with open source, instead of trying to screw them after making friendly." But their strategy is just fine for me - I've long ago switched to a desktop OS that's always the professional version and that comes with everything a desktop OS should come with - GNU/Linux (in my case, Ubuntu, but there are others). It just screws all the other people who don't have the ability/nerve to switch to Linux.

mikeash 10y ago

Being the humblest billionaire has to be like being the shortest person on the basketball team. I agree that Gates seems decent and grounded. But humble? The man is trying to eradicate malaria, and that's just one of many high-profile activities carried out by a foundation with his name on it. (Note, this isn't a criticism. I don't see any reason he ought to be humble.)