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I'm not sure what you're valuing by reposting versions of this comment in multiple places in this thread, but it seems like you think he should have given more

I'm not sure what you're valuing by reposting versions of this comment in multiple places in this thread, but it seems like you think he should have given more money to science. Speaking as someone who works in a nonprofit trying to get high end research done, funding is complicated--the equation is absolutely not More Money == More Progress. There are very tricky trade offs, perverse incentives, and huge talent bottlenecks, among other challenges. A lot of places I work closely around would turn down additional funding if it was offered, given other bottlenecks, the counterfactual use of that money, and the perverse incentives. I didn't know Paul Allen at all, but if he's like other billionaires, he had teams of really smart people actively figuring out the actually correct amount of money to put in the actually correct places, to actually make a difference. They might have been wrong in their analysis, but I'm confident that in no world did Paul ever say to himself, "Well, there is this slam dunk cause I could give to that would help a lot of people and more science forward, but instead I'll have a yacht with a music studio."

tinkerteller 8y ago
Did he also had teams to advice on purchasing half a billion dollar yacht? Do you know the total investment that went in to Allen Institute? It's mere $150M. So you are crying over a guy who spent approximately 20X more money on sport teams, private rock concerts and yathces than on something that might define the future on humanity. Compared to Allen, Bill Gates has lived fairly understated lifestyle without owning fleet of jet planes and spent far far more amount of time on advancement of humanity. I might shed tear when he dies. But Paul Allen? Nah... The guy won absolute lottery for writing small amount of code in BASIC interpreter and got approximately same share of money with the guy who actually did all the work and worked his ass off for 40 years of life while Allen roamed around southern France with his girl friend and dreamed about purchasing sport teams so he can stroke his ego as Twelfth Man. I as well be sad when king of Saudi Arabia dies for doing bit of philanthropic work here and there.
- Stratoscope 8y ago
  Dude... Even if you were 100% correct in all your points, this is the wrong day for it!

tinkerteller 8y ago

Did he also had teams to advice on purchasing half a billion dollar yacht? Do you know the total investment that went in to Allen Institute? It's mere $150M. So you are crying over a guy who spent approximately 20X more money on sport teams, private rock concerts and yathces than on something that might define the future on humanity. Compared to Allen, Bill Gates has lived fairly understated lifestyle without owning fleet of jet planes and spent far far more amount of time on advancement of humanity. I might shed tear when he dies. But Paul Allen? Nah... The guy won absolute lottery for writing small amount of code in BASIC interpreter and got approximately same share of money with the guy who actually did all the work and worked his ass off for 40 years of life while Allen roamed around southern France with his girl friend and dreamed about purchasing sport teams so he can stroke his ego as Twelfth Man. I as well be sad when king of Saudi Arabia dies for doing bit of philanthropic work here and there.

Stratoscope 8y ago
Dude... Even if you were 100% correct in all your points, this is the wrong day for it!