Although I don't agree with you about their motives (wrt just trying to look superior to their peers), I won't argue that point. But even if you think their mo

Although I don't agree with you about their motives (wrt just trying to look superior to their peers), I won't argue that point. But even if you think their motives behind the charity are selfish, don't discount the effects. How many Einsteins, von Neumans, Ramanujans, or Musks (pick your genius of choice, really) are stillborn in the developing world because of malaria or HIV? How many never achieve their potential because of malnutrition or polio? If the Gates Foundation eradicates malaria and polio, and we get a few more world-changing geniuses out of it, they'll have done much more to push the technological envelope than any other endeavor.