That's not really relevant to my point. I was trying to demonstrate that it is entirely possible for someone with a lot of money to influence policy in the US,

That's not really relevant to my point. I was trying to demonstrate that it is entirely possible for someone with a lot of money to influence policy in the US, using Gates own activities as an example. Next time, it could easily be someone who is using their own money to push a policy requiring iPads or Windows tablets into every classroom, or using their own money to fight off an anti-trust lawsuit being brought forward by the government.