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Bill Gates Gets Personal About Philanthropy

When Warren Buffet donated 83 percent of his substantial net worth to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the things he encouraged Bill Gates to do was to write an annual letter, much like the famous shareholder letters Buffet writes every year. And when someone gives you 83 percent of $62..

Zach Frechette
By Zach FrechetteJan 30, 2009
Zach Frechette
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When Warren Buffet donated 83 percent of his substantial net worth to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the things he encouraged Bill Gates to do was to write an annual letter, much like the famous shareholder letters Buffet writes every year. And when someone gives you 83 percent of $62 billion, my guess is you tend to take their encouragement pretty seriously. So earlier this week, Gates released his first such letter, a surprisingly personal and candid communique to the world of philanthropists. The letter gives updates on the foundation's progress-everything from Malaria to U.S. education-and discusses more heady issues, like the role of philanthropy and the current economic crisis. The whole thing is very readable, and it's nice to hear what one of the world's richest people and foremost philanthropists is thinking. Plus, there's only one picture of Bono.(Photo by Flickr user NiallKennedy)

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