Sir Richard Branson just stepped up big time today by saying that all profits from his five airlines and train company, projected to be $3 billion through the next 10 years, would be invested in developing energy sources that do not contribute to global warming. He said this during the Clinton Global Initiative, a three-day meeting in Manhattan that amounts to a competitive festival of philanthropy run by former President Bill Clinton. I say simply, “Thank friggen G-d!”
Please note that this donation comes in the same calendar year as when Bill Gates pledged a whopping $40 billion to his Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. This amount was then quickly matched by Warren Buffet, the world’s 2nd richest man, who will donate 85 percent of his fortune amassed from stock in the Berkshire Hathaway company, worht today around $37 billion, to five foundations. Four are run by his kids and the last, the aforementioned B&MG Foundation, will receive about 5/6 of the 85 percent, or about $31 billion. So, the B&MG foundation will have a budget of around $70 billion over time while Branson is funding a foundation that it seems will have around $30 billion.
As Billy C put it, “No matter how cynical you are, that’s serious money.” Thank g-d someone is finally stepping up and doing something good in this world. If the world’s governments are too busy fucking up diplomacy, trashing international treaties, starting wars, spreading lies and other assorted nonsense to do something good for their citizens, its nice that the rich are giving back our money in a sense (they got rich through us – we use the goods and services they own and/or control). I have always believed that we needed a Vanderbuilt/Carnegie to step in and help out the world’s ills. Now its happening and I’m thrilled – if Bill, Warren and Richard want to down in history as the men that saved the planet, they’ll be happy to know that I have a Windows box at home, love the Geico gecko and fly Virgin Atlantic whenever I can.