Role Model For The Rich

So Warren Buffet has decided to give away about 85% of his fortune. I'm sure it won't affect him too much, as I think I could still live on the 7 billion dollars he's still got to his name, and supposedly the guy lives on 100,000 dollars a year anyway (which I could also do).

It is a noble gesture, plenty of people in this world wouldn't do that. But is it not weird that we live in a world where so many people are starving or don't have clean water, yet someone can earn such obscene amounts of money. And I don't lay any of the blame at his feet, his views on American taxation are very liberal, and is it his fault that he was able to do it? Most people would if they could. Plus it's better that someone like him has earned it (rather than a Rupert Murdoch type person), and is now willing to give most of it away, rather that shower it on undeserving offspring.

At one stage or another though, I'm sure he's invested in companies with dubious policies as regards the general world we live in. Many venture capitalist have invested money in massive mining corporations, Big Oil, real estate construction and heavy chemicals companies etc. So for all these people who have made fortunes out of these 'negative' industries, and have therefore contributed to the unnecessary pollution of our world in many ways, what percentage of it will be given back in a philanthropic way? And is it anywhere near enough to fix the ills of this planet?

But as a step in the right direction (and hopefully a inspiration for others fortunate enough to have too much), I have to acknowledge this great gesture from Mr. Buffet.