Melinda Gates: Giving away billions getting easier
CARLSBAD, Calif.--Melinda Gates said Tuesday that the job of giving away billions used to be a lot harder.
Melinda Gates talks about the work she and Bill Gates are doing to tackle global health challenges.
(Credit: Dan Farber/CNET News.com)In her early days with Bill Gates, she said the couple would get heart wrenching letters seeking their help and the two would agonize over what to do. But, after recognizing that their real opportunity was addressing society's biggest challenges, she said it has gotten easier to figure out where to put their resources.
Gates said all of the foundation's work is centered around a single purpose--that all lives have equal value. Gates said that her goal is to help further a world in which the lives of a man or a woman are treated the same whether they live in Boston or Botswana or Bangladesh.
"The world does not treat all lives with equal value," she said.
Her work has made for some strange bedfellows. In the foundation's work with U.S. public education issues, it is funding a project in New York that is headed by Joel Klein, the attorney who spearheaded the antitrust case against Microsoft.
"Joel Klein has this incredible business vision," she said of the work he and Mayor Michael Bloomberg are doing in New York. "They are willing to be bold. They are willing to say we are going to shut down schools that aren't working."
Mossberg asked Gates how she felt about Bill's plans once he steps down from Microsoft. She said she is looking forward to his new role.
"I knew he wasn't going to wear a tool belt around the house," Gates said. "That's always been very clear."
Click here for full coverage of the D: All Things Digital conference.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
regards
Ravi kaushika; mravichandran @ hotmail.com
These Gates are in a class by themselves!
I'd like to see more of rich/wealthy use the real "trickle down theory" and help those in need!
CNET, by comments are not making it throught, whats up with that?
give the more you will receive because of the awesom responsibility in giving. America needs
informative advertisement to educate the public of what is actually going on today. What real-
ly is the American view of business vrs. Government. Civial matters that affect our ability to continue our way of life and interact with one and another. Because of the Gate's alot of new
and younger people have benifited from Microsoft. Now we need to play catch-up with the other 20% of America that has never used the internet, never had the oppertunity to be in-
volved with daily matters that even call for giving let alone receiving. Imagine no billboards,
no TV, not even the access to the web, and we have over 60 million Americans that we
are not reaching who could make the differance in public opinion along with the rest of all
the Americans claiming to be involved. Usually 10% of America give all the time, with ano-
ther 20% giving to their local church or cause, bringing up the rear is 60% of us just being
able to give is questionable let alone likely.. Thank You! Mr. and Mr. Gates from all of us!
- by jkk_colo July 10, 2008 1:37 PM PDT
- Another interesting aspect of this huge pool of money is that it is not controlled by any government. They say that the most efficient form of government is a benevolent dictator - that probably applies to redistribution of wealth in this case.
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