Bill Gates Quotes

Most of the money I made has gone back to Africa or is going back to Africa.

The Clinton Foundation has been able to help millions of people - over 10 million with HIV/AIDS alone - saved countless lives. It's extremely important to global health. They've done some really great things.

I have committed to giving away 80% of my wealth, much of it in India, but also in other countries.

There will be statues of Bill Gates across the Third World. There's a reasonable shot that - because of his money - we will cure malaria.

[Discussing his political contributions:] Now that circumstances have blessed me in terms of my own financial security and sphere of influence, this is my opportunity to influence the direction of the country.

He is a champion around the world. He’s done more for the world than any individual person in relation to poverty, in relation to nutrition, in relation to health. It’s incredible that they’re being attacked, but I know the [Clinton] Foundation, I know how great it is

Today, philanthropy is a very unsophisticated, old world process where people who make a shitload of money go and give it away and when they're making their money, they're focused on 10x, 100x returns on the dollar.

I think, charitable foundations are, in general, a good thing.

I'm very proud that President [George W.] Bush took on AIDS relief. It was the largest single response by any country to a major international health crisis, and there are millions of people who are alive today in Africa and other developing countries because of that program.

I think that there is philanthropy and there is publicity. If you can marry the two to do something good, then I think it's great. Some of the other guys go around and slag people as a profession. That's not so interesting to me, because it's easy to take down, it's harder to build.

When polo is used as a platform to give back, then it becomes much more beautiful, I think.

I have drifted away from thinking about these philanthropic things. And it was only as the wealth got large enough and Melinda and I had talked about the view that wealth wasn't something that would be good to just pass to the children.

I cannot think of a more personally rewarding and appropriate use of wealth than to give while one is living - to personally devote oneself to meaningful efforts to improve the human condition. More importantly, today's needs are so great and varied that intelligent philanthropic support and positive interventions can have greater value and impact today than if they are delayed when the needs are greater.

In the four decades of philanthropy that have paralleled my business career, I've found that the same principles apply whether you're providing access to capital to grow a business, creating a new paradigm for medical research, or pioneering innovative approaches to education: Empower the most talented people in each field and encourage them to pursue their passions.

I think that what we leave behind us is extremely important. I therefore spend a fair amount of time on the charitable front, and someday I hope to spend more time on it.

I do think that people have an obligation to give back but that doesn't necessarily mean that you give back just the traditional way. Maybe there's new ways to give back and make a contribution. I'm looking forward to some mix of philanthropy - maybe through a somewhat different prism - as well as helping entrepreneurs build some significant new businesses.

I want to make the most out of the word ‘fame.’ I want to do good things with my fame, or whatever it is. I want to help and do charity work. There’s something going on in Chile right now with the water, so I think I’m going to down there in a month to help out. My grandfather worked with charities his whole entire life, and we grew up living with him. He always told me about the other side of the world and everything that’s going on.

I think the spirit of America, one American wanting to make another American's life better, or internationally our desire to see countries do better, or people in countries do better, coming from this concept of volunteerism is a very valid and important part of our internal being.

Wealth for its own sake is an empty shell. Wealth that includes making other people's lives better will reward you even more than the beautiful mansion you live in.

I'm very focused on projects that help people, not just help me.

I think it is so great when artists use their voice to help other people and it is really great to be a part of the benefit.

Trump Foundation, small foundation. People contribute, I contribute. The money goes 100 percent - 100 percent goes to different charities, including a lot of military. I don't get anything. I don't buy boats. I don't buy planes.

Looking back, if I had to live my life over, there are things I would do differently, but the one thing I would not change is my charitable giving. I'm particularly thankful for my father's advice to set goals so high that they can't possibly be achieved during a lifetime and to give help where help is needed most. That inspiration keeps me energized and eager to keep working hard every day on giving back and making the world a better place for generations to come.

The nice thing about money is that you can do good things with it. I still feel like if something needs to be done or we need to raise money for someone on death row, we can find ways to do it.

I think it's important to be involved with charities that don't necessarily reflect what you're dealing with in your life.