12.23.08
Why is the Gates Foundation Investing in Governments?
Following money
IN THIS CONTINUED EXPLORATION of influence for sale and various means like pet charities (or charities for business agenda [1, 2]) and lobbyists, we are coming across more evidence that may come handy in the future.
Thanks to the failure of the media, there is a lot of disinformation out there about the Gates Foundation and its actual function (articles are being planted to glorify this foundation). We wrote about it before, so we won’t repeat old facts but summarise a few instead. Apart from a haven that shelters against tax, this money vehicle enables many investments and interests to be carried under an innocent umbrella of philanthropy.
Gates’ proximity to the US government is a subject that we continued exploring yesterday, but this leads to other fascinating areas. We have also just found the following disclosure about Gates’ personal investments, which are made through a philanthropic entity. These investments include oil companies, but more interestingly, there are actual payments made to governments.
Foundation’s investments
A sampling of the Gates Foundation’s largest investments:
Above $1.5 billion
* Berkshire Hathaway**
* Canadian governmentBetween $1 billion and $1.5 billion
* Fannie Mae
* German governmentBetween $100 million and $1 billion
* Abbott Laboratories
* Archer Daniels Midland
* British Petroleum
* Canadian National Railway
* Exxon Mobil
* Freddie Mac
* French government
* Japanese government
* Merck
* Schering Plough
* Tyco International
* Waste Management*Might include stocks, bonds and other securities
**Warren Buffett committed his first installment of Berkshire Hathaway stock in June.Sources: Gates tax and Securities and Exchange Commission filings— Los Angeles Times
Who is pocketing this money and what would be the impact? Why are wealthy governments being paid by the Gates Foundation and what are the returns? The Norway story, for example, sure was interesting and it was not an isolated case. █
The Canadian Parliament receives over $1,500,000,000
in ‘charity’ money from Microsoft’s Bill Gates
___
August 2008: Quebec government sued for buying Microsoft software
Quebec’s open-source software association is suing the provincial government, saying it is giving preferential treatment to Microsoft Corp. by buying the company’s products rather than using free alternatives.
The lawsuit by Facil was lodged with the Quebec Superior Court on July 15 and made public on Wednesday. In it, the group says the provincial government has refused to entertain competing bids from all software providers, opting instead to supply public-sector departments with products bought from proprietary vendors such as Microsoft and Oracle Corp.
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Diamond Wakizashi said,
December 23, 2008 at 3:04 pm
“Why is the Gates Foundation Investing in Governments?”
Because the Gates “Foundation” wants governments to invest in low quality software from a vicious monopolist.
Andre said,
December 23, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Because you cannot give these sums to your bank around the door. You are forced to invest. The conservative investment choice is state saving bonds or a portfolio of some big stock market companies. So what do you expect? These foundations are basically large investment portfolio which spent their money on philanthrophy. Whether it is the Gates or the Nobel foundations is no issue here. In times of unstable stock markets of course the activities of a foundation are put under risk.
Roy Schestowitz said,
December 23, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Actually, it’s massively superior. With a charity you needn’t pay tax. Even Warren chipped in.
Andre said,
December 23, 2008 at 6:52 pm
And you can employ your family and their grand children and do white business withour risk.
Roy Schestowitz said,
December 23, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Actually, there is an interesting recent story I was prepared to back my statement with. A few months ago, Time Magazine published a multi-part glorification marathon about the Gates Foundation. If you look closely enough, then you discover it was authored by the husband of the former head of the foundation’s manager, who has Microsoft history. Her place was occupied by Microsoft’s Raikes, who will now have a large fund with which to promote Microsoft’s interests. The former head meanwhile moved closer to the government in DC (Smithsonian).
it’s amazing how much information one can gather by following the news and taking notes.