Comments on: Point-Counterpoint | Bill Gates & Paul Allen: Wealth

By: wait....

wait.... — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:46:34 +0000

Hi, Uh, huh. No, I’m not from Vulcan. It’s just that when BG launches a big disease-fighting project, he’s knighted and canonized and put on the cover of Time. And when PA launches one like he did last July, it’s like—well, it’s been 2 months, so what have you done for me lately?
PA has a good time and a nice assortment of toys, that’s true, but the overall characterization that he is only a playboy in contrast to BG as only a philanthropist is inaccurate.
Not a big deal—you have to do good whatever people say, but I just think he’s a good guy who deserves a little more credit, you know? :-)

By: uh...huh

uh...huh — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:03:30 +0000

@10

you’re clearly a Vulcan mouthpiece.

By: Wait a Second...

Wait a Second... — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:15:20 +0000

You know, Jillayne is right–Paul Allen DOES give a lot to charity, and Bill Gates DOES have a lot of great toys. I know this is just satire, and there is a definite playboy side to Allen, but check out some of the ways that Allen has tried to make the world a better place:
http://www.alleninstitute.org/
http://www.pgafoundations.com/
Also, he built a spaceship, that’s true, but he also jumpstarted an industry in the process. A lot of people have dreamt about traveling into space; were it not for Paul Allen, no one would have won the Ansari X-Prize a few years ago, and those people would still just be dreaming instead of booking flights.
http://honeymoons.about.com/od/flying/qt/VirginGalactic.htm
And Allen does build in Seattle, but not just the EMP—he’s been revitalizing an entire neighborhood for some time now.
Even his businesses have been focused on bringing new, cutting edge ideas to life.
Allen is a self-made guy who made his money creating something good for the world. He has the right to do whatever he wants with his money, but if you look at his life, you can see a guy who has spent it trying to make the world a better place; who tries to make impossible dreams come true, and who looks for charitable projects in areas where no one else can or will help, and fills in the gaps.
So give him a break, ok? :-)

By: Rachel C

Rachel C — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:02:30 +0000

Pistole has a point. If we can’t swear – why are your columnests doing it?

By: Jack Haynes

Jack Haynes — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:28:59 +0000

Oh, I forgot to say that the EMP site (after its demolition) would be an excellent venue for my proposed George W. Bush Memorial Public Urinal.

By: Jack Haynes

Jack Haynes — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:19:50 +0000

Maybe we’re looking at a new medical diagnosis here; SWS (Sudden Wealth Syndrome)!

In any case, I hope Paul Allen saves out ebough $ to clean up the mess he made at Seattle Center. That EMP ‘thing’ is the aesthetic equivalent of a dog turd on a wedding cake.

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By: Allen PeeON

Allen PeeON — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:38:16 +0000

Paul, those close to him know that all his material stuff is just that, stuff which does not make him any happier than you reading this. Do you think that he is a sad and a paranoid man who cannot trust anyone?

Bill even said that his wealth is likely a curse because he cannot live like a normal human being.

Being super rich is like living in the opposite place from Heaven.

By: Pistole - peeved off

Pistole - peeved off — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:08:52 +0000

Is not Kick-Ass a form of swearing and are not the following comments by PA – a form of being a jerk (Suck on that, yeah, that’s right, superyacht oh and Hell, I’m not even that much of a sports fan, but I gotta spend all this money somewhere, right?

Well if being a super rich Richard Head make you win around online then all I got to say is hope this [censored] can get through the eye of a needle on his way to the gate of heaven – oops my bad he got all paid expense trip straight to hell – YE HA!!

By: ericslocum

ericslocum — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 03:49:23 +0000

What would I do with several billion dollars? Of course, I would continue working AND knitting American flags in my off time. I would use the finest yarn available.

I would also buy a helicopter with a recording studio on board- plus two submarines.

And I would bake apple pies for my neighbors using the finest ingredients money can buy at the most expensive supermarket I can find. No more coupon clipping. If I want those Fuji apples for the pie- I’ll buy, darn-it.

By: Jillayne

Jillayne — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:53:08 +0000

wait a sec….doesn’t Bill own some bad-ass toys, too and doesn’t Paul ALSO give to charities?

By: singliac

singliac — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:34:07 +0000

comedy gold! It kind of reminds me of Wiretap on CBC radio.

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:12:21 +0000

Allen definitely won this round.