Bono Defends Steve Jobs Against Criticism Over Lack of Public Philanthropy

[1BadManVan]

Lack of evidence is not evidence.

Thank you for backing me up. What EVIDENCE do you have that he DOESNT donate? Do you have his bank statements? The only evidence you have is he does not make a public showing when he donates.

For such a hater on the guy that was the reason you even have some of the devices you own, why are you even around? To whine?

 

[mrm3]

I truly respect the philanthropy of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. They have done some amazing work not to mention raise awareness.

When it comes to Steve, I tend to be open-minded on this subject. How are we to know what he does, if he does anything at all? We just don't know.

Steve is an extremely private person, it is very possible that he has done a lot of philanthropy anonymously.

He likes the spotlight when it comes to tech... it appears that outside of that, not so much.

Agree!

 

[aristotle]

Steve Jobs was adopted by a fairly middle class family with middle class values.

One thing that many middle class families do is give anonymously to local charities all the time.

That sort of background plus the fact that he is such a public figure and rich enough that he does not need tax deductions could mean that he gives anonymously without any expectation of thanks or tax receipts.

I don't know what beliefs his adoptive parents hold but christians are supposed to not draw attention to their good deeds. It says in the bible that those who receive the praise of man have already received their reward but those who do good in secret will be rewarded in heaven because the father sees what is done in secret and will reward those who do this.

I have very little respect for what Bill Gates and Buffet does because they are seeking attention for their "good" deeds thinking that it makes up for all of their misdeeds. You cannot buy yourself into heaven.

 

[Oletros]

They could be....

You're the ones affirming it can't be done.

I can't say for sure that it can be erradicated but I can say for sure that it won't be if we don't try

 

[nefan65]

We have NO idea what he does in his personal life. Who's to say he hasn't given $$$ to charities, or other NFP orgs? Because he doesn't have a parade, and a 2 page article in the Times, doesn't mean he's not doing it...

And if he doesn't, it's no one's business. It's his $$$, and he can do what he wants with it. I feel the same about Gates, Paul Allen, et-al.

 

[0815]

Wow. You respect me more than Gates!

I agree with 'action speaks louder than words'. We just do not know the action.


Sad thing is, if he did vocalise it, it would put more pressure on other rich people to commit to do the same. So for the sake of encouraging donations it is better to vocalise it. This would save lives. The acceptable cost is some may interpret it as showing off.

I did - but you just lost my respect by bragging that you give money

 

[bankshot]

just because someone isn't bragging about it in public does not mean he is not giving money. I have more respect for people that give money without telling everyone how much they gave.

My first inclination is to agree with you. However, I've thought about it in the past, and realized that this may not be the most effective strategy. While I would abhor the appearance of selfish ego boosting, I think if I were rich and famous like these people, it would be better to give very publicly. The reason is simply to try to inspire others - regular people like us here - to also give whatever they can. If a rich and famous person can inspire more giving on the part of regular folks, then it's worth any (wrongful) negative/cynical backlash from people who think it's all about ego.

Just imagine if Steve Jobs made giving to charity seem as cool as owning the latest and greatest Apple product. How many millions of devoted Apple fans would donate $1 more here, or $100 more there, to their favorite charity? It could do a huge amount of good in this world.

 

[lhotka]

What, creating an industry that generated literally millions of jobs, raised the standard of living for tens of millions of people, and transformed the world isn't enough?

Steve Jobs has done more good, for more people, through his capitalist work than any charitable donation ever could. He's earned every penny of his wealth, deserves it all, and has no obligation, moral or otherwise, to do anything with it that he doesn't want to - especially give it away.

No one has any claim on the product of his labor. We fought a war about that about a hundred and fifty years ago.

Well done Steve!

 

[eye]

He probably gives a lot more to charity than I do, so props to him for that. Even if he doesn't, so what? I don't see the big deal. He can do what he wants with it.

On a separate topic, that U2 Special Edition iPod is awesome looking. I might have to pick one up on eBay. The only downfall is that it is connected to U2, who hasn't had a cool song since 1985.

 

[Ciclismo]

The fact that he managed to a) save a ton of jobs, and b) create a shed load more doesn't count as being a good samaritan?

 

[whooleytoo]

Some people have made their fortunes in - shall we say - evil ways. I recall one TV interview where an investor was gleefully recounting how he was investing in water springs/sources globally, so that as others became more polluted they could ramp up the price they charge for water. That, to me, is pure evil; profiting by parasitism. Acquiring exclusive access to something people can't live without, and then ramping up the cost without offering any extra value whatsoever. The world would be better off without such people.

Jobs (as with many others in his generation in the industry), have made their fortunes in a different way. He, along with his colleagues, have made peoples' lives better. His company popularised the GUI (which meant non-techy users could use computers, and usage spread massively, which has revolutionised how people work and communicate with each other). His company has released product after product (Mac, iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad etc...) which people didn't use because they had to, but because they wanted to. The influence of Apple's design skills in software and hardware can be seen and felt throughout the industry. In investing in Pixar, he supported one of the most innovative and fun modern film companies whose works have brought a lot of pleasure to millions worldwide. That's ignoring the wealth and business he's made for thousands of Apple employees (myself formerly among them), 3rd party manufacturers and retail partners, thousands of Mac and iOS developers.

As far as I'm concerned, he can keep every cent. He's given us enough.

 

[robbieduncan]

I don't know what beliefs his adoptive parents hold but christians are supposed to not draw attention to their good deeds.

Steve Jobs is a Buddhist, not a Christian.

 

[santaliqueur]

This isn't about Jobs giving money, this is "let's hate on the rich people until they have less money". Gates, Jobs, and Buffett are all tremendously wealthy. Gates and Buffett are heroes for what they do, and they are realists. They couldn't possibly spend all that money, unlike the moronic sultans who seem to try, with gold plated mansions. Gates and Buffett will be remembered as probably the most philanthropic people who ever lived (in terms of dollars given). And rightly so, they should be remembered for their generosity.

Jobs, however, might not be as generous. If he donates large sums of money, he does it privately. But should someone as rich as Jobs be expected to donate? We, as less-than-multibillionaires, can say what we would do in Jobs' position, and criticize him for doing other things, but it's his money, and he may do what he wishes with it. He's not stingy for not donating, he just has other ideas. Not our place to tell him what to do with his money. If he wanted it all burned upon his death, again...not our place to say what to do with it.

Or, we could talk about how the sultans and kings of the middle east are pissing away billions on exotic sports cars, palaces, and other things of little moral value.

Nah, let's talk trash about the respectable businessman who will likely die before the end of the year.

 

[whatever]

People need to stop worrying about what the other guy is doing.

If you want to make a change in the world, it starts with yourself! It can be as small as helping someone in need or as large as dedicating your life to some cause.

This is what's wrong with the world today, everyone cares about what the other person is doing or not doing, instead of doing something themselves.

 

[Bytor65]

What does Ballmer give? He is worth double what Jobs is and I haven't seen anything about Ballmer giving either. Yet I never hear this complaint about him.

This is just another Apple Hater issue. What will Apple Haters complain about now when Jobs is steps back from the company. Jobs RDF? Oh wait...

 

[*LTD*]

Lack of Public Philanthropy

^^^
Doesn't really matter in the first place. Though it's commendable (see previous sentence.)

Philanthropy doesn't create great products that redefine markets.

 

[cvaldes]

Jobs may also be under the philosophy that the best giving is done in secret and not shouted from the rooftops in a look-at-me gesture of veiled selfishness.

We know that Steve Jobs is a very private person. He also favors a very fine focus of interest and resources, placing immense effort and extreme scrutiny to a handful of items. He's also a very involved, hands-on executive.

Rather than dilute his efforts on many charities, he probably focuses on a handful, perhaps as low as two or three. As an anonymous donor, he doesn't need to answer the question "You donated to them, why not us?" to hundreds of development executives. He can spend his time making sure whatever he is donating will be used in a manner in which he sees fit, and probably demands regular status updates about how his resources are being deployed and their return.

Of all of the main characters in the world of big business, Steve Jobs is the most likely candidate to be an anonymous donor. It fits his personality.

 

[mtcowdog]

I think the most valuable company on Earth and its insanely wealthy founder can play an important and visible role in philanthropy. Whether that happens or not, I actually don't know. I guess that's the unfortunate part. Such things may not matter to others, but that is important to me in my consumer choices. YMMV.

 

[divinox]

Thank you for backing me up. What EVIDENCE do you have that he DOESNT donate? Do you have his bank statements? The only evidence you have is he does not make a public showing when he donates.

For such a hater on the guy that was the reason you even have some of the devices you own, why are you even around? To whine?

What evidence do you have that an invisible pink uni-mouse isn't currently orbitting the earth?

 

[odog402]

This reminds me of that episode on Entourage where Matt Damon and Bono chased Vince to donate a million dollars..lol

 

[neko girl]

Lack of evidence is not evidence.

Assumptions are also a terrible thing.

 

[myrtlebee]

When I saw the title alone, for a second I thought they were referring to Chaz Bono...

 

[Kaibelf]

Anyone who has their name put on a building as a reward for their generosity is a complete jerk. Either you give because you want to give (which should be done anonymously), or you are just buying attention. Either way, anyone, rich or poor, can do what they want with their money, and SHOULD be able to handle their personal finances without a word from nosy nobodies who think they should have a say in what they didn't help earn.

 

[aperry]

I love the people who say "it's his money, he can do whatever he wants with it."

Of course that's true and I don't think anyone is arguing that. But is he an ****** if he really isn't giving away some of his $8.5B? IMO, yes.

The fact is, we may never know because he doesn't have to tell us.

 

[tigress666]

I have very little respect for what Bill Gates and Buffet does because they are seeking attention for their "good" deeds thinking that it makes up for all of their misdeeds. You cannot buy yourself into heaven.

Why do we have to dis respect what others do to make Jobs look good?

Honestly, it's quite possible they are *all* good people and just choose whether to be private about what they are doing or let people know. Just cause one decides to stay quiet and the others decide to let people know doesn't mean what they do isn't a good thing.

And do you know Gates or Buffett to know that they are trying to buy their way into heaven? Maybe they do care but they also enjoy the side benefit of people knowing and liking them as well. Is it so bad that they enjoy the side benefit too?