Bono Defends Steve Jobs Against Criticism Over Lack of Public Philanthropy

[SirithX]

Jobs evades taxes as well however, his $1 yearly salary is a common trick among executives who would get stock options and corporate gifts instead, which are taxed at much lower rates than a normal salary. He isn't as bad as other companies (as far as we know) such as GE and Bank of America, where executives pay less in taxes than their secretaries, but still. This is really another argument altogether anyway.

 

[samcraig]

Donating or not is purely personal. Companies do it - some for genuine reasons of generosity, others because it's expected, and others because it's good publicity. Some private individuals do, others don't, or you don't hear about it.

Bottom line: at the end of the day, it's GRAVY. It's a bonus. I'm not going to come down on someone because they don't give to charity. It's a personal act and really nobody's business. Now being stingy might not make the person a saint, but there's so much more to a person's story than acts of charity.

It doesn't really matter one way or the other, and it's rather silly to beat someone over the head with it when they have accomplished and done as much as Steve Jobs (a lot of which was for the good anyway.)

My biggest objection to your posts LTD is not a lot of the content which some of which I agree with. It's your willingness to just excuse anything and everything Apple or Jobs does just because you're in love. And I'm referring to your plethora of posts on MR - not just on this subject.

 

[Andronicus]

Really? You're going to turn this into a faith thing?

I bet you think the earth is only 5000 years old, that it's flat, and that it's at the center of the universe too?

I live in Texas. Dead center of the bible belt and have never met anyone who believes what you say.

 

[thetoad30]

Does anyone remember Jobs actually manipulating the donor system so he could get his liver transplant?

How much money did that take?

How can anyone use their private jet to fly to a different state just because it gets you to the top of the list? Tell me how that's generous?

And if YOU were supposed to be the next person to receive that liver, how would you feel, assuming you lived to feel it?

 

[samcraig]

Jobs evades taxes as well however, his $1 yearly salary is a common trick among executives who would get stock options and corporate gifts instead, which are taxed at much lower rates than a normal salary. He isn't as bad as other companies (as far as we know) such as GE and Bank of America, where executives pay less in taxes than their secretaries, but still. This is really another argument altogether anyway.

I think you'll find that GE has probably contributed more to society as a whole than Apple could dream of. GE owns MANY businesses from healthcare to energy to technology, and beyond. You'd be surprised at how big a company they are and how much they have benefited society.

Just sayin'

 

[thetoad30]

I live in Texas. Dead center of the bible belt and have never met anyone who believes what you say.

They're out there. And there are more than you think.

I had one of them tell me in college that they truly believed that if Hitler believed in Jesus that he was in Heaven. And as Lewis Black would say, "I don't have the time or energy to make that ***** up anymore."

They also told me how carbon dating was a complete conspiracy, and that the Dinosaurs lived only 5000 years ago because their bones were found next to a crow's or something.

 

[MacVibe]

What he gives is his business. I am interested in hearing how much the multi-billionaire Steve Jobs pays in taxes every year, this is everybody's business. Do billionaires even pay taxes or are they so rich they they have accountants/shelters to get out of paying them? And Apple in general, are they paying their full share on their massive profits every quarter?

 

[CWT1965]

Donating or not is purely personal. Companies do it - some for genuine reasons of generosity, others because it's expected, and others because it's good publicity. Some private individuals do, others don't, or you don't hear about it.

Bottom line: at the end of the day, it's GRAVY. It's a bonus. I'm not going to come down on someone because they don't give to charity. It's a personal act and really nobody's business. Now being stingy might not make the person a saint, but there's so much more to a person's story than acts of charity.

It doesn't really matter one way or the other, and it's rather silly to beat someone over the head with it when they have accomplished and done as much as Steve Jobs (a lot of which was for the good anyway.)

If Steve doesn't even donate a cent each year to charity it wouldn't bother me or think any worse of him, he keeps hundreds of thousands of people off welfare with the jobs he has created at his HQ and his shops and brings joy to the lives of hundreds of millions of people with his products.

He can rightfully take his place in heaven when he dies if such a place exists

 

[*LTD*]

Well it's just a good thing that whoever donated their liver believed in things beyond products then, isn't it.

It's a nice thing. It's commendable. But it shouldn't be expected.

There are a lot of people who do not donate organs (or money) who are exceptional and exemplary individuals. The reasons for not doing so (and for doing so) are many, varied, and some are perfectly innocuous.

Charitableness is a thing that is too subjective (and often unfair) to use as a defining marker of someone's character and lifelong achievements - especially in light of the fact that the particular person under discussion has created so much value, in terms of jobs, products that make our lives better, etc. If I want to criticize him (meaningfully), I'd look for something a little more substantial.

 

[ThePoach]

While I agree with you on the it's your money and you spend it how you wish.

I will point out it's silly to say some one on low income should give money to be able to point fingers. A dollar for some one living paycheck to paycheck makes a much bigger difference (it can make the difference on being able to eat something) than a dollar to some one who has billions.

I agree with you and in YOUR case you are the exception, but most of the people on here are not in your financial situation.

 

[MRU]

What he gives is his business. I am interested in hearing how much the multi-billionaire Steve Jobs pays in taxes every year, this is everybody's business. Do billionaires even pay taxes or are they so rich they they have accountants/shelters to get out of paying them? And Apple in general, are they paying their full share on their massive profits every quarter?

Exactly.

Watch Bono choke if you asked him...... Seriously.

 

[gnasher729]

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.

And you know what... he doesn't give a damn what you think. Nor should he.

There are plenty of people who should be ashamed of the way they make money. Bankers. Drug dealers. Pimps. Steve Jobs is not among them. He made most of his money by producing animated movies, and what Pixar did there and their influence on Disney made the world a more pleasant place. And another big chunk of money he made at Apple, again making the world a better place, building computers, music players and phones that people actually _want_ to buy.

Apple doesn't do charity, but they have done more to reduce the environmental impact of their computers than everyone else (and not talked about it which is why Greenpeace attacked them), and they are the only computer manufacturer who actually does something to improve working conditions in China (like paying several million dollars to workers who got ripped off by employment agencies).

As far as I'm concerned, Steve Jobs is perfectly welcome to keep all the money he's made. I have the impression that since he isn't going to die soon, and since the Apple stock didn't crash when he resigned from being CEO, and since nobody can compete with the iPad, some people just have to find something negative and try to blackmail him into giving away money. Pathetic.

 

[samcraig]

Does anyone remember Jobs actually manipulating the donor system so he could get his liver transplant?

How much money did that take?

How can anyone use their private jet to fly to a different state just because it gets you to the top of the list? Tell me how that's generous?

And if YOU were supposed to be the next person to receive that liver, how would you feel, assuming you lived to feel it?

Well - the issue which is more controversial there is whether or not someone which cancer should have gotten a transplant to begin with as it's almost always the rule that transplants are given to people who have a better chance of survival (long term).

I won't just because it can be argued that as a valuable member of society as a whole, he is worth saving at that cost. Not that I'd want to be the person on the list that was denied (and possibly died) waiting because someone (anyone) jumped the line

 

[notjustjay]

the reason I don't donate is 1 I dont like it being forced upon me and secondly because most of the money donated never reaches the people it is meant to help, most of it goes in expenses and lavish offices for executives, if Jobs is opting out of that **** fair play to him.

I can certainly understand this. While administrative costs and overhead are always going to be a fact of life, some charities manage it better than others, and there will always be "greedy executives" looking to take their cut.

I donate both my time and my money but I do it for an organization that I'm heavily involved with myself so I know exactly where the money is needed and where it's going. Yes, I've seen money get wasted (and sometimes it's even my fault) but we learn from the mistakes and take care not to repeat them. I find it much more fulfilling to be able to help an organization from this intimately close perspective than simply to be writing cheques from afar.

Really? You're going to turn this into a faith thing?

I bet you think the earth is only 5000 years old, that it's flat, and that it's at the center of the universe too?

I'd call myself as much a devout Christian as the fellow you quoted, yet I believe in none of the above. Why? Because of the scientific evidence to the contrary. None of the above are issues of faith. Yes, you'll find some fundamentalist Creationists who believe the above, but that view isn't shared by all Christians, nor is it taught as fact in the Christian Bible. Go ahead, look it up.

Edit: I see that this point has been made already a few posts up.

 

[CWT1965]

Does anyone remember Jobs actually manipulating the donor system so he could get his liver transplant?

How much money did that take?

How can anyone use their private jet to fly to a different state just because it gets you to the top of the list? Tell me how that's generous?

And if YOU were supposed to be the next person to receive that liver, how would you feel, assuming you lived to feel it?

It was more important someone like Steve getting a new liver than anyone else.

If Steve who brings joy to millions had died because some reformed alcoholic truck driver had taken that liver who would be the bigger loss to the world ?

It was right that someone like Steve got priority

 

[NATO]

Bono = Hypocrite

Yeah I wouldn't pay too much attention to anything Bono has to say about anything - banging on about poverty and trying to act like he's some moral authority when he's quite happy to avoid taxes in his native Ireland by moving part of U2's operations to the Netherlands

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/aug/09/artsnews.ireland

I don't know how he can sleep at night when Ireland's economy was going down the tube.

 

[Xian Zhu Xuande]

I love how Jobs gets a pass from everyone on MR, but anyone else would be a greedy, selfish, capitalist. Jobs is the epotomy of a greedy, selfish, capitalist; but that is exactly why Apple is such a financial success.

Who are you to judge him on a personal level?

I love how people are so quick to judge him based on what he does or does not contribute when they have no idea what he does or does not contribute. He's always been a very private person and the only contributions we know about are contributions we've heard about from other sources.

 

[CWT1965]

I can certainly understand this. While administrative costs and overhead are always going to be a fact of life, some charities manage it better than others, and there will always be "greedy executives" looking to take their cut.

I donate both my time and my money but I do it for an organization that I'm heavily involved with myself so I know exactly where the money is needed and where it's going. Yes, I've seen money get wasted (and sometimes it's even my fault) but we learn from the mistakes and take care not to repeat them. I find it much more fulfilling to be able to help an organization from this intimately close perspective than simply to be writing cheques from afar.



I'd call myself as much a devout Christian as the fellow you quoted, yet I believe in none of the above. Why? Because of the scientific evidence to the contrary. None of the above are issues of faith. Yes, you'll find some fundamentalist Creationists who believe the above, but that view isn't shared by all Christians, nor is it taught as fact in the Christian Bible. Go ahead, look it up.

I donate to a dog rescue centre, a charity that restores hedgehogs that have been injured by cars for example back to health and I donate to another dogs home, they are all subjects close to my heart so I do donate money there, all the charities are quite small so I know my money is going to help the dogs and the hedgehogs whereas if I donate to Oxfam or Amnesty International it is more likely to be swallowed up in paying towards private jets for executives and luxury offices.

 

[Bilbo63]

Does anyone remember Jobs actually manipulating the donor system so he could get his liver transplant?

How much money did that take?

How can anyone use their private jet to fly to a different state just because it gets you to the top of the list? Tell me how that's generous?

And if YOU were supposed to be the next person to receive that liver, how would you feel, assuming you lived to feel it?

I recall speculation about the donor system, (which was to be expected) but I don't recall it was ever actually proven to be the case. I recall doctors and hospital officials saying that "who" Steve was was made no difference.

As far as the jet goes, big deal... the guy takes salary of $1. Keeping Steve around was in Apple's best interest. I'd call it a legitimate business expense.

Don't some of you ever get tired of throwing stones?

 

[notjustjay]

It was more important someone like Steve getting a new liver than anyone else.

If Steve who brings joy to millions had died because some reformed alcoholic truck driver had taken that liver who would be the bigger loss to the world ?

It was right that someone like Steve got priority

WHAT?!

I... I don't even know where to begin. That's not right at all. It might be "right" if the drunk truck driver lost to Steve on a fair playing field... but not if Steve had any influence on the matter. How is it ever right when the rich and powerful get to choose who lives and who dies?

 

[Claefer]

Yeah I wouldn't pay too much attention to anything Bono has to say about anything - banging on about poverty and trying to act like he's some moral authority when he's quite happy to avoid taxes in his native Ireland by moving part of U2's operations to the Netherlands

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/aug/09/artsnews.ireland

I don't know how he can sleep at night when Ireland's economy was going down the tube.

Bono must be an acrobat to talk like this and act like that.

 

[HelveticaRoman]

Steve Jobs has probably worked out how to get a camel through the eye of a needle - or should that be iNeedle?

 

[Memo86]

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?

Totally Agreed! PWNED!

 

[MRU]

Yeah I wouldn't pay too much attention to anything Bono has to say about anything - banging on about poverty and trying to act like he's some moral authority when he's quite happy to avoid taxes in his native Ireland by moving part of U2's operations to the Netherlands

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/aug/09/artsnews.ireland

I don't know how he can sleep at night when Ireland's economy was going down the tube.

Exactly what I've been posting NATO.


I don't think people realize how much of a hypocrite Bono really is.

Whilst people here struggle on salaries of 10,000 euro - unable to get a free doctor medical card because they are 15 euro a month over the pitiful threshold, whilst fuel and food prices are rocketing, whilst more and more taxes are being heaped onto the very low paid to make up for the shortfall the rich pricks got away with during the 'celtic tiger' heydays, and whilst we grim and bare it all in hope that it will get better at some stage - we have a **** taking his money & businesses out of the country to actively avoid paying any taxes, and then preaching that we all should be giving more to the poor.....

How about he gives back himself.... He's a total hypocrite of the highest order.

 

[tinman0]

I love how Jobs gets a pass from everyone on MR, but anyone else would be a greedy, selfish, capitalist. Jobs is the epotomy of a greedy, selfish, capitalist; but that is exactly why Apple is such a financial success.

Not at all. Mr Jobs has worked hard for his wealth and he has probably paid substantial taxes on it. Frankly what he does with his wealth is his own business.

It says more about the guilt that Buffet and Gates feel that they have to give away their vast fortunes to somehow atone for something. Apparently, they both feel that they never gave back into society when they earned their money.