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Comment by wendyshu | Hacker News Reader

Salman Khan takes $800k/yr from Khan Academy donations for himself, maybe he should donate.

He spent a decade of nights-and-weekends effort on making kids better at math and science, taking what I understand to be startup level risks in the beginning. How much do you think he should make? Mr. Rogers was paid more than $800k/year if you adjust for inflation[1][2].

[1] https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors...

[2] https://www.dollartimes.com/inflation/inflation.php?amount=1...

If he thinks other people should donate a whole bunch of money, shouldn't he donate a whole bunch of money if he has it? Maybe he already does this, I don't know. If he took a lower salary he would effectively be doing this -- in a publicly verifiable way. It's a matter of "skin in the game".

I'd be curious to know Sal's response to this. From what I remember, he left a lucrative position at a hedge fund for an uncertain position at his newly founded non-profit. He doesn't seem like the money driven type. With absolutely no evidence, I would guess that:

   1. Someone probably had to convince him it was okay to take that salary. 

   2. The level of his salary is probably just above what it took to hire their top talent, as a technology focused non-profit.

Yeah I don't know. I guess I'd just prefer to give to the worthy causes out there that don't spend as much of the donations on the leader's salary.

Also, there's an abundance of free educational resources on the web, it's not clear that a marginal dollar is best spent on Khan Academy at this point.

Far less than many charity heads, I think it's completely fair with what he's created and how little he made in the early years from it.

Do you work for a charity/donate all of your time by the way?

I'm not asking for donations.

That's because no-one would donate to you, because you haven't done anything worthwhile. Sal Khan has.

If what he's doing is so worthwhile as you say, shouldn't he donate?

He probably has. He's asking for amounts from $5 to $100 dollars. What makes you think he hasn't donated at least that much? How much did you donate?

You have a point, maybe he's in the job he's best at, he's worth double that to the organization so he's effectively donating $800k/yr, and that's the optimal amount to give to charity given his preferences. If so, no foul.

When I was a student I gave on the order of $100 per year.

Anyway I feel sorry for you because you attack people instead of ideas, that must be really draining.

I feel bad about my last response.

I'm Scottish, living out on the west coast. We've had no cases of coronavirus here yet. Therefore things are not as bad here as they are elsewhere.

So, you should just read all my comments in your finest Scottish accent. I'm sure it will be terrible but at least it might give you a laugh.

The lack of self awareness in that comment is amazing. Do you ever read what you write?

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