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Comment by N_A_T_E | Hacker News Reader

It seems buffet has taken “the giving pledge” along with Bill Gates and others. “More than 99% of my wealth will go to philanthropy during my lifetime or at death.” - https://www.givingpledge.org/pledger/warren-buffett/

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Yes, that's giving it away (some after death), not specifically using it to address wealth inequality.

> that's giving it away (some after death), not specifically using it to address wealth inequality

Because the money isn’t being spent on your pet issue it’s being mis-spent?

I was responding to a comment that defended Buffet by saying he "argued for changing complex and unfair taxation". I'm saying if you have billions that could be spent on taking tangible action to change such taxation, simply "arguing for" changing it is not very impressive.

> if you have billions that could be spent on taking tangible action to change such taxation

Do you have evidence he didn’t try? He’s been a prolific (albeit measured) donor to candidates who have pushed for this [1].

From what I can tell, Buffett enjoyed making money. He outsourced his philanthropy to Bill & Melinda Gates. Their focus has tended to be global poverty.

[1] https://www.opensecrets.org/search?order=desc&q=warren+buffe...

Those numbers are a pittance relative to his wealth. He could have established a foundation and given it hundreds of millions of dollars specifically to push for a more equitable taxation system. He did not do that.

> He could have established a foundation and given it hundreds of millions of dollars specifically to push for a more equitable taxation system

You want another billionaire to create a super PAC?

Seems to be the only way anything gets done around here. :-)

philantropy as those billionaires sold it should never exist in a just society

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