And I, for one, do not excuse Bill Gates for all the bad he's done to the world of software, among others, just because of his charity. But that's my personal opinion.
Gates' originally mission was a personal computer in every home and on every desk. I don't mean to detract from Apple, or IBM or any other company, but Microsoft accomplished that goal, in a remarkably short period of time.
And even if you believe that Microsoft did somehow damage the world of software (which I dispute), his charitable work has saved millions of lives, and will continue to do so. I understand that the ends don't justify the means, but whatever ill will you feel towards him for not being a champion of free software can't possibly overwhelm his positive contributions to humanity, even if they don't live in this country.