this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2024
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Summary

Warren Buffett gave $1.1 billion in Berkshire Hathaway stock to family foundations and detailed plans for distributing his $147 billion fortune after his death.

His three children will oversee giving the remainder within 10 years, with designated successors in case they predecease him.

Buffett, 94, reaffirmed his belief in avoiding dynastic wealth, favoring philanthropy instead.

Over the years, he has donated $55 billion to the Gates Foundation but plans to shift focus to his family’s foundations.

Buffett continues leading Berkshire Hathaway while preparing Greg Abel as his successor.

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[–] nanami@lemmy.world 134 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

I once met a wealth manager for a billionaire whose entire job was to donate money as effectively as possible, focusing on infrastructure and education projects in Central and South America. She explained that the challenges are often unexpected.

For example, most smaller local organizations struggle to absorb large sums of money efficiently. Take, for instance, a group that builds homes for those in need. A sudden donation of millions of dollars can be too difficult to manage efficiently. So they try to be mindful of local needs, build trust, and build long-term partnerships.

So, why not just support many small communities? Well, a billion dollars could fund a thousand 1 million$ projects. That’s why this billionaire hired multiple wealth managers just to handle donations. That chat changed my perspective on how difficult it can be to give away large amounts of money.

Still, I’d rather them pay fair taxes.

[–] Crackhappy@lemmy.world 63 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I was about to say, they should just pay taxes, after all this is what government is for.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Yeah, I was very disappointed in Bill Gates for being pro-philanthropy but against higher taxation. That said, Gates and Buffet don't get the final say. The American people just elected an anti-tax fraudulent billionaire.

[–] DeadWorldWalking@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

But if they donate enough then we will never force them to give up all their excess wealth.

And they like having excess wealth, a lot, like most rich people have hoarding mental disorders.

None of them really want to better society, they just want us to not rip all their skin off and redistribute their wealth so our economies benefit everyone again.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Nah, I don't like that. That's bad. Everybody should have to pay a share to fund public available necessities and uplift people as equals. It's not optional, it being optional demonstrably does not work, and even if it did we shouldn't rely on faith and goodwill.

[–] Crackhappy@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

Billionaires should be illegal.

[–] trustnoone@lemmy.sdf.org 14 points 3 weeks ago

It reminds me of this thing I read where countries would give all these donated designer clothes to some country, only for it to collapse their economy because making clothes was one of the only jobs available there.

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[–] minimalfootprint@discuss.tchncs.de 71 points 3 weeks ago (27 children)

"Dragon gives away hoard after death. That will fix all the lives he ruined, right?"

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[–] PoopSpiderman@lemmy.world 58 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Fuck Warren Buffett. He’s just another scumbag who has soaked up wealth by taking full advantage of neoliberal economics. There are no good billionaires.

[–] Mr_Blott@feddit.uk 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

People are so stupid, they look at that figure and go "147 billion. Huh"

That cunt is a fucking greedy evil bastard and is literally causing children to starve to death because people can't afford food. This evil shit has $18 for every man, woman and child on earth. Think about that.

I'm not some sort of reactionary but I'm astonished how people don't realise just how much suffering these evil fuckwits are causing.

Burn the cunt on a stake

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[–] Yawweee877h444@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

The only correct response honestly.

This fucker, and everyone else should not ever have $147 billion to give away, or anywhere close to it.

I'd argue it isn't his money anyway. These psychos have concocted a system of capitalism that is inherently theft and exploitation. The wealth is dependent on the masses who are kept poor as wage slaves stuck in a perpetual cycle of produce and consume. Which most of us cannot escape.

The masses are the cement and rebar foundation for the billionaires wealth.

Honestly, it ain't his money to give away. I wish people would realize this.

[–] brlemworld@lemmy.world 37 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

Why wait? There is functionally no difference between $1b and $147b. He would get to see the fruits of his efforts if he spends it now.

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 21 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Because if it takes 10 years to donate that much and the market stays at its 10 year average growth they stand to have something like 190b dollars left when they are done donating that 149b.

[–] DeadWorldWalking@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (5 children)

With that logic he should give it to Jeff Bezos so he can keep growing it after he's gone.

As long as the promise is on the horizon and they don't ever pay up then poor idiots will keep making excuses for them to not dump their ill gotten gains back into the system they stole it from!

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[–] randon31415@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I feel like you are inventing the concept of an endowment from first principles.

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[–] aeronmelon@lemmy.world 29 points 3 weeks ago

He’s entered the Rockefeller stage of his life. Build a bunch of community shelters or rebuild America’s railroad network or something useful, Warren.

[–] Phineaz@feddit.org 22 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

There comes a certain point where wealth ceases to be a blessing, and managing it becomes a full time occupation. I can respect this decision.

All the more reason to level the playing field, eh?

[–] forrgott@lemm.ee 20 points 3 weeks ago

I would respect it more if I wasn't so jaded, perhaps. But there's been just too many charity foundations involved in scandals of one type or another.

So, yes, let's level the playing field! I'm with you there...

[–] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

He signed the giving pledge with Bill Gates shortly after its creation.

https://givingpledge.org/

[–] whaleross@lemmy.world 10 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

No shit. What else would he do with it? Cling on to his fortunes while descending into the particular pits of the underworld?

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

That is Elon's plan.

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[–] Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Buffett gives money to Bill Gates to avoid dynastic wealth. Hmm

[–] walden@sub.wetshaving.social 13 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Not Bill Gates, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "The primary stated goals of the foundation are to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty across the world, and to expand educational opportunities and access to information technology in the U.S.".

[–] Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Riiiiight. Like the Clinton foundation!

[–] walden@sub.wetshaving.social 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

What's wrong with the Clinton Foundation?

Beginning in 2015, the foundation was accused of wrongdoing, including a bribery and pay-to-play scheme, but multiple investigations through 2019 found no evidence of malfeasance. The New York Times reported in September 2020 that a federal prosecutor appointed by attorney general Bill Barr to investigate the origins of the 2016 FBI Crossfire Hurricane investigation had also sought documents and interviews regarding how the FBI handled an investigation into the Clinton Foundation.[16] In May 2023, it was revealed that the Justice Department had continued to investigate the Foundation until days before the end of the Trump presidency, when FBI officials insisted the DOJ acknowledge in writing that there was no case to bring.[17]

[–] Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Nothing. Just billionaires passing money back and forth under a non-profit label. Nothing to see here.

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[–] LovingHippieCat@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

Dude could randomly give 147,000 people 1 million dollars but he's more likely to just give it to charities that his buds or family will benefit from.

[–] halfeatenpotato@lonestarlemmy.mooo.com 7 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Everyone hates billionaires for hoarding their money, but then it's also a problem when they're giving it away to charity.

Billionaires suck and shouldn't exist, but they do. I know this is going to get downvoted to hell because it seems a majority of the users here can't stand anything remotely positive being said about billionaires. But guys - it's an isolated good thing when billionaires give away large sums of their money to charitable causes. Doesn't mean that they shouldnt pay more in taxes, or that they're wonderful people, or that they accumulated their wealth in moral ways. All of these things can be true at the same time.

[–] tektite@slrpnk.net 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The question for me is what charities and how they are chosen. What demographics are the charities intending to assist, and who are they potentially intending to exclude? Even through charity, billionaires can push agendas and affect who receives privileges and who doesn't.

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[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

Write everyone in the US cheque for ~$400

[–] pigup@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

He should give it to Bernie

[–] HeyJoe@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Anyway I can email him asking for a couple hundred thousand? Drop in the bucket, he wouldn't even notice, yet my life would be changed forever.

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[–] twistypencil@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

So all those articles saying he sold to be in cash because market crash was coming were completely off

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