Not all billionaires are greedy, selfish, and selfish. Some of them, like Bill Gates, have a wonderful philanthropic track record that makes them one of the main supporters of the most disadvantaged countries. This is at least what the co-founder of Microsoft is demonstrating, who has announced that he will donate the majority of his fortune to Africa, estimated at around $200 billion (about ¤175 billion).
"I recently committed to donating my wealth over the next twenty years," Gates stated in a speech delivered at the headquarters of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa on Monday, according to a statement issued by the Gates Foundation late that day. "In fact, something I haven't publicly said before is that, considering the priorities and the excellent partnerships we have, most of those funds will be used to help address the challenges here in Africa," emphasized the American philanthropist, specifying that his foundation will manage those resources.
Gates indicated that the "goals are quite basic" and reflect the values of his foundation. "Mothers should survive childbirth. Babies should survive past their fifth birthday, children should be well-fed. Many of these infectious diseases should disappear, and the rest, in twenty years, should be at a very low level," he enumerated.
The Microsoft founder believes that "by unlocking human potential through health and education, all African countries should move towards prosperity." "And it's exciting to be part of that path, to create it. That's how I plan to focus all my work for the rest of my life, because there is nothing more important," he added.
Last month, the 69-year-old Gates pledged to donate the majority of his fortune to charitable causes over the next two decades. The American billionaire stated that he would accelerate his donations through his foundation, with the idea of completing its operations by 2045.
"They will say many things about me when I die, but I am determined that 'died rich' will not be one of them," assured the philanthropist, who on Monday met with the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, to strengthen ties between the Gates Foundation and the pan-African organization.