I write in support of the wealthy. Today's topic is the very, very wealthy, i.e. those with millions or billions of dollars. This is despite the fact I realize some of them have attained their wealth through arms or human trafficking (white or black, there is no difference), and many of them do not deserve the reputation of wealthy, as they are vampires preying on people, something that takes place in many governments. We have all heard of Bill Gates, the head of Microsoft, and Warren Buffett, the most famous investor in the United States and the world. Most of us have heard that these two men decided to give most of their fortunes to charity, and they recently called their fellow billionaires, asking them to spend their money on such activities. It resulted in 40 billionaires, or multi-millionaires, accepting to donate money before they die, or some time after. If the commitments are respected, a total of $140 billion is expected to result from the effort, which will grow as other wealthy individuals join in. Bill Gates was a pioneer in donating billions to charity, and in 1994 he donated $24 billion to a charitable association he heads with his wife Melinda. The foundation now has $33.5 billion in capital. They have been joined by Warren Buffett, whose wealth is estimated at more than $40 billion, compared to $53 billion for Gates; he announced that he would donate 99 per cent of his money to charitable activities. In May, Gates visited India, where his foundation developed new vaccines and is funding studies to improve agricultural production. In June, he went to Nigeria, where his foundation has a program to eradicate polio. In July, he visited Vienna, to take part in a conference funded by his foundation, to produce a pill or gel to reduce the risk of HIV infection. This month, he and Buffett came up with the idea of joining their billionaire friends to their efforts. Where do wealthy Arabs stand when it comes to charitable projects? Perhaps readers might be surprised to hear that I have some experience with some of them, and that many of them donate silently. I do not condemn anyone who makes donations with great fanfare; at the least, this person is contributing to a worthy cause. There is the Saudi-Egyptian billionaire who asked me to help him with some charitable activities as part of the scope of his work and specialization in the Palestinian territories. His only condition was that no one know about it. There is also a billionaire who is focused on his homeland, Egypt, and another one whose young wife runs his well-known charitable foundation. I know a billionaire of Syrian origin whose wife runs a charity active in education and health care in several Arab countries. The state of Qatar recently donated money to this association, after its activities were noticed. I also personally know a Kuwaiti billionaire with well-known efforts in the field of culture, but who does not disclose his considerable humanitarian efforts in a number of poor Arab countries. Moreover, I know a Palestinian billionaire who gives monthly allowances to hundreds of needy families and invests huge sums in the Palestinian territories, despite the risks. There should be many others like them, from the Gulf to North Africa, but I do not know them. I tried hard to point out those I know, but without further clarification, so as not to reveal anyone's identity. They all prefer anonymity. The above does not cancel the fact that Arab billionaires are contributing much lower shares of their wealth, compared to the wealthy of the US or Europe. In my estimation, the Arab billionaire might donate ten or 20 per cent, while some westerners are donating 50 per cent, or 99 per cent, as in the case of Buffett, who is not alone. The British millionaire Albert Gubay has 480 million pounds, and has said that he will retain 10 million and donate the rest. Perhaps the issue is that Arab families are bigger, and that billionaires want to secure the future of their children and grandchildren. Or, perhaps it's that they are new to such activities. The Mexican billionaire of Lebanese origin, Carlos Slim, is nowhere on the list of leading donors, and I have not heard that he donated anything worth mentioning to his home village when he visited Lebanon. Some billionaires should be thanked, and I disagree with the magazine Foreign Affairs, which criticized the investment arm of the Gates Foundation, which is a completely separate entity, because it was investing in polluting companies, using cheap labor, ruining the global financial system or supporting groups that have ideological activities, or those with a political agenda. These companies are present, whether the Gates Foundation invests in them or not, and there are groups that support causes. Everyone who is active in this realm should be thanked for his or her efforts. [email protected]
