It's good when billionaires buy big stupid shit like this. At least the money is now circulating in the economy and some boat making people got paid.
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Meet Bill Gate's future hydrogen-powered $644M superyacht
- Thread starter Sqrt
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Pay a more proportional share of taxes relative to need.
Most of Gates' wealth is now derived from market investment. He isn't "earning" anything. He's rich enough to own a perpetual money making machine.
Thats the problem. Gates does a lot of good things with his billions, but opposing legitimate tax reform on capital gains and top earners is him making the claim the he is intellectually and morally superior because of the money, and therefore should be entrusted to distribute as he sees fit. That as opposed to it being used to expand and improve demonstrably more effective social services programs that benefit all people, not just chosen cause of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
He's not a bad guy, but he's supporting the perpetuation of an inherently broken system. His charitable work is the epitome of "band-aids on bullet holes".
Also don't forget that the actual impact of producing this yacht is probably huge in carbon emissions and use of rare metals.
I was on a boat trip in Majorca and we were really close seen someone else's superyacht. It was ugly as hell.
Saying yacht A from this article.
www.businessinsider.com
Saying yacht A from this article.
15 of the most expensive billionaire-owned yachts that have been spotted at the Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival attracts not only the world's most famous movie stars, but some of the most expensive yachts on the planet.
www.businessinsider.com
He has repeatedly stated that he should have to pay more in taxes. For lack of ability to unilaterally tax himself more as a private citizen...what about instead donating the vast majority of his wealth to charitable causes do you find problematic?
Well that's probably unavoidable for a while, anything we build has emissions.
The hydrogen fuel for that thing is still most likely made from fossil fuels.
I think it is better spending money than hoarding it, but spending the 600 million USD for stupid luxury stuff is still just stupid. It's basically a huge (& luxury) pile of trash while others suffer to buy essential needs.
I've got issues with Gates and his philanthropy but this just seems like a bitch eating crackers moment.
He could spend an easy 100 million lobbying for those taxes from the government but words are nice too I suppose.
What part do I find problematic? The part where he actually isn't donating the vast majority of his wealth to charitable causes.
Conversely, this one luxury purchase will be responsible for more environmental devastation as a result of resource extraction and refinement than almost anyone on here could accomplish through their entire life.
We'll he's essentially hoarded and stole those crackers from people who are now killing themselves because it's an easier way out than being able to afford to live.
The rich people thing for yachts always confuses me. You're just looking for expensive things to buy at that point. None of y'all are at sea that often. And when you are, it's only because you have this yacht you have to use. Is it some relic of rich culture from a pre-air-travel day when you really did need a boat for intercontinental travel? Or is it really just a conspicuous consumption thing.
My point is trying to cure Polio is a very worthwhile cause and attacking that cause like it's some kind mistake is a dick move.
Nothing any singular person has ever done or ever will do is worth 1 billion. He has over 100 billion. He didn't earn that. And his charity work doesn't make him squeaky clean.
Yeah, and then when a prospect of this happening appears on the horizon, he suddenly changes his tune. Never trust billionaires.
Bill Gates attacks Elizabeth Warren's wealth tax saying it would leave him 'counting what he had left over'
Microsoft founder and billionaire says he will not make ‘political declarations’ about who he will vote for
www.independent.co.uk
"Bill Gates says Elizabeth Warren's wealth tax would leave him 'counting what he had left over'"
the Gates Foundation is self-serving in terms of both maximizing returns on investments, and avoiding tax
many of their reforms overemphasize tech-based solutions that they and their friends in turn profit from
but yeah ok maybe their heart is in the right place but they are disdainful of government and good governance, and there's no fucking oversight
He should be taxed 109 billion out of his 110 billion since no-one should be a multi billionaire but he sure as shit wouldn't agree to that. He agrees he should be taxed more until an actual figure is brought up then he shits himself
Era has a weird thing about rich people buying things. Even when the person in question is a renowned philanthropist and went out of their way to get a more environmentally friendly option apparently.
Like all the other things he has already done?
Just like when Tesla was starting out, its a good thing that Bill is showing you can have impressive machinery that doesnt run on the worst stuff. The 1% needs to be convinced of that more than anyone.
I'm sure you understand nuance and detail. You should really read through his comments from that time.Yeah, and then when a prospect of this happening appears on the horizon, he suddenly changes his tune. Never trust billionaires.
Bill Gates attacks Elizabeth Warren's wealth tax saying it would leave him 'counting what he had left over'
Microsoft founder and billionaire says he will not make ‘political declarations’ about who he will vote for
"Bill Gates says Elizabeth Warren's wealth tax would leave him 'counting what he had left over'"
New Important Information
I mean if that's the figure on the table, then yeah. I guess try a number in better faith.
If you earned $1000/hr and worked every hour of every day, without rest, it would still take 114 years to earn a billion. Hard work doesn't make billionaires.
But he sure worked hard for that money.
But he sure worked hard for that money.
What nuance? There is none. While not every billionaire thinks he should be taxed more, they ALL think they should be the ones deciding how much to contribute. That is why the love fucking charities so much, since they can pay an effective tax of lets say 10% and then donate 1% to make them seem like generous. Instead of being taxed at 90% on their billions like they should have been.
So there is no nuance. Bill Gates thinks taxes should be higher. How much higher? Only as much Bill Gates thinks is high enough. Anything over and he's the same as any other billionaire, thinks his intellect should be the one deciding what and how many scraps we get off of their tables.
The dream of owning a boat is to some people a crown of success, akin to the concept of the American Dream. Spending money on a Yacht is peobably he same idea but to a greater effect.
The number is not far off, I would say at least 80%, preferably 90%. No one "earns" 100+ billion. No one "earns" a billion. The only way to get it is to exploit someone else.
That is in good faith for starters, in fact it's me being gentle, I'm still leaving him a billionaire in that scenario when in reality billionaires shouldn't be a thing. But he got shit scared of Warren's tax plan and tried to mislead people into thinking she was going to tax him 100 billion which her plan wouldn't do and I'm sure he's smart enough to know that. I can only imagine what he'd be willing to do if bernie wins, since his tax plan would hit gates even harder than Warren's
I live in an apartment that would probably count as a broom closet on one of these yachts. feels bad man.
People should be able to avoid taxes for decades as long as they write future taxes off as philanthropy.
Lmao. It looks like that Frigate level from Goldeneye on 64.
I understand, but the way I see it is this:
There's a rogue killer on the loose (uncontrolled capitalism) and they just used a sword to cut a giant gash in a person (the USA/world). There is this giant gushing wound and here comes the medic Bill Gates, "Don't worry, I got this!" and puts one of those tiny band aids made for paper cuts on the corner then gives it a kiss. That little bandage is going to do nothing to stop the bleeding and if you were a third person watching this, you'd ask Gates "What the fuck are you even doing with this band aid? Why aren't you actually stopping the bleeding?" There's a cop standing right there, "Why aren't you stopping this guy! He just keeps stabbing at people!", "Don't worry" the cop says, "Bill Gates is taking care of all the bodies, I mean people right now. Everything he's doing is enough and we don't see the need to actually stop the rogue killer from stabbing people". There's a fourth person watching this unfold (you), going, "He put the band aid on, hasn't Gates already done enough?". "No! He hasn't. Get a real doctor in here to stop the bleeding and then get a cop that'll do their job and stop the god damned rogue killer from stabbing people!".
When most of the world is underwater, they have somewhere to hide.
No one ever thinks of the humble craftspeople who create these super yachts.
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