Oakland, CA--1/29/01

Bill Gates has not earned his billions overnight. He has been around for many years-- before there was a Windows or an Internet. He was there when there was only a data operating system (MS-DOS). From the ground upward, through old-fashioned hard work and perseverance, has he built his business and his wealth.

But Gates, after building his company and his own fortune, has gone on to do more than most other modern day philanthropists. He has given enormous sums for causes that are surely needed. While some complain that he has not given in proportion to his wealth, because his wealth is so large, what he has given has been large enough to significantly impact on the problems he focuses on.

A year or so ago, he astounded the United Negro College Fund (now the College Fund) with a $100 million scholarship grant. That gift, strangely, or maybe not so strangely after all, caused some controversy among conservative Whites who argued that such a large sum should not be focused singularly on Blacks and Browns, but that Whites should be included in it as well. A strange argument, but one that should have been expected.

Now with AIDS devastating the African nations, Bill Gates has pledged $100 million for a vaccine discovery. And he has asked other billionaires to open up their billions and pour millions into this effort as well.

Whether he has given in any reasonable proportion to his wealth, Gibbs does not judge, we simply say that this act of philanthropy is laudable and should be duplicated by other billionaires--Black, White, and all others. Gibbs salutes Bill Gates for his focused and needed philanthropy! []