First part of mission accomplished: Bill Gates, the most generous person on the planet (he's given away $28 billion already), has helped eradicate polio in India. In January the country announced its first polio-free year. Gates will continue to chip in $200 million a year to rid the world of a disease that is still endemic in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. His Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is also spearheading a malaria vaccine that is showing promise in clinical trials. Meanwhile the vaccine-spreading organization he founded, called GAVI, raised $4.3 billion in pledges aimed at distributing drugs to thwart the deadly infections that cause meningitis, pneumonia, and diarrhea in developing countries. He also has a new endeavor in the works: fixing agriculture. His foundation has committed more than $2 billion to small farmers. Less than one-fourth of his net worth is still held in Microsoft, whose shares are trading higher than they have been in 10 years; the rest is in private equity, bonds and stocks such as Ecolab and Mexican broadcaster Televisa. [...] more
If we accept that software development is a team activity (it is), the importance of collaboration and communication becomes clear. Team Geek authors Brian Fitzpatrick and Ben Collins-Sussman discuss the nuances of modern programming in this interview. [...] more>>
EcoMotors International – which is working on making automotive engines that use 50% less fuel and emit 50% fewer emissions -- raised a new injection of $32.5 million from investors including Bill Gates, Vinod Khosla’s Khosla Ventures and Braemar Ventures. [...] more>>
If you had to chose between Microsoft's stock ($30 a share, $252 billion market cap) or Apple's ($614 a share, $574 billion market cap), which would you chose? [...] more>>
Out with the old: building products with hardware partners. In with the new: building them yourself. [...] more>>
Photos of the 400 Richest Americans [...] more>>
| Fees earned or paid in cash | $3,000 |
| Total Compensation | $3,000 |
| Fees earned or paid in cash | $90,000 |
| Stock awards | $135,000 |
| Total Compensation | $225,000 |
| Number of shares owned | 480,982,967 |
