W. Buffet: Donera' 37.40 Miliardi di USD

[Amati75]

Buffett to Give 85% of Wealth to Charities Run by Gates, Family
June 25 (Bloomberg) -- Warren Buffett, the world's second- richest person, will give away 85 percent of his $44 billion fortune starting in July, a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. spokesman said today, in the biggest individual pledge to charity ever.

Most of the money will go to the foundation started by his close friend Bill Gates, the only person in the world with a bigger personal fortune than Buffett, the 75-year-old Berkshire Hathaway chairman and chief executive officer.

``I know what I want to do and it makes sense to get going,'' Buffett told Fortune in a story published today online for the July 10 edition. Berkshire Chief Financial Officer Marc Hamburg confirmed the article.

Buffett's commitment, based on the $3,071.09 closing price of Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares June 23, is valued at more than $37 billion, exceeding the more than $29 billion that Microsoft Corp. Chairman Gates earmarked for his foundation.

``Bill Gates's gift was always the largest; Buffett's definitely tops that,'' said Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy in Washington.

Buffett plans to execute letters tomorrow, pledging annual gifts of company shares to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; three organizations headed by his children and the family foundation renamed in honor of his late wife, according to his company's Web site.

Change of Mind

Buffett was traveling and unavailable for comment, Hamburg said. Apart from referring to the Fortune article, he declined to elaborate on any issues related to the gift.

``You'll have to ask Warren Buffett about that,'' he said in a telephone interview.

Buffett has always maintained he wouldn't give away his money until after his death, reasoning that he was the best person to increase its value, Palmer said. ``This is a change of mind. He always said he was the best at making money and he could grow it.''

More than 83 percent of the B shares will go to the $30 billion Gates Foundation, the world's largest philanthropic organization.

``We are awed by our friend Warren Buffett's decision to use his fortune to address the world's most challenging inequities, and we are humbled that he has chosen to direct a large portion of it to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,'' the foundation said in a statement on its Web site. ``The impact of Warren's generosity will not be fully understood for decades.''

Conditions

Buffett, in a letter to Gates, said the first year's gift of 500,000 shares would increase the foundation's annual giving by about $1.5 billion. The effect will be to more than double the $1.4 billion in grants given in 2005. In all, 10 million shares are ``earmarked'' for the Gates Foundation, which will receive 5 percent of the balance due annually, Buffett said.

He placed three conditions on the gift: Bill or Melinda must be alive and active in the administration of the foundation; the organization must qualify as a charity; and the value of the gift must be spent in total, as well as at least 5 percent of the foundation's net assets.

Buffett gave the foundation two years to abide by the third requirement.

Gates, who competes in bridge tournaments with Buffett, will step down from his day-to-day role at Microsoft in July 2008 to commit more time to his foundation.

``Gates believes the money should be used while people are alive because there are so many needs,'' Palmer said. ``People have been watching to see what kind of influence Gates would have on Buffett. The timing of Gates's announcement might have something to do with plans he and Buffett made.''

Gates' Role

Although the number of shares donated will decrease over the years, the value should increase, Buffett told Gates.

``This will make the foundation more ambitious,'' Palmer said. ``With this much money that must be given away fast and wisely, it will need Gates's full-time attention.''

Buffett will give a total of 602,500 B shares to the five beneficiaries in July. Based on the June 23 closing price of $3,071.09, the first year's gifts would be valued at $1.8 billion.

The other recipients are the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named for his late wife who died in 2004 at the age of 72 after a stroke; and those run by his children, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation; the Susan A. Buffett Foundation; and the NoVo Foundation, run by his son Peter.

Buffett, who owns almost 31 percent of the company, eventually will cut his holdings to 5 percent, which also will be given to a philanthropic endeavor.

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news...F1U&refer=home

[capitanamerica7]

Anni luce lontano rispetto all'Italia......

E' come se Berlusconi o Tronchetti o Benetton
rinunciassero a meta del loro patrimonio, lasciando
figli, nipoti e lacchè a bocca asciutta !!!

E' quasto che rende gli USA un grande paese!!!

[ken parker]

E' un grandissimo paese, anche perche' Warren Buffett, il saggio di Omaha, e' fortemente a favore della tassa di successione.
Altro che la "tassa sul morto", come la chiamano gli straccioni italiani..

[capitanamerica7]

Altro che la "tassa sul morto", come la chiamano gli straccioni italiani..

L'italia è un paese ricco di storia e tradizioni, ma
in termini di senso civico e rispetto degli altri
è uno degli ultimi!!!

Evasione fiscale a non finire, collusioni, truffe,
malversazioni, mafie e ruberie sono all'ordine del
giorno......in tutti i settori!!!

[Amati75]

E' un grandissimo paese, anche perche' Warren Buffett, il saggio di Omaha, e' fortemente a favore della tassa di successione.
Altro che la "tassa sul morto", come la chiamano gli straccioni italiani..

Be Buffett e' a favore della Tassa sul morto, paesi come la Svezia, presi sempre ad esempio da molti a sx, l'hanno abbolita.

[Amati75]

Be Buffett e' a favore della Tassa sul morto, paesi come la Svezia, presi sempre ad esempio da molti a sx, l'hanno abbolita.

Altra considerazione, a me pare che W.Buffet sia per la tassa di sucessione, non per darla pero' al governo, visto che l' 85% lo donera' ad un ente non profit di natura privata.
In pratica sente la necessita' che chi tanto ha guadagnato abbia il dovere a fine esistenza di aiutare chi meno ha, ma ovviamente non si fida poi cosi tanto delle capacita' amministrative del governo.

Caitanamerica, non direi che gli eredi resterannoa bocca asciutta, da 44 mild ne donera' 37.4, ne restano parecchi, non credo che patiranno la fame.