"Larry Page: I’d Rather Leave My Billions to Elon Musk Than to Charity"

[TopWargamer]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/business_insider/2014/03/20/google_ceo_larry_page_elon_musk_would_get_my_inheritance_over_charity.html

 

Google CEO Larry Page has an unusual idea about what should happen to his billions should he die. 

 

Instead of giving it to a philanthropic organization, he'd rather hand over his cash to Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, SpaceX, and Solar City.

In a conversation with Charlie Rose at a TED conference on Wednesday, Page said he wanted his money going to capitalists like Musk—those with big ideas for changing the world—according to a report at Wired.

 

He thinks Musk's vision for going to Mars "to back up humanity" is inspired. He said, "That’s a company, and that’s philanthropical."

 

I mean, I see his reasoning for why he would want to do so, but I dunno if I necessarily agree. Charities are helping out a lot of people, but to move forward we also do have to back these big ideas/projects. I'm very torn on which side to lean towards.  

 

[techswede]

"Larry page mysteriously disappears. Elon Musk builds bachelor pad on mars."
"Musk is still confused as to why it happened"

[AlexGoesHigh]

50/50 split?

 

[hiyayhi]

I guess that's kinda cool but I agree with @TopWargamer I am very torn on whether or not this is he right thing to do.

[xRAGExSounDxRIOTX]

50/50 split?

Exactly what I was thinking, but if it were my money it would probably be 75% to charity and 25% to family.

[Sky Daddy]

We should invest in the future.

[Vitalius]

Oh please. Most Charities are backup charities. Charities that promise to give more money to real charities when they run out (Hint: They rarely actually do.)

They are tax havens for the rich and have been for a while.

[Fred Castellum]

Oh please. Most Charities are backup charities. Charities that promise to give more money to real charities when they run out (Hint: They rarely actually do.)

They are tax havens for the rich and have been for a while.

I support this. Elon you keep trucking for the future! 

 

LOL you changed your avatar again shoot

[TheNinjaNextDor]

I agree, Musk will make more of a difference.

Feel shots fired.

[Fred Castellum]

I hope Larry stays with us for many more years. So we may see the light of our glorious Google overlords. 

Shit Google's one of the companies out there pushing for new innovative tech. 

[NInety]

I'd rather him put his billions into speeding up the Google Fiber U.S. takeover......

Come on! I'm paying $85/month for 54Mbs.(0.5MB up 10MB down)

(I know that's better than most but I live right in the middle of the U.S.)

[helping]

that's a noble cause. I think that's a good use of the money, since not passing on the opportunity to fund a revolutionary is something you should definitely consider before typical dump to charity and tax write off.

If I had that kind of money though I wouldn't even consider giving it to charity, I would start my own non bullshit charity.

nothing pisses me off more than that bullshit "mail this 28 cents back to feed this child" mail and the absolute cunt baggery the Sierra club pulls spamming the living FK OUT OF ME ON BOTH FRONTIERS,  full email inbox of Sierra junk, full mailbox of Sierra junk.

That's a great way to make people not like you despite what you do.

[Wint3rSh0ck]

I'd imagine enough goes to charity anyway. They'd spend the money doing the same thing, whereas with a few million, Musk might be able to put a world changing idea in to practice

[Misanthrope]

Most charities actually don't really help the cause they work for much. They certainly help themselves by creating jobs for a bunch of people and they also help a lot of rich people and companies get needed tax breaks but the cause? They'd be lucky if they see a few cents on every dollar donated.

So I have to say I agree with him: advancing technology and science has at least as good a chance of making the world better for all than contributing to most bloated, inefficient, conscience carwash charities.

[totjup5]

Hmmm... I'm not sure whether the money would be better in the hands of Musk, or a charity....

[ADaviii]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/business_insider/2014/03/20/google_ceo_larry_page_elon_musk_would_get_my_inheritance_over_charity.html

 

 

I mean, I see his reasoning for why he would want to do so, but I dunno if I necessarily agree. Charities are helping out a lot of people, but to move forward we also do have to back these big ideas/projects. I'm very torn on which side to lean towards.

I'm with you on this one. Maybe not all charities do the right thing, but I don't think it's right to generalize them all into one thing. I'm sure there are lots of charities out there doing good for the cause! As such, I'm leaning more toward charities, but I do understand the investment in the future from a technological standpoint.

[Fred Castellum]

Hmmm... I'm not sure whether the money would be better in the hands of Musk, or a charity....

I've been watching what Musk has been doing the past couple of years and this guy allocates his money very very efficiently to get shit done. Remember that one time the government gave auto manufacturer companies loans? Tesla paid that back early.....

He invests in his own money in the companies he creates because he doesn't believe in the whole thing of just using other people's money. He doesn't think that's right. He won't ask other people to invest in something he's not prepared to do so himself. Financially the guys been in a pinch before but he pulls through with hard work. 

 

Look what he's brought to the table for us, he's pushing the electric car industry, he's pushing for space with "SpaceX" and he's also moving solar power tech forward with "Solar City".

He WORKS on the things he makes, engineer first businessman second. 

 

BOOM paying loans back: 

[thirdworldking]

not to be mean but think about it this way who is going to influence the world more a charity or elon musk

[SangeetKhatri]

I am probably one of the fewer guys who agree with Page but I do understand why he would say so.

It reminds me of a Harry Potter dialogue "Help would be offered to those who deserve it" not to those who ask for it.

 

And I believe Elon Musk is innovating on about the same level as Google is, though on different field, but yes, they are. Tesla is amazing, so it Larry Page. I have nothing to say against that.

[A/C]

I'd do the same thing without a hesitation.

 

Elon would probbably push this world further than anyone else with the money. Also I believe today's charities in America are mostly hypocritical (dodges bullets), and I think te money would be better off working on driving humanity to mars. Just think about all the tech the mission to moon gave to the humanity, teflon, microwave ovens, spaceshuttle, research stations... And that's the main reason why I'd always support progress over anything else. Progress is what brought us to this point in existence, from invention of fire to Haswell-e

[mr moose]

I can see why he would want to do this, most (if not all) charities (regardless of how good they are) are band-aid solutions. By giving his money to a business that specializes in making life better for everyone, it is more of a solution to the worlds problems than anything.

[fojacko]

I did free work for a charity shop and the managers don't give a shit about the charity, they only cared about their paycheck. Yes, I know that's most people, but still. They're working for a charity and they didn't even hide the fact that they don't give a shit. Hell, the way they exploited the charity of alot of the older customers (and the previous statement of them not giving a shit) makes me think that the money never actually went to a charity.

 

So I can see why he's saying that he'd rather leave it to someone else other than a charity.

 

PS: This is just my experience from doing so free work in a charity shop, could've just been a isolated issue with the shop and/or charity.

[A/C]

I did free work for a charity shop and the managers don't give a shit about the charity, they only cared about their paycheck. Yes, I know that's most people, but still. They're working for a charity and they didn't even hide the fact that they don't give a shit. Hell, the way they exploited the charity of alot of the older customers (and the previous statement of them not giving a shit) makes me think that the money never actually went to a charity.

 

So I can see why he's saying that he'd rather leave it to someone else other than a charity.

 

PS: This is just my experience from doing so free work in a charity shop, could've just been a isolated issue with the shop and/or charity.

 

That isn't charity, that's a crime. If it was me, noone ever would be paid for doing charity, no matter what position. That's why it's called charity.

[Woolbeach]

Who are we to judge who/how/when and where his money goes when he dies? I agree that it would be awesome to see it spent on glorious new projects and technology, but he should do whatever he wants to do with his money.

[Askew]

His money, he can do with it as he wishes.