A while back at an awards show Billie Eilish made a bit of stir, going off topic and asking the fabulously wealthy people in the room a simple question: "If you're a billionaire, ... why are you a billionaire? Give it away, shorties."
Well,
Craigslist founder
Craig Newmark has been doing that for quite some time without any prompting, and he
has some thoughts on such philanthropy. Newmark never set out to be obscenely wealthy when he started a simple web platform for classified ads, but once that became inevitable,
he began giving the money way to all manner of charitable causes that he favored. Having signed the
"Giving Pledge," made famous by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, he has given away some $450 million over the years, and he is encouraging others to do the same.
Patriotism has always been important to me, in the founding father sort of way. We owe a lot to those who keep us safe. I give my money to organizations that help veterans and military families — people like my dad and others who served. I fund a public service campaign to help people avoid online scams because those really tick me off. I support independent, trustworthy journalism, the kind that holds leaders on both sides accountable and protects our democracy. I also donate to pigeon protection groups, because I like pigeons.
The world could use a lot more Craig Newmarks and Mackenzie Scotts.
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