[Fsf-friends] NEWS: Gates says philanthropy not related to Microsoft

[Frederick Noronha]

Gates says philanthropy not related to Microsoft (LEADS)

By Mohammed Shafeeq, Indo-Asian News Service

Hyderabad, Nov 14 (IANS) Visiting IT czar Bill Gates has said his
philanthropic activities are in no way connected to the operations of his
company Microsoft.

"The (Bill and Melinda Gates) Foundation is something for which myself and
my wife personally provided resources. It is completely independent," Gates
said at a brief interaction with the media here Thursday morning.

He was answering a question on whether his philanthropic activities were
aimed at restoring the sheen that Microsoft lost due to anti-trust
proceedings against it.

"Microsoft has enabled us to do this but there is no connection between the
activities of the foundation and the software activity," said Gates shortly
after launching the second phase of a children's vaccine programme funded by
the foundation in Andhra Pradesh.

"It was our commitment 10 years ago that whatever wealth we earn we will
give back to the society," said the world's richest man.

Gates, who arrived here Wednesday night on a daylong visit, revealed that
the urgency of health issues forced him to start the foundation early.

"This what something I wanted to do in my 60s, but the urgency of health
issues made me start this activity at a younger age," said 46-year-old
Gates.

He said the foundation has committed at least $1.2 billion worldwide to
support the prevention and control of infectious diseases by either
strengthening existing immunisation programmes or by developing new
vaccines.

--Indo-Asian News Service