The left-wing Truther site Telepolis has harsh criticism for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The main complaint is that the foundation has invested some of its capital in the shares of multinational corporations such as Coca-Cola and Bayer AG and that Microsoft takes advantage of loopholes in international tax treaties to minimize its corporate tax liability:
Zunächst übt die Studie starke Kritik am Geldfluss von Bill Gates' Microsoft und der BMGF: Microsoft schleust laut einem Bericht des US-Senats jährlich rund 4,5 Milliarden US-Dollar am Fiskus vorbei, indem man die Gelder in karibischen Steueroasen verschwinden lässt. Die Summe der vorbeigeschleusten Steuergelder übersteigt somit deutlich die Einnahmen der Stiftung, die bei jährlich rund 3,6 Milliarden US-Dollar liegen.
Doch was geschieht mit den Einnahmen? Beträchtliche Summen legt die Stiftung in Aktien an, darunter Aktien von BP, ExxonMobil, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Wal Mart, McDonald’s und etlichen anderen Großkonzernen mit zweifelhaftem Ruf. Allein die Anteile an Coca-Cola belaufen sich auf über eine halbe Milliarde US-Dollar. Die BMGF ermöglichte es Coca-Cola, 50.000 kenianische Kleinbäuerinnen und -bauern mit Knebelverträgen zu verpflichten, damit sie für Coca-Cola Passionsfrüchte anbauen, die in den Export gehen.
Bill and Melinda Gates have so far donated over $28 billion through the foundation, and they have pledged to give away their entire $58 billion fortune:
How many lives has the charity saved, primarily in Africa?
Click on this link to see the entire infographic in detail.
Summary:
Number of Lives saved by the Gates Foundation: 5.8 million
Number of lives saved by Telepolis: -0-
0 comment
This is a serious critique,however. Why shouldn’t I hide assets and invest in companies like Coca Cola instead of paying my fair share of taxes? Microsoft sets a bad example here.
Moin! David, again: Are U kidding me? TELEPILLEPALLE = left wing? Come on.
@Hattie,
The Gates Foundation does not hide assets. It has a 501(3)C tax-exempt status.
Microsoft Corporation also does not hide assets. The problem is the US Tax Code; companies that repatriate off-shore profits are subject to a 38% tax – the highest in the world. So Microsoft – and every other US multinational – is acting rationally by keeping cash offshore.
As a Microsoft shareholder, I am pleased that the company has increased its dividend every year, on which I pay personal income tax- money the US Treasury otherwise would not have received.
@nobody.
Anstatt “Links”, wie wär’s mit “Rinks”?? 🙂
Well, my daughter was employed for years at Microsoft but recently changed jobs. It’s an empire. If that is OK with people, so be it.
Empires rise and fall. In Silicon Valley Microsoft is seen as a dinosaur.