Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Should Philanthropy Be Purposeful or Public?

Dealbook's Andrew Ross Sorkin takes Steve Jobs to task for his lack of public philanthropy. There is no "hospital wing or an academic building with his name on it." See The Mystery of Steve Jobs Public Giving and the comments thereon.

One comment, from AB, cites a 1985 interview: Jobs indicated that the practice of philanthropy was more demanding than most billionaires would tolerate. There's more to it than giving a sum sufficient to get your name on a building.
Interviewer: You could spend all of your time disbursing your money.
Jobs: Oh, you have to. I'm convinced that to give away a dollar effectively is harder than to make a dollar. 
Want a Steve Jobs building? Here's the amazing spaceship come to earth that will become Apple's new campus. I'm guessing that Cupertino will consider it a contribution to the civic good.

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