Billionaires around the world have shown their "generosity" by donating millions of dollars every now and then. Most recently, in this COVID-19 pandemic, many billionaires around the world have come forward to offer monetary help ranging from a few to hundreds of million dollars.
Morally, the privileged class is entitled to help the underprivileged class, but it is not a legal obligation. A billionaire can not donate a penny and get away with it, as no one can legally ask him to give away his money (except for the taxes). On the other hand, if someone is donating his/her earnings then they are promoting goodwill and helping mankind. Billionaires like Bill Gates, Sulaiman bin Abdul Aziz Al Rajhi, Charles Francis Feeney, Jon Huntsman Sr., etc have donated billions of dollars in the past and have helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world.
However, some people are still not sure if these billionaires are actually helping or just building their own image? Aren't they an epitome of capitalism? Does throwing some bucks (okay, we are talking in millions) clean their image and make them a saint? Are they really helping or just running in a competitive race to show who gives the most?
Billionaires sometimes need donations as well…
People are donating money to Kylie Jenner to help her become the world's youngest female billionaire https://t.co/elXUq4BaHk
— Business Insider (@businessinsider) July 13, 2018
A number of questions arise when we think of it rationally. Most importantly, what percentage of their earnings are they really donating? Let's take an example of Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, and the richest person in the World offered a whopping $100 million help for food banks.
Image Source: Imgflip
It looks crazy until you compare it with his net worth which is close to $185.7 billion, hence making that gigantic donation only 0.05% of his actual net worth. Hmm, doesn't look that impressive now, does it? So, what really is the catch here? If they are really trying to help then why do they donate such a small percentage of what actually they are making? Guess we all have different answers in our mind, but we can still cherish the fact that at least they are giving something!
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