Bill Gates vs. Steve Jobs

I saw some biographer on the Daily Show say the difference between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates is that one came up with the iPod and one came up with the Zune. That's an ignorant comment to make since Microsoft and Apple are comprised of more than Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, respectively. Instead, I would say that the difference between the two of them is illustrated by the way that Bill Gates transitioned away from Microsoft in 2000 to help those less fortunate while Steve Jobs push aside those less fortunate to cut the line for a liver transplant so he could keep working for Apple.

For Bill Gates, philanthropy is about results: He helped create the largest transparently operated charitable organization. By 2007, Bill and his wife had already given over $28 billion and plan to contribute 95% of their wealth to charity before they die. None of those donations have been connected to the Microsoft brand; as Gates has increased his philanthropic focus he has concurrently distanced himself from Microsoft. His foundation uses business methods to demand accountability and production from the activities it supports.

For Steve Jobs, philanthropy was about branding: After resuming control of Apple in 1997, he eliminated all corporate philanthropy. When Apple did venture back into the field of philanthropy under Jobs, it affiliated itself with Product Red, which is a company that offers corporations like Nike the chance to boost revenues by dressing up their products as an AIDS charity and getting affiliated with one-name celebrities like Bono and Oprah. Apple's partnership with Product Red was infamous for incurring $100 million in marketing costs while only raising $18 million for charities to administer. Unfortunately, shopping is not a solution.

Yet Gates is the one characterized as a crass capitalist while Jobs is canonized for his contributions to society.