What fantastic news yesterday from Sir Tom Hunter, who has pledged £1 billion to charity.
Sir Tom has also been a great supporter of entrepreneurship education in Scotland, supporting a specialist centre at the University of Strathclyde (shame we don't have the same here in Wales!)
Following the recent stories over the alleged greed of equity houses, he demonstrates how entrepreneurship can be a force for good and follows in the steps of leading US tycoons such as Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, who have pledged their fortunes to good causes.
In Wales, David Stevens of Admiral Insurance has recently given away £100 million - the vast majority of his fortune - to support charitable causes.
Perhaps large established businesses, such as the high street banks, could also take a leaf out of these entrepreneurs' books when it comes to philanthropy and provide a share of the billions of profits they make every year to good causes.
Sir Tom has also been a great supporter of entrepreneurship education in Scotland, supporting a specialist centre at the University of Strathclyde (shame we don't have the same here in Wales!)
Following the recent stories over the alleged greed of equity houses, he demonstrates how entrepreneurship can be a force for good and follows in the steps of leading US tycoons such as Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, who have pledged their fortunes to good causes.
In Wales, David Stevens of Admiral Insurance has recently given away £100 million - the vast majority of his fortune - to support charitable causes.
Perhaps large established businesses, such as the high street banks, could also take a leaf out of these entrepreneurs' books when it comes to philanthropy and provide a share of the billions of profits they make every year to good causes.
Comments
It just points up that we have reached a stage in our history where the richest individuals (like Gates) don't know what to do with their money anymore because there's so much of it.
Rather than rely on philanthropy, I'd far rather see a progressive tax system that lightened the super-rich of their burden.
It's that or revolution.
After all, they've got their billions by fleecing their workers. Or do you think they've worked a thousand times harder than the guys driving this guy's buses?
At least he is trying and not all have the capacity or capability of wealth creation.It is these capitalists who create jobs and that is not a function the state has been good at or proven to be a good employer when it has.
It has cost the tax payer ,rather than contributing to lessen taxes.
Fleecing their workers -thats a bit harsh in these days surely-arent the trade unions effective then?