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I once was in a restaurant in Birmingham, Michigan when Mike Tyson gave the waiter a $10,000 tip on a meal that was a $20 shrimp caesar salad. That was around the year 2000. In 2007, Tyson is broke.

Donald Trump was once on a show that featured his several hundred foot new yacht. He was asked if he could turn on the engines for the TV audience to hear their roar. He said "That costs $5,000 in fuel to turn them on, so, no. I don't believe in wasting $"

I had a feeling the story was a fraud. Smart people simply don't go around dropping $ like that.

The meal was probably comped anyway

surfpirate wrote:

OystersandBeer wrote:Oh, I forgot to add. I could care less who respects my opinion.

Now THAT ..... I can respect and understand and agree with.

But twisting things to focus on "your choice to be a teacher" and then angrily responding to that accusation is a political way of responding to one thing without addressing what I did comment on ....... why the personal attacks on the very wealthy? and in particular Bill Gates?

~~~~~ surfpirate

I brought up teaching because it sounded as if you wanted to know what I was doing to change the situation of the 70% kids on free and reduced lunch. I thought you wanted to know how much of my income I was spending. So I was letting you know I chose to do something to help them get out of their situation by providing an education because I don't have the funds to bring on change.

To answer your question...because there is absolutely no reason for someone to have that much money. Money in billions is unfathomable to me. With that kind of wealth it so easy to continue to earn wealth that when someone gives away ten thousand dollars(whether this a fake story or not) it is not that much money compared to how much they have. It's nice and they should do that, but it shouldn't be made a big deal of. It is merely pennies for them.

I like the idea of capitalism, but I just wish there was a way to put a cap on the amount of wealth one person can accumulate, but I know that would not be capitalism.

Hope that clears up your questions.

I guess i forgot to comment on Bill Gates in particular. Don't want to be accused of being political.


Because it is absurd how much money he has.


If I sound a bit jealous, maybe...But not for that kind of wealth. I just want enough to pay my bills and help my mom pay hers so she doesn't have to work two jobs and hell, maybe be able to go out and get a beer now and then, which I haven't done in a long time. Possibly even a Buffett concert. And that's just me wanting luxuries. Imagine how those kids feel whose only hot meal for the day comes from the school cafeteria. They're probably a bit more bitter about Bill Gates and the others. And that's just here in the U.S. where they got it pretty good. What about the kids in Third World countries?

Again, to reiterate my point. I get passionate when I think about the huge gap between the ultra wealthy and just the poor, but even the middle class. And I just chose Bill Gates and Oprah because they are the first people i think about when I think about the ultra rich.

OystersandBeer wrote:I guess i forgot to comment on Bill Gates in particular. Don't want to be accused of being political.


Because it is absurd how much money he has.

If he didn't have billions he wouldn't have been able to give away the hundreds of millions of dollars that he's donated to various causes around the world through his charitable foundation over the last 20 years or so. And he's on record saying he doesn't intend to leave his wealth to his children.

Not only is Bill Gates giving his money away he's giving Warren Buffetts money away too.

http://www.gatesfoundation.org/AboutUs/ ... 060625.htm

And Bill Gates and Warren Buffett earned their money. Unlike Donald Trump, who took over the company his father founded. He's a guy who was born on 3rd base and wants everyone to believe he hit a triple.

I have left a 100% tip before, actually probably a 200 - 300% but when you order one beer and leave a $20 tip cuz you know the bartender and know it will come back to you that may not count much in the $$$ range but it sure as hell counts in the way you get poured at the bar