Bill Gates: I'll never run for office
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Microsoft founder and billionaire Bill Gates on Tuesday ruled out running for office, choosing not to join the parade of rich businessmen who have tried their hand at politics.
Asked at the Abu Dhabi Media Summit about running for president, he said his current job with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was "a very nice office" and that it didn't require him to raise funds to "try to get elected," nor does it "have term limits of eight years," as do some elected American offices.
"I decided the philanthropic role is where my contribution would be more unique, and so that is what I will work on the rest of my life," Gates said. "I actually think, maybe I'm wrong, that I can have as much impact in that role as I could in any political role. In any case, I would never run for political office."
Gates said he would be happy to offer the U.S. president his advice.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who ran the private equity firm Bain Capital, is the latest wealthy business figure to enter the political ring. Among those who preceded him were 1992 presidential candidate Ross Perot and former eBay Inc. chief executive Meg Whitman, who spent $142 million in her losing 2010 effort to become California's governor.
Gates devoted much of his speech to charitable causes and his foundation, especially its work toward eradicating polio from the three countries where it is still found — Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.
"It's the top priority of our foundation. We are convinced that ending polio is achievable and will bring lasting success," Gates said. "It will lay the foundation for a better public health system for children in the poorest and most remote places."
Gates said one of the biggest challenges in fighting polio was getting vaccines into high-risk areas. Health care workers have faced Taliban opposition in Pakistan and suspicions in other countries. He praised the United Arab Emirates for helping get doctors into remote areas of Pakistan, where they vaccinated 20,000 children against polio and measles.
"It is also a mark of why this region can play a pivotal role in improving the lives of the poor," Gates said. "The leaders and citizens here can reach out as partners to countries where they have special access and special kinship — areas where the rest of the world doesn't have the standing to intervene in the way that leaders here can do."
Gates called on Gulf citizens to embrace philanthropy and develop technology that can help the poor.
"For too long, we in the West worked almost exclusively to develop and apply technology to meet the needs of the rich world, only for those who could pay. As you grow into a world hub for research, I hope you constantly search for ways to apply technology to help people who can't pay," he said.
Gates also discussed new media, promoting the Microsoft Windows 8 and its soon-to-be released Surface tablet computer. He also advised caution to an entrepreneur in the audience planning to start an online Arab news channel station.
"I think it's a little too early to put all your money on the interactive side unless you are just trying to go after high end audience," Gates said.
Asked at the Abu Dhabi Media Summit about running for president, he said his current job with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was "a very nice office" and that it didn't require him to raise funds to "try to get elected," nor does it "have term limits of eight years," as do some elected American offices.
"I decided the philanthropic role is where my contribution would be more unique, and so that is what I will work on the rest of my life," Gates said. "I actually think, maybe I'm wrong, that I can have as much impact in that role as I could in any political role. In any case, I would never run for political office."
Gates said he would be happy to offer the U.S. president his advice.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who ran the private equity firm Bain Capital, is the latest wealthy business figure to enter the political ring. Among those who preceded him were 1992 presidential candidate Ross Perot and former eBay Inc. chief executive Meg Whitman, who spent $142 million in her losing 2010 effort to become California's governor.
Gates devoted much of his speech to charitable causes and his foundation, especially its work toward eradicating polio from the three countries where it is still found — Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.
"It's the top priority of our foundation. We are convinced that ending polio is achievable and will bring lasting success," Gates said. "It will lay the foundation for a better public health system for children in the poorest and most remote places."
Gates said one of the biggest challenges in fighting polio was getting vaccines into high-risk areas. Health care workers have faced Taliban opposition in Pakistan and suspicions in other countries. He praised the United Arab Emirates for helping get doctors into remote areas of Pakistan, where they vaccinated 20,000 children against polio and measles.
"It is also a mark of why this region can play a pivotal role in improving the lives of the poor," Gates said. "The leaders and citizens here can reach out as partners to countries where they have special access and special kinship — areas where the rest of the world doesn't have the standing to intervene in the way that leaders here can do."
Gates called on Gulf citizens to embrace philanthropy and develop technology that can help the poor.
"For too long, we in the West worked almost exclusively to develop and apply technology to meet the needs of the rich world, only for those who could pay. As you grow into a world hub for research, I hope you constantly search for ways to apply technology to help people who can't pay," he said.
Gates also discussed new media, promoting the Microsoft Windows 8 and its soon-to-be released Surface tablet computer. He also advised caution to an entrepreneur in the audience planning to start an online Arab news channel station.
"I think it's a little too early to put all your money on the interactive side unless you are just trying to go after high end audience," Gates said.
Good, We dont need no fascist eugenics fanatic sterilizing us.
The Abu Dhabi media summit? Come on... all he is - is a hypocritical one percenter American.Â
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Who wants him to run for any office. Is anyone asking him to do so?Â
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Does he have any solutions up his sleeve? Or isn't it a fact he lives and breathes and takes self opportunistic advantage of American tax code deductions and exemptions and anything and everything tax loop holed - every time he presumes to be spreading so much discretionary "good" all around the globe. As Dictator Gates discretionary decides.Â
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Ah, hypocrite one percenter Bill Gates. Who is listening to a word you are spewing over in the United Arab Emirates. Most of us can barely stand to look at your hysterically hypocritical face, sir.Â
Let's see a self made millionaire that has not only ran one of the most successful businesses in America but has pledge to give 95% of his wealth to charity...yep wouldn't want someone like that running for office.  Only hypocrite I see is you englishdaisy you complain about the 1% but when one actually does good you blast him all the same, but give yourself a big pat on the back once you get off your soapbox.
 @Bodagris Self made? how is that? he didn't write the code for DOS, he bought it. turned it around from there.
@Bodagris Gates is evil, I'm afraid you dont have all the facts.
 @!!!  @Bodagris Well gee thanks for clearing that up you amazing all contained statement that he is evil really clears that up amazing job!
Smart decision on his part, I'd say... Â Â He sure doesn't look very well (physically), at least in that photo...Â
 @margay1 Looks like even with all his money that should made life easy he has had a hard life.I remember him as a boy a few short years ago.He has aged very quickly.He is 57
 @margay1 My thoughts too. He does not look well. I don't think he's even 60 years old, and he looks very worn out.Â
Good ! You're a Marxist.
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``The United States has been spoiled by being a global leader for so long that there may be an adjustment,'' Gates told the audience of nearly 2,000, a mix of suit-and-tie executives and college students in hooded sweatshirts. ``We've got to get used to the fact that our relative share of everything -- our ability to exercise unilateral decision making, military power, and economic power -- won't be as out of line with our 5 percent share of world population as it is today.''Â - Bill Gates 2006
 @TimBurr And you sir, are an idiot.
 @TimBurr Geeezzz,  Gates is the the poster boy for Capitalism. He took full advantage of all the possibilities of capitalism and now he's giving back; not just to his country but to the whole world.  You call that a Marxist?  Hardly.Â
 @KKStJohn  @TimBurr He's an opportunistic hypocrite. He made his kabillions off of the skewed tax code that Obama has keep flowing - to all one percenter opportunists - just like him.Â
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He "gives" and then his staff of accountants makes sure we tax payers pay him back for all of his discretionary "charity". No thanks, Mr. Hypocrite. I deeply resent being FORCED to pay for your "charity".
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You extremist progressive HYPOCRITE, you. Am I being clear enough about who you "really" are, Mr. Gates? You skunk.Â
 @englishdaisy  @KKStJohn  @TimBurr Time for you to go back under your bridge with all the other occupidiots.....
No one with any lick of sense runs for political office.
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"Washington D.C. PolitiSphere. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious." âObi-Wan Kaboobi, to Luke Flycatcher
@Mikey I have always thought, Anybody smart enough to be president is too smart to run for president.
Bill needs to cut back on the GMO food.
Dang Bill, looking a little rough around the edges. I concur with criticalreason, very smart man.
 @dkgiovenco Think it's called natural aging without the benefit of cosmetic surgery.  We are so used to the plastic people we see in the media these days that when someone decides not to go that route they look sickly to us.  He could comb his hair tough and maybe buy a better fitting suit.
This confirms what we already knew, Bill Gates is a very smart man!
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"I decided the philanthropic role is where my contribution would be more unique, and so that is what I will work on the rest of my life," Gates said. "I actually think, maybe I'm wrong, that I can have as much impact in that role as I could in any political role. In any case, I would never run for political office."