Gates and Buffett are both Americans. In the United States, charity culture has a long history (compared with the history of American countries) and has its own unique ideas and practices. It is said that American charity culture is mainly based on a Protestant idea, that is, the rich are only social managers of wealth. That is to say, legally, wealth is private, but on the moral and value level, wealth beyond the needs of life is social.
/kloc-Carnegie, an American rich man in the 0/9th century, wrote a paper on wealth, which was called the gospel of wealth, and clarified the relevant ideas concisely and directly.
Carnegie believes that it is human nature for relatives to inherit excess wealth, but it often brings more disadvantages to the recipients. "I left my son a omnipotent dollar, which is equivalent to leaving him a spell." He welcomed the progressive inheritance tax imposed by the state, saying that "by imposing heavy taxes, the state shows that it condemns the worthless life of selfish millionaires". Carnegie, after all, is a self-made wealth owner, so he has a life experience and value consciousness beyond money.
Carnegie believes that it is a skill to dispose of surplus wealth and make it really beneficial to society. "How much skill is needed to make money, and how much skill is needed to spend money." He does not advocate distributing wealth to ordinary people piecemeal, but manages it by running enterprises, but its purpose is for the public interest. Carnegie himself set up a famous foundation to provide financial support for the poor, education and cultural undertakings. At present, Gates' charitable activities are also carried out through foundations. Carnegie believes that showing kindness regardless of the object is an obstacle to human progress, and how to help those who can help themselves should be the consideration of saving the world.
Carnegie believes that the responsibility of the rich is to "set an example for a simple life", and treat the extra income as a trust fund managed by themselves, so that thoughtful and serious people can carefully plan and use it. Whether the behavior of the rich is proper or not should be judged by "informed public sentiment" The rich should handle their wealth well before their death to make it beneficial to public welfare. "The richer you die, the more shameful you die." .
Marx called America "a special new world with no concept of time and no time to clean up the consciousness of the old world". Carnegie lived in such a "new world" and had a "vigorous and fanatical material production movement". Faced with the gap and friction between the rich and the poor in the process of industrialization, he came up with the above idea, that is, "properly manage wealth so that the brotherhood of compatriots can maintain the harmony between the rich and the poor." Historically, his thought has played a very positive role in maintaining American society, and its influence is still there, which is worth mentioning.