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James Piereson: What Bill Gates Won't Tell You About Giving Money Away

Robert Wilson gave away $800 million during his life, which ended tragically in his leap from a Manhattan apartment building a few weeks ago. In 2010, Wilson—who supported causes as varied as New York City's Catholic schools (despite his ardent atheism) as well as the Nature Conservancy, the World Monuments Fund and the New York City Opera—had an email exchange with Bill Gates. Mr. Gates was trying to get Wilson to sign on to his “Giving Pledge,” a commitment by wealthy individuals to give away more than half of their assets to charity. Mr. Gates wrote that he wants to “make it more common for people…

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