I love Malcolm Gladwell’s ideas and work. He is a positive and persuasive force in the world of business. But I had to take a break off his train when he came for John Paulson and his $400 million gift to Harvard.
https://www.twitter.com/Gladwell/status/606167543804346368
Here are my thoughts, in bullets!
- If a person wants to give a donation of any size to his alma mater, a school who helped shape who he is and contributed to his ability to make the amount of money he’s made, who is anyone to comment so publicly about the matter?
- Who’s to say this MULTI-BILLIONAIRE hasn’t already donated $400 million to poverty-related causes? Just because there aren’t press releases surrounding his other giving, doesn’t mean it’s not happening.
- Did Paulson call him and confide in him that it was a choice between Harvard vs poverty for this philanthropic act? Why did Gladwell choose poverty and not cancer research, saving art education in public schools, child hunger, the cure for AIDS, sickle-cell disease or any of the other numerous underfunded causes?
- Why is he so concerned about how someone else spends their cash?
- Is this a prelude to a major Gladwell-led fundraiser to help the poor?? How exciting that would be with his influence and knowledge on the matter! I have the perfect cause for him – end homelessness.
So many thoughts, so little time to share them all. I really have other things to do besides concerning myself with how others spend their cash or what others think about it. Just know, when my time comes to make major gifts to my most cherished institutions and causes, I will not play in the sandbox with those who are determined to get attention about matters they speak on with no context or authority!