Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are held up as models, certainly by Dr. Glassman. “They are going to make much greater contributions by having made money and then giving it away than most, almost all, scientists,” he said, adding that he is drawn to philanthropy as a means of achieving a meaningful legacy.
Not to discourage Mr. Gates, Mr. Buffett, or Dr. Glassman from giving away their money, but I think that one scientist who does cure AIDS does a lot more for humanity than all the people who give money to buy the drugs which help prolong the lives of its sufferers. It's good to survive, it's better to live virus free.
Unlike business, science depends upon failures as well as successes. Learning what doesn't work is an important part of learning what does, so all of the scientists working on a cure for AIDS, cancer, whatever, contribute to the ultimate success of whoever actually finds the cure.
Not everything's about money.
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