Bill Gates Slams Berlusconi For Putting Hair Transplant Before Foreign Aid

Bill Gates is not impressed with Silvio Berlusconi's foreign aid policy. Nor, for that matter, is he much impressed by the prime minister's hair transplant. And, according to Gates, there is a connection at work between the two.

Gates issued a blistering attack this week on Italian leader's stingy approach to foreign aid, saying that Berlusconi was on his "shame list." An annual report published by Gates Foundation accused Italy of being "uniquely stingy among European donors." Italy's foreign aid budget was 0.11% of its GDP in 2009, half of what it was the year before.

In an interview with the Frankfurter Rundschau Gates singled out Berlusconi: "Dear Silvio, I am sorry to make things difficult for you, but you are ignoring the poor people of the world."

But the real moment of chastisement came when Gates seemingly tied his criticisms to Berlusconi's notorious vanity, specifically his decision to shell out money for a hair transplant.

"Rich people spend a lot more money on their own problems, like baldness, than they do to fight malaria," Gates told the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Berlusconi, who has had hair transplants and cosmetic surgery, made headlines in Italy this week for being photographed one day with a full head of hair, only to appear two days later with a significant bald patch.

Comments

[opinione]

11:50 PM on 02/02/2010

Bravo Bill Gates. Most people do not that the UN has two agencies dedicated to world hunger in Rome, Italy. A very nice location for the people working there as opposed to relocating the headquarters of these ineffecient aid organizations relocated to an African country.
Most readers are also probable ignorant to the fact that the Italian government back in 1993 had skimmed off some money that was earmarked for third world countries in need.
Italy is ranked 55 in the world for corruption, 53 for press freedom, and the mafia control 8 percent of the entire economy.
And oh yeah, the US has over 45 military bases in Italy employing over 5 thousand Italians and contributing 5 billion dollars a year to the Italian economy while American cities rust and decay away.

[Cristancho]

12:46 PM on 02/01/2010

On one hand I love joining in on Berlosconi bashing whenever the occasion arises, on the other hand Italy has got some very serious problems of its own (North/South inequality, organized crime, immigration, etc). Also where are the case studies showing the effectiveness of foreign aid to recipient countries?

[KinkyGirl]

07:47 PM on 01/31/2010

Bill Gates is on my "shame list"

[Redeemer777]

03:55 PM on 01/30/2010

This is unfair. Bill gates has made this comparison before in a different context. it as nothing2do wit the Italian

[harmonikasavingsbonds]

11:04 AM on 01/30/2010

This just proves that you don't have to be gay to be a vicious queen.

[MadhuryaRasa]

06:11 PM on 01/29/2010

The vast majority of winners of US presidential elections had more hair than the losing candidate. Berlusconi's transplant was therefore a business expense.

[peowlemeow]

03:05 PM on 01/29/2010

Maybe Gates will sprinkle hair pulling micro-machines on Berlusconis head.

[davidwayneosedach]

02:13 PM on 01/29/2010

Transplants at his age? Why doesn't he use a movie style wig? I guess he figures he's going to be around and 'playing' a lot longer!

[Balzac]

01:07 PM on 01/29/2010

Oh snap!

[hippie4ever]

12:45 PM on 01/29/2010

President Berlusconi has a medical condition that requires a regular infusion of air into his brain, in order to maintain his arch-conservative point of view. The hair helps disguise the stigmata.

[nicainmiami]

11:49 AM on 01/29/2010

Watch Bill Gates' TED speech and you'll understand what he meant by "Rich people spend a lot more money on their own problems, like baldness, than they do to fight malaria."

http://www.ted.com/talks/bill_gates_unplugged.html

[Redeemer777]

03:55 PM on 01/30/2010

I just made same comment

[jojojo]

11:46 AM on 01/29/2010

I wonder when Gates will make fun of HRC or any female for coloring her hair or wearing make-up.

[BannedFromCommenting]

11:58 AM on 01/29/2010

Also you uninformed hack, HRC gives more than 0.11% of her income to charity. You are a total B00B

[wizegeye]

12:29 PM on 01/29/2010

The 0.11% figure relates to Italy's foreign aid budget as a percentage of its GDP, and not to Berlusconi's personal charitable donations. The article never discussed his personal giving.

[BannedFromCommenting]

12:05 PM on 01/29/2010

Why didnt my other comment get in??
Hair color is like $5 a box and makeup in the oh, maybe $100 for a good set..
This tool spent Thousands of dollars on plugs. There is a big difference.. Go back to your shed

[operaglass]

11:16 AM on 01/29/2010

Bravo, Mr. Gates.

[RightWingMarine]

10:54 AM on 01/29/2010

Perhaps Berlusconi believes that Italians should volunteer to give their money in aid rather than having the govt take it from them to be spent on the charities the govt supports? Too bad we can't have that system here.

[TonyLunchmeat]

11:46 AM on 01/29/2010

Yeah, too bad, too, we don't have the same voluntary system for military spending, rather than having it stolen from us from the government to support its pointless bloodlust around the world. Maybe if we did, not as many of the people who sign up for the military wouldn't be coming home in boxes.

[j0n0]

12:48 PM on 01/29/2010

Not practical...where as the original comment it.

[gra8whit]

12:53 PM on 01/29/2010

Snap! I'd rather send my tax dollars to Haitian relief than to prop up Afghan heroin-pushing, kleptocrats! Yer fanned, buddy!

[gra8whit]

01:07 PM on 01/29/2010

You may not follow European politics much. Trust me, you do NOT want to emulate Berlusconi. He is a heel. Plus, we make more friends around the world helping people than running bombing raids and kicking down doors. Oh, as Bush just proved, we are not powerful enough to lead this world by ourselves. We will need friends.

[RightWingMarine]

02:25 PM on 01/29/2010

Without a doubt you will catch more flies with honey than with vinegar but that is not what this is about. The Congress only has the powers that we the people give them, spending our money on foreign aid is not one of those powers.

[Tsar Bomba]

10:50 AM on 01/29/2010

My respect for Bill just jumped a notch. Now if only I could get my Zune to work. (Just kidding, I use an iPod like everyone else).