Look To The Stars News: Warren Buffett

LTTS Book Review: Philanthrocapitalism

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:40:00 +0000

For anyone interested in the charity work of the rich and the famous, Philanthrocapitalism by Matthew Bishop and Michael Green is – in the words of Bill Clinton – “an important book.”

With a foreword by Clinton and featuring interviews with the movers and shakers of the charity world – including Bono, Bill Gates, Angelina Jolie and Richard Branson – Philanthrocapitalism is a highly readable and thoroughly researched study of who is doing what to tackle the big issues facing humanity today. It gives in-depth accounts of where the world’s wealthiest entrepreneurs and business leaders are spending their money and exactly what effect their efforts are having – both negative and positive. Even the most skeptical reader will get an insight into how money is being used to bring new solutions to age-old problems.

Bishop and Green give a well-rounded and in-depth view of the changing face of philanthropy in today’s world, detailing the history of charity to the dark ages and beyond. Their research studies the reasons behind the giving of Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Ted Turner and their super-rich friends, and the effects they have on their chosen causes. In the process, it shows how the fame and status of big names such as Bono and Angelina Jolie play a useful part in making the world a better place – as Angelina says, “people take my calls.” This book shows us exactly how giving can save the world.

eBay Launches Celebrity Charity Auction Site

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:15:00 +0000

Just in time for the holiday giving season, eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, today announced the launch of eBay.com/celebrity, a unique shopping destination that combines celebrity experiences, memorabilia and merchandise with philanthropic causes.

As part of eBay’s charitable platform eBay Giving Works, eBay Celebrity establishes a differentiated experience for the shopping enthusiast and cause-oriented consumer by aggregating relevant celebrity content, charity auctions, and the breadth and selection of related products that are unique to eBay.

eBay has consistently been the platform of choice for celebrities looking to raise funds for charity, and this year was a landmark year for the company’s philanthropic efforts: an auction featuring limited edition Nike Mag sneakers raised millions of dollars for The Michael J. Fox Foundation and an annual lunch with Warren Buffett auction sold for a record $2.63 million. In 2011, eBay Giving Works has raised $51 million and over $278 million to date for various charitable organizations. eBay Celebrity takes charitable fundraising to the next level, connecting consumers with their favorite celebrities through charity and commerce.

Warren Buffett Gets Animated For Charity

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:30:00 +0000

A Squared Entertainment and By Kids For Kids Co. have teamed up with CreditReport.com to launch Warren Buffett’s Secret Millionaires Club “Learn and Earn” financial literacy promotion.

An expansion of the Secret Millionaires Club animated series that features Warren Buffett mentoring a group of kids through their own business adventures, key aspects of the campaign include: the “Learn and Earn” promotion, which offers educational materials for kids in grades 3 – 6; the “Grow Your Own Business” Challenge — based on Mr. Buffett’s financial lessons — which invites kids to submit ideas for their own entrepreneurial endeavors for the chance to win $5,000 with finalists given the opportunity to present their business ideas to Mr. Buffett himself in his hometown of Omaha; and the premiere of the first Secret Millionaires Club television special on The Hub TV network.

Exclusively sponsored by CreditReport.com, the Secret Millionaires Club “Learn and Earn” financial education activities are being offered to kids in more than 100,000 U.S. schools, as well as numerous youth organizations throughout the country, including Jr. Achievement, 4H, Girls Inc, and Big Brothers Big Sisters. The yearlong promotion, managed by kids marketing agency By Kids For Kids, provides fun, educational activities, extending the lessons from the Secret Millionaires Club animated series. All materials have been developed by leading educational publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Warren Buffett Says Tax The Rich

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Last month, in an op-ed in The New York Times, billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett addressed misconceptions about investment attitudes of some of America’s richest citizens. Buffett’s message to Congress: Stop coddling the super-rich.

“Back in the 1980s and 1990s, tax rates for the rich were far higher, and my percentage rate was in the middle of the pack. According to a theory I sometimes hear, I should have thrown a fit and refused to invest because of the elevated tax rates on capital gains and dividends. I didn’t refuse, nor did others. I have worked with investors for 60 years and I have yet to see anyone shy away from a sensible investment because of the tax rate on the potential gain.”

Fox News reports opposed Buffett’s suggestion, as well as President Obama’s plans to close America’s deficit, with such comments as:

Warren Buffett's Busy Month For Charity

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:30:00 +0000

At June’s twelfth annual charity auction, an anonymous winner paid over two and a half million dollars to have lunch for eight with billionaire Warren Buffett.

The proceeds of the auction will go to Glide, a San Francisco organization that offers support and programs to the impoverished in the Bay area.

“Accommodation of love and time and energy and resources can produce a different human being,” Buffett said after visiting Glide and seeing its programs. “What I witnessed was an institution and an individual that really gave up on nobody. They took the people that the rest of the world had forgotten, people who’d given up on themselves.”

Bill Gates And Warren Buffett Extend The Giving Pledge Through Asia

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Bill Gates and Warren Buffett made the headlines a few times last year, asking America’s wealthiest to donate the majority of their wealth to cause/s of their choice, whether during their lifetimes or laid out in their wills. To further encourage billionaires to make such a commitment, Gates and Buffett created the Giving Pledge.

In his 2011 Annual Letter posted on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation website, Gates says that 58 people have joined the Giving Pledge so far, and top business people in China and India have also shown interest in the idea and called for meetings.

“Warren and I had the meeting in China in November,” says Gates, “and we were very happy with how many people came and how the conversation turned out.”

Peter Buffett To Talk Life At Concert Event

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 14:00:00 +0000

The Academi Of Life will present a special concert and conversation with Peter Buffett on Thursday, November 11.

This uplifting and rewarding evening will resonate with every audience member looking to lead a more fulfilling life and leave a meaningful legacy.

Peter is an author, musician and out-standing philanthropist. You may think that with a last name like his, Buffett has enjoyed a life of endless privilege. But the son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett says that the only real inheritance handed down from his parents was a philosophy: forge your own path in life regardless of your circumstances. It is a creed that has allowed him to follow his own passions, establish his own identity, and reap his own successes.

George Lucas Pledges Millions To Education

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Warren Buffett’s Giving Pledge, which asks billionaires to donate the majority of their wealth to charity, has garnered some high-profile followers.

Among the world’s elite who have signed up include Bill Gates, Ted Turner and Star Wars creator George Lucas. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison has also made a pledge worth hundreds of millions of dollars for charity.

“We’ve really just started but already we’ve had a terrific response,” said Buffett. “The Giving Pledge is about asking wealthy families to have important conversations about their wealth and how it will be used.”

Warren Buffett Signs Ice Cream Spoon For Charity

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Billionaire businessman Warren Buffett is putting his money where his mouth is – by signing a giant ice cream spoon for charity.

The CEO of Berkshire Hathaway has teamed with the Dairy Queen system to auction off a 33-inch, five pound, red metal DQ spoon with his autograph to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for 170 children’s hospitals.

Bill Gates And Warren Buffett’s $600 Billion Charity Challenge

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Philanthropists Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have asked 400 of the richest Americans to pledge half of their fortunes to their favorite causes either during their lifetimes or in their wills.

Both Gates and Buffett are worth about 50 billion dollars each, and both are large contributors to charity, including Buffett’s annual contribution to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which Gates has invested over 30 billion dollars in.

At GivingPledge.org, the two call upon other rich people to make a conscious commitment now rather than putting it off, and to go public with their pledges to motivate others to do the same.

Warren Buffett Makes Annual Charity Donation

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Billionaire Warren Buffett has given away $1.93 billion in company shares to charity this year, after pledging to give away 99% of his wealth to good causes in 2006.

The money is split between five charities – the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Sherwood Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the NoVo Foundation, and the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation.

The donation follows last month’s online auction to have lunch with the business legend, which raised $2.63 million for the Glide Foundation, a diverse, cutting-edge church and nonprofit offering innovative programs to poor and marginalized people. The foundation serves 700,000 free meals a year and provides dozens of other social services on a $12 million budget, according to Cecil Williams, the foundation’s chief executive officer and minister of the associated church.

Peter Buffett To Sign New Book For Charity Tonight

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Emmy Award-winning musician and philanthropist Peter Buffett will be signing copies of his new book – Life Is What You Make It: Find Your Own Path To Fulfillment – in New York City tonight at an event to raise funds for Robin Hood, an organization that targets poverty in NYC by finding and funding the most effective programs and partnering with them to maximize results.

Buffett – the son of Warren Buffett – will be joined by Tom Brokaw at the signing event, to take place at the Barnes & Noble Lincoln Center at 7:30pm. Admission is free, and proceeds from the evening’s book sales will go to Robin Hood.

In LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT, Peter shares the important lessons learned from his parents who were determined to instill honorable values in their children. He explains the reasoning behind his father’s decision not to give his children an inheritance and how important it is for each person to define his or her own path, regardless of their wealth or background. Ultimately it is the values—and what we are able to give back—that shape and define us as individuals. LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT is about transcending your circumstances, taking up the reins of your destiny, and living your life to the fullest.

Celebrities Pose With Pets For Charity

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 15:30:00 +0000

The annual Animal Rescue Foundation Celebrity Pet Calendar is out now, featuring some of your favorite stars and their best friends.

ARF was created in 1991 by Tony and Elaine La Russa to address the needs of companion animals. ARF saves dogs and cats who have run out of time at public shelters and brings people and animals together to enrich each others lives. ARF strives to create a world where every loving dog and cat has a home, where every lonely person has a companion animal, and where children learn to care.

This year’s calendar features famous faces such as Jenna Fischer, Celebrity Dog Trainer Victoria Stilwell, Iron Chef Cat Cora, Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, Holly Madison, Warren Buffett, Chairman of Starbucks Coffee Howard Schultz and FOX News Anchor Greta Van Susteren, country singer Dierks Bentley, comedian Paul Rodriguez and many more.

Annual Women's Conference To Attract Big Names

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Maria Shriver will once again host the annual Women’s Conference in October, and tickets go on sale on July 13.

The first Women’s Conference – formerly known as the California Governor and First Lady’s Conference on Women – was held over twenty years ago, but it has been under the leadership of First Lady Shriver and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger that the event has become the premier event in empowering and inspiring women.

“I am honored to again be hosting what has become the nation’s premier forum for women, where the world’s greatest hearts and minds convene every year to empower women to find a common purpose, be united by a shared conversation, and see themselves as a collective WE,” said Shriver. “This year, I am urging women to take time to explore their deepest hopes and aspirations, and I hope they leave the conference with a better sense of just who they want to be — and the knowledge of how to get there.”

Warren Buffett Donates To Bill Gates Foundation

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Billionaire Warren Buffett has donated a further $1.25 billion in Berkshire Hathaway Inc. stock to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The donation is part of a series of donations promised by the business legend, who has pledged the majority of his wealth to the foundation run by the former Microsoft chairman to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty.

Buffett also donated $125 million to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and nearly $50 million each to the Sherwood Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and the NoVo Foundation.

Warren Buffett Lunch Auction Raises $1.68 Million

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0000

In an update to last week’s story about Warren Buffett’s annual charity dinner auction, we can now reveal that one lucky bidder handed over $1.68 to share a meal with the billionaire.

Proceeds from the auction will go to Glide, a diverse, cutting-edge church and nonprofit offering innovative programs to poor and marginalized people. The foundation serves 700,000 free meals a year and provides dozens of other social services on a $12 million budget.

The winning bidder will be able to take up to seven friends to have lunch with Warren Buffett – the world’s second richest person – at Smith & Wollensky’s steakhouse in New York. Buffett’s lunches have now raised more than $5.92 million for the charity since the auctions began in 2000.

Annual Buffett Lunch Auction Bidding Hits $75,000

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:15:00 +0000

Each year around June, former World’s Richest Man Warren Buffett auctions off the opportunity to dine with him, and the well-heeled winners’ bids go straight to charity.

In the 6 previous years that Buffett has presented this opportunity, financiers and entrepreneurs keen to share his legendary market wisdom have handed over more than $4.2 million, primarily to Glide, a charity that supports San Francisco’s homeless community.

The 2006 lunch went for $610,000, while 2007’s fetched $650,000, and last year’s pre-market-collapse lunch cost the winner a record $2.1 million.

Celebrities Sign iPods For Charity Auction

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Tonic.com has announced the launch of a new charity auction series. Leading celebrities from the worlds of music, film, television, and fashion have contributed an autographed iPod loaded with their personal playlist to be auctioned off, with all proceeds benefiting Music Rising, a campaign founded in 2005 to replace lost or destroyed instruments of musicians in the Gulf Coast Region after the hurricane disasters.

Over seventy celebrities will participate in the auction series including U2’s The Edge, former President Bill Clinton, Madonna, Beyoncé Knowles, Cher, Donna Karan, Warren Buffett, Christy Turlington, Britney Spears, Michael Stipe, Gwen Stefani, Mariah Carey, Stevie Nicks, Michael Buble, Ben Affleck, Ellen DeGeneres, Estelle, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Scarlett Johansson, Peter Wentz, Randy Jackson, will.i.am, Kevin Bacon, Gisele Bundchen, Marc Jacobs, Ed Burns, Samantha Ronson, Nick Lachey, Petra Nemcova, Mandy Moore and many others.

Each celebrity was given a new iPod which they each autographed and Tonic pre-loaded with a playlist of ten to twenty of the celebrities’ favorite songs. Beginning February 12 between one and five separate iPod auctions will simultaneously launch every week on eBay; playlists will be revealed to the public on both tonic.com and eBay when auctions are launched.

Peter Buffett Offers Album Download For Charity

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:30:00 +0000

Food Bank For New York City is seeing first hand the effects of the economic downturn – finding funding has become more challenging while the need for emergency food is increasing rapidly.

The Food Bank’s Community Kitchen of West Harlem, which served 92,000 meals last year, has seen its already long lines become even longer. As demand for emergency food increases, supply continues to decrease. More than 1.3 million New York City residents turned to food assistance in 2007 – a 24 percent increase from 2004. Given the downward economic climate, compounded by skyrocketing food prices and escalating unemployment, the demand for food is reaching crisis levels.

Recognizing this time of unprecedented need, Peter Buffett, The Robin Hood Foundation, AmieStreet.com, and the Food Bank For New York City have united to help fund the Food Bank this holiday season.

Jennifer Lopez Announces New Foundation Plans At Women's Conference

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:00:00 +0000

This year’s annual Women’s Conference, hosted by Maria Shriver, drew record crowds in Long Beach this week.

The conference – which aims to empower and motivate women to pursue a lifelong journey of self discovery – kicked off with a “once in a lifetime conversation” between Govenor Arnold Schwarzenegger and billionaire Warren Buffett, and went on to feature passionate speeches from Jennifer Lopez, Sally Field, Bono (see video here), Bonnie Raitt, Condoleezza Rice, Heidi Klum, Tony Blair’s wife Cherie, and many more.

“I stand before you as someone who loves being a woman,” said Lopez. "I love that when life hands us our greatest challenges, we look up and realize that capacity. I love the fellowship we’re sharing here today…

Michael Bolton To Honor Kevin Bacon For Charity Work

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:30:00 +0000

Crooner Michael Bolton will show what a little time, love, and tenderness can do when he hosts the 16th annual Michael Bolton Charities Benefit Concert and Celebrity Golf Classic later this month.

Former host of ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America” Joan Lunden will return for her 16th year as Mistress of Ceremonies for the event, which kicks off with a concert on September 21 at the Rich Forum in Stamford. Joining Bolton at the show will be recording legends Dave Mason and Ben E. King, as well as Bolton’s New Haven Choir from NBC’s “Clash of the Choirs.” The following day, Bolton will host the celebrity golf tournament at Stamford’s Rickrimmon Country Club.

The singer will also honor actor Kevin Bacon and Warren Buffett’s wife Doris with Michael Bolton Charities Lifetime Achievement awards for philanthropy.

Stars Line Up For Women's Conference

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:30:00 +0000

California First Lady Maria Shriver has announced the lineup of celebrity speakers confirmed for this year’s annual Women’s Conference in Long Beach.

The event – to be held on October 21 and 22 at the Long Beach Convention Center – sold out in record time, and it is no surprise considering the plethora of newsmakers and world opinion leaders that will appear at the conference to empower and motivate women to pursue a lifelong journey of self discovery. Lance Armstrong, Bono, Warren Buffett, Sally Field, Michael J. Fox, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Heidi Klum, Jennifer Lopez, Jenny McCarthy, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Russell Simmons are just some of the 50 speakers set to take the stage, and there will also be a special performance by Bonnie Raitt.

Buffett Shares With Charities

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:30:00 +0000

A Chinese businessman jumped at the chance to dine with Warren Buffett for charity last week.

Hedge fund manager Zhao Danyang offered a winning bid of $2.1 million for a chance to have lunch with the Berkshire Hathaway chairman, with all profits going to Glide to benefit their programs for the hungry. The bid goes far beyond last year’s winning bid of $650,000, and 2006’s winning bid of $620,000.

“We danced in the streets there for a short time,” said the Rev. Cecil Williams from Glide. “The streets of San Francisco! We were dancing and singing!”

A Chance To Buffet With Buffett

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:30:00 +0000

Fancy having lunch with one of the richest men on the planet? Now could be your chance, with an auction being run this week offering the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to dine with Warren Buffett.

The auction opened on Sunday and has already reached bids of over $77,000, with the final proceeds going to the Glide Foundation, a nonprofit in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district that offers programs for the poor, hungry and homeless. The 77-year-old billionaire investor started donating the private lunches to charity in 2000, and last year’s winner forked out more than $650,000 to enjoy a buffet with Buffett.

And there’ll certainly be no embarrassing lapses in conversation at the table – you can take up to seven friends to enjoy the meal, which will be held at Manhattan steakhouse Smith & Wollensky.

Gates Talks Innovation, Philanthropy and Post-Retirement Plans

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:15:29 +0000

Microsoft frontman Bill Gates spoke to students at Stanford earlier this month, praising young people for their innovation, and raising awareness for philanthropic work.

The talk began with a spoof video, during which Gates detailed his post-retirement plans. After retiring from his job at Microsoft later this year, Gates has a goal to break into the music industry. But, in the video, Jay-Z doesn’t have the heart to tell him that his chances are slim. And Bono tells him there is no chance of replacing The Edge as U2’s guitarist.

“Bill, we’ve, uh, we’ve talked about this before. We’re full up in the band, Bill. All positions are filled. I know… I know… I can’t just replace Edge because you got a high score on Guitar Hero.”