Tuesday, March 25

Paper claims Bill Gates 'reneges' on $2 million pledge

In recent weeks, Microsoft had given up to $500,000 of its software to Prince Charles' charity named, the Technology Leadership Group, a subsidiary of the Prince's Trust.

Sources claim that Microsoft agreed verbally to commit an additional £1million was apparently secured for the charity's efforts to train young entrepreneurs.

The Daily Mail cites an "insider" that admitted on closer inspection the specific project the Prince's Trust wanted to use the new money for was not "tightly focused enough around technology" to benefit its recipients.

But negotiations between Microsoft and the Prince's Trust broke down and the offer was abruptly withdrawn. Insiders suggest Gates, given an honorary knighthood by the Queen in 2005 for his charity donations, intervened personally to block the donation after a trip to Britain in January.

It should be noted that the discussions and plan were never legally binding and no public announcements were made.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is one of the most poorly written pieces I have ever seen. Here are the details of how poorly written it is.

"...Prince Charles' charity named, the Technology Leadership Group, a subsidiary of the Prince's Trust."

The word "named" is not needed and indeed makes this sentence gramatically incorrect.

"Sources claim that Microsoft agreed verbally to commit an additional £1million was apparently secured for the charity's efforts to train young entrepreneurs."

This sentence is also incorrect, employing incorrect forms. The "was apparently secured" verb demands a noun and none is given as written.

It should read, "Sources claim that Microsoft's verbal commitment for an additional £1million was apparently secured for the charity's efforts to train young entrepreneurs."

Anonymous said...

Here is an posting on the renege. http://gateskeepers.civiblog.org/blog/_archives/2008/3/24/3596624.html

"a fundraiser" said...

You are right Sam... the post was full of typos and bad grammer... but wasn't it a cute picture of Bill Gates with the Queen?!?1