philanthropy Archives

Winsage

February 6, 2025

Bill Gates says, “I thought I was one mistake away from death.” — Microsoft’s success and his billionaire status didn’t really arrive until the late ’90s

Microsoft's 50th anniversary is approaching, prompting reflections on its history. CEO Satya Nadella admitted that discontinuing Windows Phone was a strategic misstep. Co-founder Bill Gates revealed in a 1995 retrospective that he did not feel confident in Microsoft's success until around 1998, eleven years after its public debut. Microsoft established itself alongside tech giants like Apple during its early years. By 2025, Microsoft became one of the most successful companies globally, significantly boosted by investments in artificial intelligence and a partnership with OpenAI, achieving a market capitalization of over a trillion dollars. Gates identified his greatest mistake as missing the opportunity to dominate the mobile market, resulting in a potential loss of 400 billion dollars due to mismanagement and antitrust challenges. Gates remains connected to Microsoft, providing insights despite stepping back from daily operations for philanthropy.

AppWizard

December 17, 2024

Jingle Jam raises $3.4m for charity

The Jingle Jam livestreaming charity event raised £2.7 million over a two-week period from December 1st to 14th. The funds will be distributed among eight charities: Autistica (£314,000), CALM (£470,000), Cool Earth (£280,000), Sarcoma UK (£269,000), The Trevor Project (£305,000), War Child (£300,000), Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal (£396,000), and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (£339,000). Donors contributing over £35 received a collection of games as a token of appreciation.

AppWizard

August 31, 2024

Games Done Quick operations boss Merkle now owns firm

Games Done Quick (GDQ) has transitioned ownership to Matt Merkle, the organization's director of operations, following founder Mike Uyama's departure in January of the previous year. Merkle will be supported by Jason Deng, the director of technology, and Ashley Farkas, the business director, both of whom have ownership stakes in GDQ. Merkle expressed gratitude for Uyama's legacy and commitment to the organization's future success. Uyama reflected on his departure, expressing confidence in the staff's ability to guide GDQ forward. Since its founding, GDQ has raised over a million dollars for various charitable causes.

AppWizard

August 7, 2024

MrBeast: From Minecraft Gameplay to YouTube Royalty

Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, began his YouTube career at age 13, initially posting gameplay videos. He is currently the most subscribed YouTuber with 308 million subscribers. His content evolved from gameplay to elaborate challenges and philanthropic initiatives, gaining significant attention after his 2017 viral video of counting to 100,000. He is known for high production quality, generous giveaways, and notable projects like recreating Squid Games, which garnered 606 million views and cost millions to produce. MrBeast launched the #TeamTrees campaign, raising over million to plant 23 million trees. He invested five years studying YouTube's algorithms to enhance his content's virality. MrBeast operates a merchandise shop, MrBeast Burger, and co-founded Finger Lime. Forbes estimated his net worth at approximately 0 million in 2022.

AppWizard

May 29, 2024

Intellabridge Debuts Karma Charity App on Android – TipRanks.com

Intellabridge Technology has launched a new Android app called Karma, which allows users to connect their financial accounts and allocate cashback to support charitable causes aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.