[Am-info] The Register/How MS tax policy saves Gates millions - Nader

[Paul Rickard]

========== On 2002.01.07 05:19 PM, Sujal Shah typed: ============

>Start with this simple point:  just because he's worth 50 billion
>doesn't mean he has 50 billion in his bank accounts, or generated 50
>billion in *income*.  A lot of his worth is tied up in stocks, chunks of
>it MSFT, chunks of it as other stuff however he diversified over the
>years.
>
>I'm sure he has underpaid according to your 17% number, but at least try
>to do some believable hand-waving to conjure up your numbers.

    Gates only gets paid several hundred thousand dollars per year, stock 
options notwithstanding. The options and his original stake as company 
founder are where the cash comes from - and he only sells a small bit 
each year so the taxes won't ride up on him.



======== Paul Rickard, Editor of The Microsoft Boycott Campaign =======
--------------------------------[ Http://www.msboycott.com ]-----------

  "Even as a longtime critic of the company, I must admit that
   Microsoft occasionally flirts with the truth. Well, perhaps 'flirt'
   is too strong a word. Let's just say Microsoft sometimes honks and 
   waves as it drives by her house."
       -InfoWorld Editor Nicholas Petreley, 06-14-99