DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) – Microsoft Corp Chairman Bill Gatescalled on Thursday for a new "creative capitalism" to help the world’s poorestpeople.
Gates, one of the world’s richest men, was not dumping the basic tenets ofcapitalism but argues market forces must be better used to address the needs ofthose left behind by advances in technology and healthcare.
"We have to find a way to make the aspects of capitalism that serve wealthierpeople serve poorer people as well," he told the annual meeting of the WorldEconomic Forum. "I like to call this idea creative capitalism."
The speech to top businessmen and politicians in Davos reflects Gates’sgrowing focus on philanthropy. Gates built Microsoft into a formidable andsometimes controversial money machine, which has been accused in the past ofabusing its market position.
But he will retire from full-time employment at Seattle-based Microsoft atthe end of June to concentrate on his charitable organisation, the Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler)
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