Top Billionaires Hold Secret Meeting

Top billionaires hold secret meeting
Gates, Winfrey, Buffett among philanthropists at gathering in New York

In a quiet meeting closed to the news media and the public, Bill Gates, David Rockefeller Sr., Oprah Winfrey and other leading philanthropists met in New York this month to discuss ways to promote efforts to solve growing social problems in America and abroad.
Together, the philanthropists in the room have committed a total of more than $72.5 billion to charitable causes since 1996, according to Chronicle of Philanthropy tallies.
The unusual event was held May 5 at Rockefeller University and was organized by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Among the high-profile participants were Ted Turner, Warren E. Buffett, George Soros and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. (All of those philanthropists have appeared at one time on The Chronicle’s ranking of America’s most-generous donors.)

Several of the people at the meeting confirmed their involvement, but declined to tell The Chronicle about what was discussed or why they gathered almost in secret.
According to a person familiar with the meeting, the wealthy philanthropists gathered to trade ideas about how to raise the level of philanthropy in the world.
According to IrishCentral.com, a Web site in New York that writes about Irish Americans and which first disclosed some of the details about the gathering, each philanthropist was given 15 minutes to talk about “how they saw the future global economic climate, the future priorities for philanthropy, and what they felt the elite group should do.”

Other people who attended included Eli Broad, a real-estate investor, Julian H. Robertson, Jr., a hedge-fund manager, and Patty Stonesifer, former chief executive of the Gates foundation.

Muhammad Ali appears for charity event
Boxing great, who has Parkinson's, gets standing ovation in native Ky.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Boxing great Muhammad Ali made a rare public appearance in his native Kentucky during a presentation to announce a philanthrophilanthropic effort.
Ali sat onstage Tuesday at the Lexington Convention Center and received a standing ovation from hundreds attending Alltech's International Health and Nutrition Symposium.
Ali was there to announce a charitable fundraising initiative between Alltech and the Muhammad Ali Center. He sat front and center with his wife Lonnie during the presentation but did not speak.

The Alis have a home in Louisville but primarily live in Arizona because of the climate, Lonnie Ali said.
Alltech President Pearse Lyons pledged the effort would raise at least $500,000 before the Alltech-sponsored World Equestrian Games next year in Lexington.
Ali was also seen at President Barack Obama's inauguration in January. Parkinson's disease has limited his activity.

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