Robert W. Wilson, the hedge fund founder who committed suicide at age 87 over the weekend, was known as one of the most active philanthropists in the country. But his style of giving was radically opposed to that of Bill Gates, who asked Wilson to join his Giving Pledge for the ultra-rich — and was rebuffed in a series of caustic emails. In emails from 2010 the hedge fund manager tells Gates that the pledge is essentially “worthless” and that he wants to “stay far away” from his effort. —— Original Message ——- From: Bill Gates To: Robert W. Wilson Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 1:03 PM Subject: Giving Pledge discussion Robert, I’m writing to let you know about an idea we’re calling the “Giving Pledge” that came out of a number of conversations that Melinda and Warren and I have had with a number of people over the past year. The idea is that when you take the Giving Pledge, you agree to give the majority of your wealth...

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