You've become a philanthropic billionaire: how do you change Ireland for the better?

I’d build high-speed train lines (500km/hr) connecting all the major cities so that you could conceivably get from Cork, Limerick or Galway to Dublin in under an hour.

gozunda wrote: »

Invest in the local community, employ people and provide jobs. It's not difficult really...

Jobs doing what?

Bring back bibi baskin

A billion for a whole country is nothing, so I'd just spend it in one place - the place I live. I'd sooner transform one town/city than piss the money against the national wind

Waterford would get a university and keep it's young.

Changes need to occur on a global level, a large club of bn's could solve most issues very quickly, so 'one for one country' won't do much overall. Intsead:

i) Expedite immediate cold-fusion development (pre-2030).
ii) Drive down the base and franchise cost of Hyperloop for massive global productivity efficiency increase.
iii) Universal free basic Healthcare, full absoloute ban on tobacco and (white cane) sugar.
iv) Universal free Education, openshare type cloud-VR access via Musk's Starlink.
ii) Plant trees (everywhere). Job done.

Don't repeat the mistakes that other 'philanthropic billionaires' have made, or are making. Too many to list.
A mix of SFA, to providing reasonable source material for many conspiracy books, right down to those that are true masters of their own sin.

Even those with the benchmark of 500m (still obscene wealth), think nothing of lecturing everday plebs from their sunny, gated, off-shore tax havens.

This week one born into privledge posed barefoot (aw look at me with no shoes) at a photoshoot, while at the same telling the Western world to stop having kids, and stop flying too.
Hollywood royals also think nothing of flying 1st class (takes up 4 seats), across the Atlantic, to attend a street demo and instagram their fancy big meal on the way back to Lalaland.
Aged music queens fly the other way to the land they abondoned, to hypocritically lecture dustbelters in fiscally-ravaged cities what to think, before returning to their 'material world'.

Philanthrocapitalism is the new blurry line, self-interest usually prevails above empty pledge re-funneling.
When 1% own half of the world’s wealth, there is always room for improvement.

Maybe there are some good guys, Gates has asked to be taxed more, and seems (from the outside) along with Buffett to have given the highest% back to causes.
Then again he did make Windows 98, if you can forgive that.