Facts About Billionaires There is a myth of "the good billionaire" people believe. It goes like this: Bill Gates or someone like him gives millions of dollars to a charity, and people take that as proof he's a good guy and he's using his wealth to improve the world. The myth is dangerous. Billionaires can directly and indirectly influence public policy thru giving or withholding money, with zero accountability. If the US president decides to withhold funding from a popular program, he and his party may face electoral problems. But how can someone rein in a billionaire? If Bill Gates were to tell the World Health Organization that they must refuse to help African countries or he would withhold funding, thale threat would be real: the Gates foundation contributes more than Canada. Should one individual have the same power as an entire country? Our society has no way to handle billionaires. They should not be allowed to hoard resources, let alone use their money to shape society.