Bill and Melinda Gates named as Time Magazine's 'Persons of the Year'

By Steve Malone

Posted on 20 Dec 2005 at 10:25

Bill and Melinda Gates along with U2 front man Bono have been named as 'Persons of the Year' by Time Magazine. The prestigious award is usually given to the person or persons who have made the biggest impact in the year.

The trio have been given the award for their combined efforts in pushing the issues of poverty in the developing world up the political agenda. While Bono helped mastermind Live 8 - where Gates made a short speech - The Gates foundation has helped use the resources of the world's richest man to begin to make a difference for some of the planet's most intractable health issues.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is bankrolled to the tune of $29 billion, funds various causes around the world ranging from helping with education in the United States to the eradication of malaria and the fight against HIV/AIDS in the developing world.

Although the trio have now become firm allies in the fight against poverty, it did not start out that way. Bill Gates was initially reluctant to meet the rock star. He is quoted in Time as saying 'World health is immensely complicated. It doesn't really boil down to a 'Let's be nice' analysis. So I thought a meeting wouldn't be all that valuable'

In a statement Bill and Melinda Gates said, 'We're grateful that Time recognizes the importance of the world's inequities, whether they are in the United States or thousands of miles away. We are also pleased by Time's recognition that we can solve these problems.'