Gates Foundation looks to turn millions into billions: The Seattle-based philanthropic giant has given nearly $18 million to programs designed to encourage greater giving by high- ultra-high net worth individuals. The idea is to make it “as easy to make large-scale gifts to smaller causes as it is to give to major cultural institutions,” says Jen Stout, a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation official. The latest recipient is the TED Foundation’s Audacious Project, which received $5 million from the Gates Foundation to “research and overcome barriers to large scale giving by ultra-high net worth donors.” The idea of dedicating money to help billionaires give away their own riches began about 10 years ago, when Bill Gates and Warren Buffett came up with the The Giving Pledge. Journalist Mark Harris has the scoop for GeekWire.
Unemployment agency chief joining Biden administration: Tech veteran Suzi LeVine, who served as commissioner of Washington state’s Employment Security Department, is stepping down from her role for an undisclosed position with the new president’s administration. LeVine, a veteran of Microsoft and Expedia, previously served as U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein under the Obama administration. Read more.
Microsoft backtracks on Xbox Live price increase: Microsoft was trending most of Friday afternoon on Twitter, and not in the fun way. The company took heat for announcing a dramatic price hike to its Xbox Live online gaming service and decided to change its mind. “We messed up today and you were right to let us know,” Microsoft said. Read more.
GeekWire Podcast: What could the Biden administration mean for the tech industry? Key issues include antitrust, content moderation, privacy, climate, broadband, the economic recovery, and the future of jobs in the post-pandemic era. Read more highlights and listen to the full episode here, or subscribe to GeekWire in any podcast app.
Brightly raises $1M: Laura Alexander Wittig and Liza Moiseeva have turned a simple podcast about sustainable living into a full blown platform for content, community, and shopping. The Seattle startup is following a playbook laid out by Goop and Glossier, two companies that grew a community of customers online before building out a business. Read more.
Thanks for reading, have a great weekend, and see all our latest headlines below. — GeekWire editor Todd Bishop, editor@geekwire.com, GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com, and reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com.
