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Beyond their contributions to the tech industry, billionaires Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sergey Brin are also known for their philanthropic endeavors.

In "The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea," authors Bob Burg and John David Mann tell the story of Joe, a go-getter who becomes a go-giver through the help of a legendary consultant named Pindar. The basic premise of the book is that the secret to success is giving and, that rather than asking to receive, you should try giving to get the returns that you want.

Now as far as giving goes, there are a number of reasons why the rich give money to charity. Some do it for personal satisfaction and happiness, while others do it for recognition and tax breaks. No matter what their motivations may be, at least we can all agree that the money is going to good causes. And in the case of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sergey Brin – three of the biggest players in the tech industry – we can be glad that these tech billionaires are not just out there to increase their fortune but also to make positive contributions to the world.

Bill Gates 

"If we can find approaches that meet the needs of the poor in ways that generate profits for business and votes for politicians, we will have found a sustainable way to reduce inequity in the world."

When Microsoft founder Bill Gates pledged his $58 billion fortune to charity rather than leaving it for his children, many were amazed. Gates announced in 2008 that his riches (well, most of it) will go to The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is committed to supporting agriculture, child health, education, and other initiatives around the world. The act mirrors that of fellow tycoon Warren Buffet, who, in 2006, pledged an estimated $30.7 billion to the Gates foundation.

In June 2010, Gates and Buffett launched The Giving Pledge, a campaign that urges American billionaires to donate at least half of their fortunes to charity during their lifetime or after their deaths.

Mark Zuckerberg

"People wait until late in their career to give back. But why wait when there is so much to be done? With a generation of younger folks who have thrived on the success of their companies, there is a big opportunity for many of us to give back earlier in our lifetime and see the impact of our philanthropic efforts."

Like Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, more popularly known as the man who gave us Facebook, is a Harvard dropout who became a billionaire. And like Gates, Zuckerberg has a soft spot for charity. Zucks is among the more than 90 billionaires who have signed The Giving Pledge (Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz is another). Zuckerberg, whose net worth is estimated at $14 billion, also donated $100 million to support public schools in Newark, New Jersey in 2010, and has pledged 18 million Facebook shares (worth around $500 million) to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation in 2012.

Sergey Brin

"Our philanthropy is something I want to take my time with and develop and systematize."

It remains to be seen whether Sergey Brin, one half of Google’s dynamic duo, will heed the call to sign The Giving Pledge, but it doesn’t mean that the search engine genius doesn’t share his wealth; he’s still just in the planning stage. In 2004, six years after launching the world’s leading search engine, Brin and Google co-founder Larry Page launched Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm. Google.org aims to raise awareness about climate change, global health and global poverty. Brin and his wife Anne Wojcicki have given away more than $130 million to research organizations devoted to Parkinson’s disease.

Now you may not be a billionaire like these guys, but that shouldn’t hinder you from being charitable to the less fortunate. There are practical ways to champion a good cause, and that doesn’t always mean parting with your hard-earned money. You can volunteer, donate blood, write informative articles, and so on. And who knows? Maybe one day, you’ll come up with a brilliant idea – perhaps a revolutionary way to send an Internet fax to your future self or a machine that can simultaneously cure world hunger and obesity. Weird things happen every day, so it’s not entirely impossible for anyone to become a tech mogul slash philanthropist like Gates, Zuckerberg, and Brin. Think about it!

Author Bio:
Monique Jones is an Engineer who deals with telephone systems. Besides being an Engineer, she also works as a part time writer. She helps her colleagues and other people about their communication issues, giving effective solutions to address their needs.

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