The Global Reach of the Gates Foundation
New Delhi
How does the foundation know if its work is paying off? As Bill himself notes, "You don't have customers who beat you up when you get things wrong ... you don't have a stock price that goes up and down to tell you how you're doing." Indeed, the foundation has been criticized for focusing too much on cutting-edge vaccine research instead of on more readily available tools like mosquito nets, and for providing governments with an excuse to not spend their own money. Though the foundation rejects both of these criticisms, it nevertheless insists on rigorous self-evaluation and goes further than most in revealing its failures and missteps. Of his friend's good works, musician and activist Bono says, "This isn't about compassion. It's about results. When Bill walks into the room, we are not expecting to have a nice warm fuzzy feeling."