Hypothetically, just imagine for one day that your bank accounts are flooded with money to the tune of $67 billion. What would be the first thing you do with that money?! Maybe buy a couple of Rolls Royces, perhaps a vineyard in France or write some cheques to GreenPeace for philanthropy. While that is the dream we all have, lets get back to reality.
When Christopher Nolan made Batman, he portrayed the super-hero in a way he had never been shown. He equips Batman with whatever money can buy Batpod, Batmobile etc. and on other side he shows the human will and motivation needed to take on all negativity in city of Gotham. In process of being a super rich super-hero, Nolan exposes the human side of Batman. Even Batman needs help and had to trust others when the time comes. He concluded the trilogy with very subtle message of great philanthropy that Batman gives to people of gotham. It is not his money or properties or estates but a powerful idea that anybody can be the Batman.
In quotes
“Anyone can be a hero. Even a man who put a coat around a young boy's shoulders to let him know the world hadn't ended.”
There are lessons that the superhero film tries to convey, which are simple yet important. Becoming big doesnt mean, you can be intolerant towards the world or take everything for granted. Infact, it is the other way round where you have to be more sensitive and caring in your interactions with the society. As students if we inculcate habits early on, then it can become a way of life.
In real world for me Bill Gates is the Batman, Why? Because he didn’t sit around the pile of money he made and swim in it like Uncle Scrooge. He didn’t just write checks for philanthropy but pledged 50%, a whooping $28 billion ( i.e. $2 billion more than the U.S. budget for foreign aid ) of his wealth for the poorest of the poor. By setting up the Gates Foundation he made sure that every penny goes for right cause and has measurable and quantifiable results of it. Let me draw more parallels between the Batman and Bill gates. Maybe he is not as theatrical or doesn’t roam around beating bad guys like Batman does, but he solves real world problems.
His results are undeniable. His philanthropy giving is directly responsible for saving 5,812,000 lives by bringing vaccines and improved health care to children under five and possibly 7.6 million by 2019. In that terms, Gates sounds better than Superman, Jesus, and Santa Claus put together, not just Batman.
Gates created a multiplier on his own capital in the form of The Gavi Alliance, which brings the influence of UNICEF, the United Nations, and the World Bank to bear on pharmaceutical companies with the goal of getting them to lower the cost of lifesaving drugs. Cheaper vaccines mean more people (especially children) in developing nations don’t die of diseases, which many of us never had to worry about. He made investments in TerraPower which address the problems of world energy security. They are on verge of developing fourth generation nuclear energy reactors, which may prove game changing for the world’s energy sector. Similar to what Batman attempts to do in last installment of trilogy.
Some of you might disagree with me, you might argue that he is not very charismatic showman or not the one who brought the most desirable product that we always wanted or was part of antitrust cases etc.. ! Rant as much as you want in comment section.
I have no arguments to make but simply would quote,
“Because he's the hero world deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him. Because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight.”
Being a student, whoever you choose to be the best fit as your real world batman there is always one thing in common among all of them and that is giving back to the community. Whether you are fan of Aaron swartz, Anon guys, Steve Jobs or Unknown guy tweaking open source software they always did something for society.
Similarly, for me it will be always Bill Gates. He is a man with idea. If you follow and become the 10% of what Bill Gates has achieved then world will be more better place to live. Hence, it sends a strong message about what sort of life as a student we should adopt.
Still have second thoughts, let us know who is your real world Batman? why?
PS. $67 Billion is Bill Gates’ total net worth.
