By James Emery WhiteMalcolm Gladwell created a bit of a stir recently. Not that he doesn’t do that regularly. Gladwell is the author of such provocative and bestselling books as The Tipping Point and Outliers.His latest provocation?Gladwell claims that in fifty years, no one will remember Steve Jobs, but statues to Bill Gates will fill the Third World.Why?Gates is spending his fortune on what will most likely wipe out Malaria in the world, saving countless lives. Jobs spent his on…well, nothing.Yes, he came up with cool gadgets. Or his company did while he was CEO. In truth, he stole most of the ideas (read the biographies) and was infamous for his ruthless treatment of fellow humans.So for the next few months – maybe years – we will idolize all things Apple. And when it comes to Gates, in the short term we may still think merely of Microsoft and perhaps its waning place in the world of software.But over time it won’t be iPods or Windows that we remember.
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