Blogs I like to read

Some blogs that I read regularly include:

http://www.mediavorous.com/ - By my friend Brad Berens. Very insightful commentary on digital media space

http://www.shanghaiist.com - a must read for those living or visiting Shanghai

http://calgoldenbearfootball.blogspot.com - for the Cal football fan

http://blog.pmarca.com - a well-written blog on a variety of topics. I recently found new music on this blog. Rodrigo y Gabriella rock!



Until I learn how to link them properly using the features of blogspot, this will have to do.

The Amazing Steve Wynn

The story of Steve Wynn is a mesmerizing and inspiring one. He was about to retire after the success of Bellagio. However, he decided to bet it all because he believed it had one more in him. He went all in with Wynn Hotel and now had two super-successful properties in Las Vegas and Macau. And he’s just beginning. He’s brought great change to the imagination and dream of Las Vegas and these two articles prove he is affecting change both big and small. The first from Time and the second from WSJ.

Bill Gates: The barrier to change is not too little caring; it is too much complexity.

I’m late in blogging abouit this item but I feel it’s important enough to bring up. Bill Gates gave the 2007 Harvard Commencement speech and the topic of his speech helping solve the issue of inequality around the world. He mentioned there has been no better than for people to help others given the amount of information and connective-ness brought by the Internet.

I tend to agree with him. We can all do more to help those in need, especially people around the world that do not have a voice or do not have the power to improve the situations around then. What we do can vary in degree of commitment and level of impact. But what’s important is that we realize we can all do something to help make this world a better place. It can start out as something small. Just helping a friend, helping a neighbor, or just donating $20 to a foundation you champion.

I have been working on One Foundation for the past several months and I’m amazing by the amount of networking and progress that I can do remotely even while our office is in Beijing. I come across a lot of people with good hearts. It’s good to see that people care. I want to see this feeling spread around the world and especially more among Asians and Asian youth.

Hong Kong is one of the most philanthropic cities in the world per capita. It would be great if we followed their model of care and giving? Let’s all work together in both business and philanthropy. The two are not mutually exclusive.

A good book about this subject is How to Change the World. You can find the full text of Bill Gates' commencement address at gatesfoundation.org.

The Entrepreneurial Lottery Winner

I stumbled upon an article about lottery winner Brad Duke. In 2005, Brad won a $220 million lottery and took home $85 million lump sum after taxes. Since then he’s invested the money very wisely in real estate, fixed assets, secure investments, stocks, etc. He has a team of full-time advisors working for him. In 12 years his goal is to grow his net worth to $1 billion. This is a guy I can really admire. He wants to do it so he can give back and do the things that he wants to do. He talks about this plan in a recent article in Fortune Magazine.

A lot of lottery winners meet misfortune because they don’t’ know how to manage their money and end of spending all of it and declaring bankruptcy. Brad’s way of managing his sudden wealth is definitely the way to go. He still keeps the same job he had before as a fitness instructor and drives the same model car. Lots of luck to him. And here’s hoping some of that fortune runs my way!