Google bored of having money – donating $175m to various charities

The piles of cash everywhere at Google HQ are getting a bit too much. Some office doors won’t even open any more, and there’s no cupboard space left for essentials like pens and envelopes thanks to all the bundles of fifties wedged in every cabinet.

That’s why (in one possible dimension) Google has revealed it’s throwing $175 million into helping fight global infection outbreaks – by developing new computer systems to track viruses – and is also putting money into improving public services and helping small businesses in developing countries.

There might be Google Ads plastered over everything as payback, but at least it’s putting something back into a world it’s been draining cash from for a decade.

Dr Larry Brilliant, the amazingly-named executive director of Google’s non-money-making Google.org wing, said: “We looked for areas where we could make the biggest potential impact. These five initiatives are our attempt to address some of the hard problems we as a world need to face in the coming decade.”

Last year, Google said it was funding renewable energy source developments and would also be assisting in the push towards making non-petrol cars a reality. Or more of a reality. A bigger reality. So that’s why he said “these five initiatives” when I only mentioned three in the second paragraph.

Which means Google is targeting five charity areas in total. That’s what he meant. Just to clear up any potential misunderstanding.

(Via The Guardian)

Related posts
Google takes on Wikipedia with Knol – “units of knowledge”
Google rivals shrug off Open Handset Alliance announcement
Google wants to rival Facebook with “Maka-Maka”