I've known it all along but didn't really know how big the investments were.
A bit behind the eight ball here but I recently read that Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has shares in pharmaceutical companies including Abbott Laboratories, Merck, Johnson and Johnson, Eli Lilly, and Pfizer. See this article here: LA Times - Jan 2007
Intellectual property right protection allows companies to set prices for drugs and prevent others from developing generic medicines. Strategies like these lock the consumer market to one company and one product only. The company is guaranteed a consumer base for the product as it is essential. Guaranteed captive market.
This model is very similar to the Microsoft software model. A lot of people believe Windows is an essential item. I guess that's why B&M have chosen to invest this way. Their model works, why not get involved with companies that have similar opportunities. Relate it to 'gift giving' and your really getting ahead. Making profit on gift giving, not only for your own foundation but for big multinationals too. Kind of makes you mad don't it?
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