American billionaire Bill Gates, the world’s richest man has established a charitable project for Vietnam called the Vietnam Health Fund.
The founder of Microsoft cemented the deal with Vietnamese golf mogul and real estate entrepreneur Le Van Kiem, Chairman of Long Thanh Golf Investment and Trading Company, and his daughter Le Ny Thuy Duong to set up a Vietnam Health Fund.
Both Mr. Gates and Mr. Le have agreed to jointly commit US$50 million over five years with Mr. Le donating US$5 million annually and The Gates Foundation matching each donation dollar for dollar.
“We are delighted to be working with Bill Gates on this worthy project which will benefit many people in Vietnam who need help with health care,” said Mr. Le.
Mr. Le and his family have been very active in charity activities in Vietnam and to date have given various charities millions of dollars in aid.
Mr. Gates, 58, is a man who has precise clarity on what he sets out to achieve. In the 1990s, he and his wife Melinda decided to invest significantly in global health and development. In this endeavor, they’ve brought to bear their unique assets, including their sizeable financial resources, deep knowledge of the private sector, high tolerance for risk and a firm belief in the promise of technology and innovation.
“What Mr. Gates has initiated in Vietnam will most certainly result in more Vietnamese people coming forward to help improve healthcare for our people,” Mr. Le explained.
Mr. Le is also the founder and patron of the newly formed Asian Junior Golf Foundation in partnership with the Asia Pacific Golf Group.