GQ Magazine Philanthropist of the Year
Has someone gone and redefined philanthropist whilst I wasn't looking?
Comments
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"In 2007 Tony Blair stepped down as Prime Minister, but his surging momentum's shown no signs of slowing. Alongside his role as a Middle East peace envoy, Blair's channelled his energy into philanthropy, establishing three charities. The Tony Blair Sports Foundation pairs volunteer sport coaches with children in Britain's North East and his Faith Foundation aims to reconcile the three Abrahamic faiths, but his most ambitious is the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative.
Launched in 2008, the foundation operates in six African countries - Sierra Leone, Rwanda Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Senegal - where teams work alongside government bodies to bridge the gap between African leaders' visions for a better future and their government's ability to implement it. In Sierra Leone, for example, AGI has helped delivered an entirely free healthcare programme that's cut the number of children in hospital dying from malaria by 80 per cent.
On winning Philanthropist of year, Blair says, "I would like to dedicate this award to the people that work with and for my organisations. I feel the pulse of progress beating a little harder."1 -
in what world are these people living, Blair should be charged for war crimes not given an award for anything7
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He wouldn't win any award for being a 'peace envoy'.
This statistic sums him up:
4 - number of times as prime minister that Tony Blair visited Cliff Richard’s Barbados home for family holidays
2 - number of times as Middle East peace envoy that Tony Blair has visited Gaza
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To be fair though I'd rather go to Barbados on my holidays than GazaHovi's Biscuit said:He wouldn't win any award for being a 'peace envoy'.
This statistic sums him up:
4 - number of times as prime minister that Tony Blair visited Cliff Richard’s Barbados home for family holidays
2 - number of times as Middle East peace envoy that Tony Blair has visited Gaza7 -
He clearly has the right friends in the right places. The kiss ass portrayal of him in the film "The Queen" made me both laugh and feel sick at the same time.0
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I am personally suspicious of people who set up charitable foundations in their own names rather than trying to keep a level of anonimity. I fully expect it when it is in the name of a deceased loved-one, as it then becomes a vehicle for remembrance as well as charity. But when people use their own names it strikes me as a slightly distasteful way of showing-off. The self-publicisim detracts from the philanthropy.
I can hear in my head Blair saying the words above that Henry has quoted, "I would like to dedicate this award to the people that work with and for my organisations". But as I hear it the word "my" is exaggerated in the manner of a selfish two-year-old taking a toy from someone and proclaiming, "MINE".7 -
I think you're right Rizzo they must have redefined 'philanthropist'.Rizzo said:Tony Blair???!!!!
Has someone gone and redefined philanthropist whilst I wasn't looking?
To describe the conceited slug Blair using the same term applied to Bill Gates and other like minded billionaire contributors to the Gates Foundation (including Warren Buffett) is absolutely appalling.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tony-blair/10551183/Tony-Blairs-fortune-boosted-13m-by-bumper-year.html0 -
This award is a total and utter scam.
Disgraceful.
He had a bumper year this year apparently - £13 million.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tony-blair/10551183/Tony-Blairs-fortune-boosted-13m-by-bumper-year.html
From The Telegraph in 2010
In 2010, his personal office cost the taxpayer £6 million per year
He owns 7 homes, worth in 2010 £14 million.
he is thought to have made up to £20 million from consultancy, private companies and public appearances since leaving office in 2007.
As well as lucrative advisory roles for JP Morgan and Zurich Financial Services, he also set up Tony Blair Associates, which receives payments for advising both the Kuwaiti government and Mubadala, an Abu Dhabi sovereign fund.
Former ministers are supposed to provide details of their income after leaving Parliament. But Mr Blair fought a two-year battle with the independent scrutiny committee to keep secret his job with UI Energy Corporation, a South Korean oil firm. The former prime minister insisted the terms of the deal were “commercially sensitive”.
He commands six-figure sums on the after-dinner lecture circuit, where he is usually booked through the Washington Speakers Bureau whose stable includes George W Bush.
One speech in China earned him a reported £200,000. But Mr Blair’s income flows through a series of companies and limited partnerships.
Mike Warburton, a senior tax partner at the accountants Grant Thornton, said that the network of companies made it almost impossible to establish his earnings since leaving Parliament.
“They are opaque. We don’t know where the money comes from or where it goes to, but at the end of the chain you have a company that does not file accounts, so one can only presume it is to keep it secret,” said Mr Warburton.0 -
Interesting. Because the "six" nations are actually seven: Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Senegal. I thought that might have been a mistake. So I checked. And on the AGI website it is definitely six. Only it's a different six. Guinea, Liberia, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan. Although, on clicking the button marked "find out more about our work in Malawi", you get taken to a page that says "Oops, page not found". So it's five.Henry Irving said:"In 2007 Tony Blair stepped down as Prime Minister, but his surging momentum's shown no signs of slowing. Alongside his role as a Middle East peace envoy, Blair's channelled his energy into philanthropy, establishing three charities. The Tony Blair Sports Foundation pairs volunteer sport coaches with children in Britain's North East and his Faith Foundation aims to reconcile the three Abrahamic faiths, but his most ambitious is the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative.
Launched in 2008, the foundation operates in six African countries - Sierra Leone, Rwanda Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Senegal - where teams work alongside government bodies to bridge the gap between African leaders' visions for a better future and their government's ability to implement it. In Sierra Leone, for example, AGI has helped delivered an entirely free healthcare programme that's cut the number of children in hospital dying from malaria by 80 per cent.
On winning Philanthropist of year, Blair says, "I would like to dedicate this award to the people that work with and for my organisations. I feel the pulse of progress beating a little harder."
So it's either the seven listed in the press release, which is claimed to be six; or it's the five listed on the website, which is claimed to be six.
Somewhere, this dossier seems to have been "sixed up".6 -
Sponsored links:
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It's only from GQ Mag, not a Nobel Peace Prize!A-R-T-H-U-R said:This award is a total and utter scam.
Disgraceful.1 -
I thought GQ was only for good looking people with amazing hair. Having been to the Valley on hundreds of occasions i don't think this concerns us.
Move on.2 -
True, but it is very galling that the sanctimonious bell is being given more oxygen of publicity and being hailed as some sort of humanitarian, even if it is by a magazine that seems to be 80% adverts for watchesNomadicAddick said:
It's only from GQ Mag, not a Nobel Peace Prize!A-R-T-H-U-R said:This award is a total and utter scam.
Disgraceful.
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Kim Kardashian also won woman of the year.0
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To be fair, that was probably decided before the Jennifer Lawrence photo leak ;-)The Red Robin said:Kim Kardashian also won woman of the year.
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I'd love to know the criteria for that award.The Red Robin said:Kim Kardashian also won woman of the year.
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I thought it was odd, but then instead of going on a rampage about how the man is a scumbag I looked up what he did...and well it turns out he's done a lot of good.
I agree with Stig about foundations being named after people, however if they want their name above the door in order to invest than fair enough. The main one (AGI) is however not named after him.
I didn't agree with the Iraq war, I think we were stitched up about the truth but people have the capacity to do both good and bad things. Not everyone falls into the category of good and bad. Not everything is as black and white as our media likes to portray it.1 -
Best Prime Minister we've ever had.2
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I'd rather take my family to Gaza than Cliff Richards house.Imnot Athletic said:
To be fair though I'd rather go to Barbados on my holidays than GazaHovi's Biscuit said:He wouldn't win any award for being a 'peace envoy'.
This statistic sums him up:
4 - number of times as prime minister that Tony Blair visited Cliff Richard’s Barbados home for family holidays
2 - number of times as Middle East peace envoy that Tony Blair has visited Gaza7 -
Sponsored links:
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Yeah but Warburton's an arse who could barely reconcile his own current account. He just gets wheeled out every now and again to provide a soundbite.A-R-T-H-U-R said:This award is a total and utter scam.
Disgraceful.
He had a bumper year this year apparently - £13 million.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tony-blair/10551183/Tony-Blairs-fortune-boosted-13m-by-bumper-year.html
From The Telegraph in 2010
In 2010, his personal office cost the taxpayer £6 million per year
He owns 7 homes, worth in 2010 £14 million.
he is thought to have made up to £20 million from consultancy, private companies and public appearances since leaving office in 2007.
As well as lucrative advisory roles for JP Morgan and Zurich Financial Services, he also set up Tony Blair Associates, which receives payments for advising both the Kuwaiti government and Mubadala, an Abu Dhabi sovereign fund.
Former ministers are supposed to provide details of their income after leaving Parliament. But Mr Blair fought a two-year battle with the independent scrutiny committee to keep secret his job with UI Energy Corporation, a South Korean oil firm. The former prime minister insisted the terms of the deal were “commercially sensitive”.
He commands six-figure sums on the after-dinner lecture circuit, where he is usually booked through the Washington Speakers Bureau whose stable includes George W Bush.
One speech in China earned him a reported £200,000. But Mr Blair’s income flows through a series of companies and limited partnerships.
Mike Warburton, a senior tax partner at the accountants Grant Thornton, said that the network of companies made it almost impossible to establish his earnings since leaving Parliament.
“They are opaque. We don’t know where the money comes from or where it goes to, but at the end of the chain you have a company that does not file accounts, so one can only presume it is to keep it secret,” said Mr Warburton.0 -
Allegedly ;-)DaveMehmet said:
I'd rather take my family to Gaza than Cliff Richards house.Imnot Athletic said:
To be fair though I'd rather go to Barbados on my holidays than GazaHovi's Biscuit said:He wouldn't win any award for being a 'peace envoy'.
This statistic sums him up:
4 - number of times as prime minister that Tony Blair visited Cliff Richard’s Barbados home for family holidays
2 - number of times as Middle East peace envoy that Tony Blair has visited Gaza0 -
It should be renamed the 'People's Philanthropist' awards. No doubt upon collection there will be usual preening and faked humility from good ol' Tone0
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There were no criteria it was just decided by one bloke who likes a woman with a big arse.Rizzo said:
I'd love to know the criteria for that award.The Red Robin said:Kim Kardashian also won woman of the year.
Whenever I see Kardashian, "The worst job I ever had" from Derek & Clive live plays through my head.
Anyway, as far as Blair is concerned, words just fail me.
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..and the rest of the articles facts and figures?JWADDICK said:
Yeah but Warburton's an arse who could barely reconcile his own current account. He just gets wheeled out every now and again to provide a soundbite.A-R-T-H-U-R said:This award is a total and utter scam.
Disgraceful.
He had a bumper year this year apparently - £13 million.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tony-blair/10551183/Tony-Blairs-fortune-boosted-13m-by-bumper-year.html
From The Telegraph in 2010
In 2010, his personal office cost the taxpayer £6 million per year
He owns 7 homes, worth in 2010 £14 million.
he is thought to have made up to £20 million from consultancy, private companies and public appearances since leaving office in 2007.
As well as lucrative advisory roles for JP Morgan and Zurich Financial Services, he also set up Tony Blair Associates, which receives payments for advising both the Kuwaiti government and Mubadala, an Abu Dhabi sovereign fund.
Former ministers are supposed to provide details of their income after leaving Parliament. But Mr Blair fought a two-year battle with the independent scrutiny committee to keep secret his job with UI Energy Corporation, a South Korean oil firm. The former prime minister insisted the terms of the deal were “commercially sensitive”.
He commands six-figure sums on the after-dinner lecture circuit, where he is usually booked through the Washington Speakers Bureau whose stable includes George W Bush.
One speech in China earned him a reported £200,000. But Mr Blair’s income flows through a series of companies and limited partnerships.
Mike Warburton, a senior tax partner at the accountants Grant Thornton, said that the network of companies made it almost impossible to establish his earnings since leaving Parliament.
“They are opaque. We don’t know where the money comes from or where it goes to, but at the end of the chain you have a company that does not file accounts, so one can only presume it is to keep it secret,” said Mr Warburton.
Do you know why Blair, the beacon of the free world, fought so hard to keep his many, many revenue streams secret by not filing accounts? Is that a soundbite or fact?
I wonder how many other philanthropists charge £200,000 for a 45 minute speech. Obviously the private jet has to be factored in, I mean god forbid the man travels with ordinary people.
Clients of his commercial consultancy firm have included the governments of Kazakhstan, Kuwait and Colombia.
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I suspect the main criteria was, who can we award that's a little bit controversial so that we can get people talking about our sad little rag?cafcfan said:
There were no criteria it was just decided by one bloke who likes a woman with a big arse...Rizzo said:
I'd love to know the criteria for that award.The Red Robin said:Kim Kardashian also won woman of the year.
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Lenny Henry?cafcfan said:
There were no criteria it was just decided by one bloke who likes a woman with a big arse.Rizzo said:
I'd love to know the criteria for that award.The Red Robin said:Kim Kardashian also won woman of the year.
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Kardashian is an unapologetic manufactured celebrity who has been behind the highest revenue mobile app of the year, earning her and her company millions and millions on iOS and Android. Like her or hate her, as a brand/woman she has been a massive success and not just that but an industry leader in maximising your personal brand in a digital world.
Tony Blair is a war criminal who continues to profit from advising dictatorships and genocidal regimes.
I dislike both but can completely understand the award for the former.1 -
Speak for yourself, VGValleyGary said:I thought GQ was only for good looking people with amazing hair. Having been to the Valley on hundreds of occasions i don't think this concerns us.
Move on.
:-)
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