Bill and Melinda Gates, Warren Buffett visit Obama

There was an awful lot of net worth at the White House on Tuesday, as President Obama met with billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates about the economy, as well as about their project to encourage the world’s wealthiest individuals to give away their fortunes.

According to the White House, Buffett, the head of Berkshire Hathaway, and Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, along with his wife, Melinda, discussed “The Giving Pledge,” an initiative started in August with 40 pledges. It encourages the world’s richest people to give away most of their money to charity either during their lives or after their deaths. 

So far, 57 people, including Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, media mogul Ted Turner and Star Wars creator George Lucas have committed, according to “The Giving Pledge” website.

Buffett, 80, has committed 99 percent of his fortune, estimated by Forbes at $45 billion.

The Oval Office meeting came a day ahead of a planned discussion Wednesday between Obama and 20 corporate executives about similar issues.

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