Ellison no Buffett

As Warren Buffett unloads his billions on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Larry Ellison, Oracle's founder and the world's 15th richest person, is reneging on his promise to donate $15 million to Harvard University reports S.F. Gate

In 2005, Ellison pledged to make a major donation to Harvard to study world health. Ellison retracted his donation after Harvard President Lawrence Summers announced his resignation. Ellison's donation would have have the largest the university would have ever received.

"The reason is the relationship he had with Larry Summers, who leaves this week. Larry Summers was the brainchild of this whole concept. With his departure, Larry (Ellison) reconsidered his decision." said Oracle spokesman Bob Wynne.

Summers resigned after making comments suggesting that differences in "intrinsic aptitude" may explain why fewer women than men succeed in math and science.

If Ellison had followed through on his promise, it would have been the 10th-largest American charitable contribution in 2005. The donation would have been used to track the way health care dollars are spent and what impact they have in developed and developing countries.

So not only does Ellison look shabby compared to the big Buffett-Gates news for being an Indian giver, his rationale is the loss of the massively insensitive Summers. Nice guy.