timtyler comments on Safety Culture and the Marginal Effect of a Dollar - Less Wrong

23 Post author: jimrandomh 09 June 2011 03:59AM

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Comment author: timtyler 11 June 2011 04:26:20PM *  0 points [-]

A coalition of agents is rational in a different, softer way than is a single unified agent. For example, it might split its charitable contributions among charities.

I checked with the Gates Foundation. 7549 grants and counting!

It seems as though relatively united agents can split their charitable contributions too.

Comment author: GuySrinivasan 11 June 2011 05:47:41PM *  1 point [-]

A note, though... if I had a billion dollars and decided just to give it to whoever recommended as their top-rated international charities, due to most charities' difficulty in converting significant extra funds into the same level of effect, I would end up giving 1+10+50+1+0.3+5=67.3 million to 6 different charities and then become confused at what to do with my 932.7 million dollars.

I know the Gates Foundation does look like a coalition of agents rather than a single agent, but it doesn't look like a coalition of 7549+ agents. I'd guess at most about a dozen and probably fewer Large Components.

Comment author: timtyler 11 June 2011 08:04:40PM *  0 points [-]

Their fact sheet says 24 billion dollars.