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| Bill Gates and Esther Koplowitz: two billionaires and philanthropists  This week Bill Gates paid €113.5 for a 6% stake in global infrastructure and environmental services group FCC – based in Madrid. This 6% makes Bill Gates' fund the second largest stakeholder after Spanish business-woman Esther Koplowitz.Despite keeping a low profile internationally, Ms. Koplowitz is one of Spain's leading philanthropists, having to date donated over $100m to social care projects in the country. Ms. Koplowitz holds a 53.9% majority in FCC and acts as the Vice-President of the Board of FCC. The company, which employs around 70,000 people, had a global revenue of 11 billion euros in 2012. Her daughter, Esther Alcocer Koplowitz, was appointed FCC Chairwoman in January 2013. However it is for her philanthropic endeavours that Ms. Koplowitz is most renowned in her native country. In Barcelona, her Esther Koplowitz Centre has built, equipped and donated several care homes for both vulnerable elderly and adults with mental and physical disabilities. In the same city, the Esther Koplowtiz Biomedical Research Centre was opened in 2010 thanks to a €15 million donation from the Foundation. The research centre is set to become a new European benchmark in its sector, employing more than 350 researchers to investigate diseases such as cancer, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. write your comments about the article :: © 2013 Construction News :: home page |