Apple Inc. (AAPL) has donated over $70 million to AIDS charity

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) plays its cards close to the vest in all matters, remaining tight-lipped about its operations, its plans for the future, the companies it works with, and the charities it funds. Today, however, the (RED) charity, which fights HIV, AIDS, and other diseases in the global arena, announced that Apple’s contributions to it had surpassed the $70 million dollar mark, making the Cupertino enterprise the biggest-ever supporter of the (RED) foundation.

Though it was long thought that Steve Jobs entirely eschewed charitable giving, he was in fact quite philanthropic on occasion, at one point giving away $50 million to expand two hospitals. However, the prickly maverick was extremely guarded about revealing anything having to do with his life or decisions, leading to thorough and highly successful concealment of his charitable acts. Only since his death has a clearer picture slowly emerged.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) clearly acquired some of its founder’s traits, such as the deep secrecy in which it wraps even its most positive actions. Its donations to (RED) began in 2006, half a decade before Mr. Jobs’ demise, at a time when he was fully in charge of the company. One of Mr. Jobs’ earliest charitable actions has a rather humorous ring in at least one way. In 1980, he donated $5,000 and an Apple II computer to the Seva Foundation, a charitable organization that provides cataract surgeries to those too poor to afford them in any other way. His accompanying letter notes amusingly, as regards the Apple II, “you’ll never be able to use all the memory. It’s five megabytes!”

Bill and Melissa Gates, whose fortune was made with Apple’s arch-rival Microsoft, have been seen as noted philanthropists for years, so Apple’s generosity is clearly not something in which it enjoys a monopoly. However, to some extent, many people are interested to some degree in the ethics of a company they buy from, ranging from a vague wish to support a firm that does a little good in the world, to a zealous, detailed pursuit helping specific causes.

Though Apple Inc. (AAPL) is matched in overall charity by other manufacturers, this is at least reassurance to enthusiastic users that the company they buy from is no worse than any other, and better than many, in terms of providing help to those in need. The (RED) donations and Apple’s clear commitment to renewable energy mark it as a complex entity which is fierce and predatory in some regards, yet also has some traces of a moral compass.