FORTUNE's Bethany McLean traveled with Bill Clinton on his July trip to Africa and cast her analytical eye on the William J. Clinton Foundation, cutting through the former President's grand rhetoric—and coming away impressed. “This really is a new philanthropic model,” says Bethany . “No one else is doing what he does.”

 

Love him or hate him, Bill Clinton is a force. He's got Gates and even Murdoch onboard. McLean takes an inside, in-depth look at how the former President has borrowed from the business world to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa and other scourges.

 

CLINTON QUOTES :

“We take a lot of cues from the business world.” “We have very entrepreneurial people and a very entrepreneurial process.” “We identify a problem, we analyze it, and we move.”

 

On The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation…”Yeah, I'd like to have his money.” “But I think our way adds value. It's kind of a pain to always ask for financing, but perhaps it forces you to look closely.”

 

He also says he has opportunities now that he didn't have as President. “The raw power [of the presidency] can be way oversold. There are limits to it.”

 

…The defining moment came in Rwanda , when a local reporter asked Clinton about his administration's failures during the 1994 genocide. “It didn't happen under my administration.” “It happened under me.”

 

Another groundbreaking model of philanthropy belongs to Robin Hood. FORTUNE senior editor, Andy Serwer takes an exclusive look at Robin Hood, the clubby social network of the New York charity circuit, and prince of thieves Paul Tudor Jones.

 

Wall Street's favorite charity, Robin Hood, is making philanthropy cool among the business elite. Serwer takes a look at how the leaders of the hedge fund world have banded together to fight poverty—taking gobs of money from the rich, applying strict financial metrics in giving it away, and making philanthropy cool among the business elite. “I've been so impressed with the metrics they use,” says GE's Immelt. Says board member Tom Brokaw: “Every community could have a Robin Hood-like operation…” “Robin Hood reaches street level. That's all that matters to me,” says Pete Townshend.

 

From the start at my company, salesforce.com, philanthropy was woven into the DNA. Marc Benioff shares how.

 

Dell's current woes have been overhyped. But it still needs to build a brand that customers can love. In lengthy interviews with FORTUNE, Dell and Rollins sounded eager to re-examine how their company does business. “Is Dell in the penalty box? Yeah, Dell's in the penalty box,” Michael Dell says. “Then we'll use this opportunity to fix everything…”

 

It's revealing, though, that despite the shock over last quarter's profits, most of the work now going on inside the company is aimed not at cost cutting but at remaking Dell's strained relationship with its customers—and by extension of its brand. “We had this historical structural advantage which manifested itself in lower price and better value for customers,” Dell says, “and I think we overemphasized the price element and did not emphasize relationship and customization and experience.”

 

Dell on calls for Kevin Rollins' head... “I have total confidence in Kevin.”

 

One company, two workforces. In two plants 7,000 miles apart, two workforces make the same products for the same company. But how they go about the business couldn't be more different. Who's winning this China-U.S. competition may surprise you.

 

A look inside the vast, chilled rooms where supercomputers work their magic.

 

THE 100 FASTEST GROWING COMPANIES

The Joy of Growth, by Jenny Mero, page 138

Our latest annual ranking of hot companies shows the power of petroleum—and vanity.

 

The Class of '06, page 143

This year's list of supercharged performers.

Playing with Fire, by David Stires, Jon Birger, and John Simons, page 151

How investors should handle the ten biggest stocks on our list.

Standing Tall (booklet)

Five firms that managed to grow up gracefully.

 

Departments

FIRST: Breakaway Brands Ten companies that boosted their fortunes by cutting down on hype and connecting with customers.  On the Radar Carly Fiorina's side of the story, and solar power's moment in the sun.  ImClone's Next Headache The biotech company is likely to lose a patent trial involving its sole product.  Change Brewing at Anheuser-Busch Beer scion August Busch IV is groomed for CEO.  Frank Quattrone 2.0 The Valley's erstwhile king plots his comeback.   Extreme Retail The two-pound-11-ounce $1,200 Swiss Army Giant Knife.  Question Authority From NBA to MBA: Shaq suits up for business.  How I Work Martha Stewart Living's Susan Lyne macromanages, with an eye for detail.  Giving Back Scott Johnson's crusade for an MS cure.  DISPATCHES: Dunkin' Donut's Coffee Buzz The once dowdy New England chain is riding high on the popularity of its brew. Can CEO Jon Luther take it coast to coast?   “Happyness” for Sale He's gone from homeless single dad to successful stockbroker. And that's just the start for Chris Gardner Inc.  Changing Places Japan 's economy is buoyant. Can it last? The next Prime Minister will inherit problems that could sink the island nation.  COLUMNISTS: Brainstorm Physician, fool thyself.  Why the healing power of placebos is making doctors think twice.  Value Driven The talent drain: losing execs to deep-pocketed private firms.  BUSINESS LIFE:  Mission Impossible Seven days.  180 holes. 105 degrees. FORTUNE senior writer, Clay Chandler takes on Mission Hills in southern China , the world's largest golf complex, and nearly overdoses on “green opium.”  Plus: Road Warrior and “sartorial emissary” Ermenegildo Zegna, Life After Work for a banker with boats to rebuild, and more.  Gadgets Taking aim at the iPod, and two new ways to make the Net your new phone.

 

 

For further information please contact:
Susan Brown Williams
212-522-0133
susan_williams@timeinc.com

Phil DiIanni
212-522-6282
phil_diianni@timeinc.com

 

 

 

 

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