"We had a great event where over two out of three people we invited came," Gates, 54, co-founder of Microsoft, told a packed news conference Thursday.  "It was fantastic to see the energy and interest in philanthropy."  Gates and Buffett, 80, who heads the Berkshire Hathaway investment firm, have amassed fortunes worth $54 billion and $45 billion, respectively.  Forbes magazine recently ranked their net worth first and second among American billionaires, after Gates and Buffett persuaded 40 peers to follow their lead by pledging to give most personal wealth to charity.  The duo's successful philanthropic drive in the United States may have initially spooked some of their potential dinner guests.  The Chinese organizers have since blamed misunderstanding on the nature of the event for all the "Gates-Buffett shunned in China" headlines.  "We wouldn't be dreaming of asking people at an event in China to stand up and make any commitment -- it's just not our style," Buffett said.  Amid the media hoopla, however, some of China's super rich have stepped forward voluntarily.  Chen Guangbiao, a self-made millionaire and one of the few confirmed guests at the dinner, told Gates and Buffett that he would donate his entire fortune, an estimated $735 million, to charity upon his death, jokingly calling his decision a "nice-to-meet-you" gift for the Americans.  "I don't want to become a slave to my wealth," he told CNN before the event.  Chen, 42, whose parents were poor farmers, now runs a booming renewable resources and recycling business in eastern Jiangsu province. He said he donated most of the $60 million profit his company made in 2009.  "Every dollar I made was with the help of others -- so I want to give it back to society and make my life more meaningful and valuable," he said.
In the end, few Chinese tycoons could resist the rare opportunity to dine with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett in a chateau-style resort on the outskirts of the capital.Local media had earlier been