All this talk of executive salaries and financial systems has got me thinking.

A wealthy man has $100,000. His first son is about to begin university. The score required for medicine is 100, but his son received a 95. The man has just visited a conference and was deeply moved by a speech given by a spokesperson for a reputable charity, and wants to give the 100 grand that has become available to the charity.

However the wealthy man has a dilemma. If his son enters the university as a full- fee paying student (costing $100,000) then he will only require a score of 92 and his son will be able to enter his medical degree straight away. However, if his son enters as a commonwealth- supported student, he requires a score of 100 and will be unable to start the course without completing a science degree first and even then his son will have to maintain a high grade point average.

The man can either give the money to charity, or give it to his son, he cannot do both. What should he do and why?

Additional Information: He doesn't know this, but in a month, the man will become bankrupt, does this change what he should do?

To me, the dilemma is this - should the government give $100,000 to the charity?

Either way the son can get to uni, through a bit of hard work and government sponsorship or with the father's money.

If it's through government sponsorship, the taxpayer loses $100,000 and the charity gains $100,000. If it's with the father's money, the taxpayer loses nothing and the charity gains nothing.

If I was the father I'd do neither - tell the son to get a student loan and/or a job, tell the charity to bugger off and spend the $100,000 on new business enterprise and end up ultimately giving gainful employment to many.

The additional information is a bit tricky to work with - I don't believe he should change his course from my advice above, mainly because I don't believe in fate and would be sceptical of any advice that suggested a 100% chance of bankruptcy before it has happened. Do we get to know how he will go bankrupt?

"The man can either give the money to charity, or give it to his son, he cannot do both. What should he do and why?"

To the charity. There's a chance the charity is honest and well managed.