Bill Gates will keep 1% of his fortune: where will the rest of the billions go?
9 May 10:48
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said that over the next 20 years he will give almost all of his personal capital to charity. This was reported by Komersant ukrainskyi with reference to a Reuters article.
He promised that over the 25 years of the Gates Foundation’s existence, he has allocated more than $100 billion to fight tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
What is known about Bill Gates’ wealth
Bill Gates’s net worth as of May 2025 is estimated at approximately $108 billion, according to Bloomberg and Forbes.
This amount may fluctuate depending on the market value of his assets, especially Microsoft shares and other investments. Gates is no longer the head of Microsoft, but he still owns a stake in the company and is involved in philanthropy through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He also regularly donates a significant portion of his wealth to charity.
Bill Gates’ asset structure for 2025
- Shares and investments in public companies ($50-55billion)
Through his holding company Cascade Investment, Gates invests in:
- Microsoft – about 1% of shares (previously it was much more);
- Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffett);
- Canadian National Railway;
- Waste Management (waste management);
- Caterpillar, UPS, Ecolab, etc.
2. Charitable foundation ($67 billion under management)
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust is the largest private philanthropic foundation in the world. It invests in global health, education, agriculture and poverty alleviation. It plans to spend about $200 billion by 2045.
3. Real estate (~$6-8 billion)
- The main building is Xanadu 2.0 in Medina, Washington (6,100 m², estimated value $130 million).
- Land plots in California, Wyoming, and Florida.
- One of the largest landowners in the US with ~100,000 hectares of farmland.
4. Private companies and venture capital investments ($5-6 billion)
- AgBiome (biotechnology).
- Impossible Foods (alternative proteins).
- TerraPower (nuclear technology).
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures (clean energy).
Microsoft founder Bill Gates to donate 99% of his fortune to charity: context
Against the backdrop of growing threats to the international humanitarian system, a sharp conflict has erupted between two influential billionaires – Bill Gates and Elon Musk.
The reason was Gates’ concern about the reduction of American aid to the poorest countries and his statement that without the participation of governments, especially the United States, it is impossible to eradicate diseases such as polio. Musk responded by calling Gates a “huge liar,” commenting on an interview on X (formerly Twitter) where Gates warns of the consequences of funding cuts. Musk’s comments were not clarified: his press service did not provide additional information.
Gates, for his part, emphasized that even with his fortune and the resources of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, it is impossible to support global initiatives without government assistance.
“There are too many urgent problems to keep resources to ourselves,” he wrote.
He particularly singled out the fight against polio, which he said could not be completed without U.S. involvement. He also praised some African countries for reorienting their budgets in the face of declining foreign aid, but emphasized that this was not enough.
Gates’s speech was timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of his foundation, which he and his ex-wife Melinda French Gates established in 2000. They were later joined by one of the world’s richest men, Warren Buffett. Since its inception, the foundation has donated more than $100 billion in aid and supported dozens of major health and poverty reduction initiatives, including programs such as Gavi (a vaccination initiative) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Gates said that the foundation would be closed after spending about 99% of his personal fortune. Initially, it was planned that the organization would function for another decade after the founders’ deaths. However, Gates now expects the foundation to spend about $200 billion by 2045. The final amount will depend on market conditions and inflation.
Despite its large-scale charitable activities, the foundation has faced criticism for its excessive influence on global health policy, especially in structures such as the World Health Organization. The lack of accountability and transparency in the distribution of funds was also criticized. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gates also found himself at the epicenter of numerous conspiracy theories.
However, he continues to insist on the importance of international solidarity.
The world still has values. That’s what my parents taught me,” Gates said in an interview with Reuters.
He also said that in recent months he had spoken with former US President Donald Trump on several occasions, emphasizing the need to maintain investment in global health.
The conflict between Gates and Musk raises questions not only about the personal differences between the two influential figures, but also about a deeper issue: who should be responsible for global health and sustainability – private billionaires or public institutions? And can their ambitions and conflicts become a barrier to saving millions of lives? In the face of the climate crisis, new epidemics, and rising inequality, this question is not rhetorical but vital.
