Bill Gates commits most of his fortune to Gates Foundation, closing 2045

Bill Gates is donating virtually all his remaining fortune to the Gates Foundation, doubling the organization’s spending to $200 billion before it sunsets in 2045.

It’s the largest philanthropic contribution in modern history, the organization said — and a shift in the foundation’s original timeline, which would have shuttered the Gates Foundation 20 years after the tech entrepreneur’s death.

“There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people,” Gates wrote in a statement released Thursday. “That is why I have decided to give my money back to society much faster than I had originally planned.”

This article is free to read - just register or sign in

Access news, newsletters, events and more.

Join us