Bill Gates pledges to give away nearly all his wealth in 20 years

In the United States, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates made a significant announcement regarding his philanthropic efforts, revealing his intent to give away virtually all of his wealth within the next two decades. This decision came to light on May 8, 2025, marking a substantial shift in the future operations of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Gates's announcement indicates that he plans to allocate over $200 billion, which includes both his personal wealth and the foundation’s endowment of $77.2 billion as of the end of 2024, by the end of 2045 when the Gates Foundation will close its doors after disbursing all its assets. The strategy aims to increase the foundation's annual giving from 2026, targeting payouts of between $9 billion and $10 billion per year, but experts are concerned that such a rate of giving may not be sufficient to exhaust the foundation's funds within the allotted time frame. John Seitz from the data firm FoundationMark expressed skepticism regarding this plan, suggesting that the investment returns would likely exceed the rate of giving, leaving the foundation with a multibillion-dollar remainder at the projected time of closure. With conservative investment strategies such as 4.5% Treasurys and adjusting for an inflation rate of around 3%, estimates reveal the foundation could still retain about $14 billion by the beginning of 2046. If the foundation continues with its past trends of increasing its donations beyond inflation, growing at a rate of 6% annually against 7% investment returns, it would still be able to spend down its assets effectively by 2046, potentially distributing more than $30 billion in its final year of operation. Thus, the overall contributions made by the Gates Foundation in this 20-year period could surpass $400 billion, inclusive of around $220 billion from projected investment gains. The potential outcome of these large-scale donations underscores the foundation's ongoing impact on global health issues, particularly those affecting children, positing that this philanthropic approach aims to create lasting effects well beyond the lifetime of the foundation itself.