Bill Gates Announces Plan to Give Away 99% of His Fortune

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has announced his intention to donate 99% of his wealth through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, accelerating his charitable giving and setting a timeline for the foundation to cease operations by December 31, 2045.

In a statement shared on his personal blog, Gates emphasized his commitment to addressing global challenges, stating, “People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be one of them”

The foundation, which has already contributed over $100 billion to global health, education, and poverty alleviation, is expected to distribute an additional $200 billion over the next two decades. Gates outlined three primary goals for his philanthropic efforts:

Eliminating preventable diseases that impact mothers and children.

Eradicating infectious diseases such as malaria and measles.

Reducing global poverty for millions of people.

This shift marks a departure from the foundation’s original plan to operate for several decades beyond Gates’ lifetime. Instead, he has opted for a more urgent approach, stating, “There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people”

No mother or child should die from a preventable cause. No generation should live in fear of deadly infectious diseases. And no one should be denied the chance to thrive because of where they were born. https://t.co/JI88PJC4yW

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 8, 2025