June 28, 2023
BIG Thinkers - Bill Gates - S2EPI - 138

Bill GatesCochair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation$117.9B$983M (0.84%)Real Time Net Worthas of 6/27/23#5 in the world today
About Bill Gates
- Bill Gates turned his fortune from software firm Microsoft into diversified holdings including investments in zero-carbon energy.
- In May 2021, Bill and Melinda Gates each announced on Twitter they were ending their marriage after 27 years. They still co-chair the charitable Gates Foundation.
- Gates, who cofounded Microsoft with Paul Allen (d. 2018) in 1975, transferred at least $6 billion worth of shares in public companies to Melinda as part of the divorce settlement.
- As of March 2020, when Gates stepped down from the Microsoft board, he owned about 1.3% of the software and computing company's shares.
- He has invested in dozens of companies including Republic Services and Deere & Co., and is one of the largest owners of farmland in the U.S.
- To date, Gates has donated more than $59 billion to the Gates Foundation, including a $20 billion gift announced in July 2022. Most of his early donations were gifts of Microsoft stock.