Bill Gates announced Thursday that he plans to give away nearly all his $200 billion fortune by 2045. The Microsoft co-founder said he will channel the money through the Gates Foundation. The one he plans to shut down by December 31, 2045—a date earlier than originally planned. Now 69, Gates said his goal is to eliminate diseases like malaria and polio, reduce preventable deaths in women and children, and fight global poverty.
His pledge comes at a time when global aid budgets are shrinking. Governments, including the U.S. under President Donald Trump, have made major cuts. Elon Musk, now leading the Department of Government Efficiency, is overseeing those reductions.
Gates didn’t hold back when asked about the impact of these cuts. “The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one,” he told the Financial Times. In an interview with Reuters, he warned that the cuts could reverse decades of health progress. “The number of deaths will start going up for the first time … it’s going to be millions more deaths because of the resources,” Gates said.
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Gates acknowledged that people would say many things about him after his death. But he made one thing clear: he doesn’t want to be remembered as someone who held onto his wealth until the end.He said his legacy should reflect action and generosity, not accumulation.
He explained that the world faces too many serious problems—disease, poverty, and child mortality—for him to feel comfortable holding onto money that could help others. For Gates, the moral responsibility to use his fortune for good outweighs any reason to preserve it for himself.
BREAKING: Bill Gates just accused Elon Musk of ‘killing’ children with USAID cuts.
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) May 8, 2025
Gates stated: “The picture of the world’s richest men killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one.”
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/ghzr68dIUh
Bill Gates also criticized other top donor countries, pointing to recent cuts by Britain, France, and the U.S. He said wealthy nations may not continue supporting the world’s poorest communities, casting doubt on the future of global aid.
Despite the Gates Foundation’s massive resources, Gates warned that it can’t solve these problems alone. He emphasized that government support remains essential. He praised several African governments for adjusting their budgets in response to declining foreign aid. However, he issued a serious warning. That without U.S. funding, diseases like polio won’t be wiped out.
Gates made his announcement on the 25th anniversary of his foundation. He created it in 2000 with his then-wife, Melinda French Gates. Billionaire investor Warren Buffett later joined. “I have come a long way since I was just a kid starting a software company with my friend from middle school,” Gates said.
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