On June 2, 2025, Bill Gates unveiled his ambitious plan to donate nearly all of his wealth over the following two decades, concentrating on enhancing health, education, and economic opportunities in Africa. This announcement came during a speech at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Gates stressed that “unleashing human potential through health and education” could set every African nation on a prosperous path, and he confirmed that by 2045, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will conclude its operations after investing most of his fortune in global development.
The Vision for $200 Billion
During his speech, Gates projected that his current net worth of $160 billion could grow to around $200 billion by 2045. This implies that he plans to donate approximately $200 billion over the next twenty years. It’s important to note that this amount is in addition to the billions he has already contributed to his foundation.
(PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP via Getty Images)
Where the First $100 Billion Went
Since the inception of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000, Gates has contributed approximately $60 billion of his own wealth to the foundation. Additionally, his longtime friend and fellow billionaire Warren Buffett has added around $43 billion, bringing the total endowment of the foundation to over $100 billion. These funds have been allocated to address global challenges like infectious diseases, extreme poverty, and educational inequalities across more than 100 countries.
A significant portion of the foundation’s resources has been directed toward global health initiatives. It has invested billions in efforts to eradicate diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and polio. The foundation helped launch Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has successfully vaccinated over 1 billion children and is credited with saving an estimated 17 million lives. Furthermore, it has supported the Global Fund, the World Health Organization, and pandemic preparedness efforts, including early development of COVID-19 vaccines.
In the United States, Gates has invested heavily in education reform, supporting public school systems, charter schools, and educational technology. In 2021 alone, the foundation committed $1.7 billion to U.S. education, aiding schools in recovering from learning losses due to COVID-19. An additional $200 million has been allocated to enhance public school curricula and accessibility.
(Photo by Brian Ach on behalf of The Lasker Foundation)
The Path Ahead
Gates has outlined Africa as the focal point of his final philanthropic effort, emphasizing three long-term priorities: eradicating preventable deaths among mothers and children, eliminating infectious diseases, and lifting millions out of poverty. He has urged African innovators to utilize artificial intelligence to transform healthcare, suggesting that the continent could bypass outdated banking and healthcare systems, much like its leap into mobile technology.
He highlighted initiatives in countries like Rwanda, where AI-driven ultrasound technology is being employed to monitor high-risk pregnancies in remote areas. “Africa has a chance to build its next-generation health systems with AI already in the foundation,” Gates remarked.
A Fortune Still Growing
Interestingly, the phenomenon of extreme wealth often results in billionaires remaining wealthier even after significant donations, as investment returns can surpass the amounts given. This has been true for Gates; in 2010, when he co-founded the Giving Pledge, his net worth was $54 billion. By 2025, despite donating tens of billions, his wealth had balloons to $160 billion.
This reality has prompted Gates to accelerate his charitable contributions. He is determined to leave behind no vast fortunes in his name upon his passing. As he noted in a recent blog post:
“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.”
With over $100 billion already donated or pledged and an additional $200 billion expected in the coming two decades, Bill Gates is poised to become the most generous philanthropist in history, influencing global development long after his foundation concludes its mission.
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