Bill Gates plans to give away $200 billion by 2045

Bill Gates has announced plans to donate 99% of his estimated $107–$200 billion fortune to the Gates Foundation, with the intention of spending down the entire endowment and closing the foundation by 2045, decades earlier than originally planned. This accelerated timeline is driven by Gates’ belief in addressing urgent global challenges—such as infectious diseases, malnutrition, and poverty—more rapidly rather than preserving the foundation’s assets for perpetuity. Gates emphasized that using the money sooner can save millions of lives and that the foundation’s work has already halved annual childhood deaths since its inception. The move comes as global aid budgets are being slashed by major governments, prompting Gates to call on other billionaires to increase their philanthropic commitments. The foundation, which Gates co-founded with Melinda French Gates in 2000, has already donated over $100 billion and aims to spend an additional $200 billion in the next 20 years. Gates stated that less than 1% of his wealth will go to his children, reaffirming his commitment to returning his resources to society for maximum impact.