Bill Gates Net Worth Drops $52B, Falls to 12th Behind Steve Ballmer

Bill Gates' net worth has dropped significantly to $124 billion in 2025, a decrease of around $52 billion or 30%, primarily due to Bloomberg recalculating his wealth to account for the billions he has irrevocably donated to charity through the Gates Foundation. This adjustment caused Gates to fall from 5th to 12th place on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, placing him behind former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, whose net worth has risen to $172 billion largely because he retained a 4% stake in Microsoft. Gates plans to give away almost all of his remaining wealth by 2045, with the foundation expected to spend over $200 billion on global health and poverty initiatives. While Gates’ investments extend beyond Microsoft into diverse sectors like cloud computing, farmland, and private companies, Ballmer’s concentrated Microsoft holdings have compounded significantly, underscoring the value of long-term equity in hyperscale technology platforms. The recalibration highlights evolving approaches to wealth measurement that factor in philanthropic commitments, as Gates’ charitable giving reshapes the perception of billionaire rankings. Despite the drop, Gates remains committed to philanthropy, continuing to influence global health and sustainability through his foundation.