Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has announced his intention to donate 99% of his wealth through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, accelerating his charitable giving and setting a timeline for the foundation to cease operations by December 31, 2045.
In a statement shared on his personal blog, Gates emphasized his commitment to addressing global challenges, stating, “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”
The foundation, which has already contributed over $100 billion to global health, education, and poverty alleviation, is expected to distribute an additional $200 billion over the next two decades.
This shift marks a departure from the foundation’s original plan to operate for several decades beyond Gates’ lifetime. Instead, he has opted for a more urgent approach, stating, “There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people”