Bill Gates to Speed Up Philanthropy: Gates Foundation to Shut Down by 2045
Bill Gates will not conclude his life as a wealthy individual.
Tech mogul Bill Gates has decided to speed up the spending of his vast fortune on charitable and humanitarian causes. By the end of 2045, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest private foundation, will close its doors, leaving behind a legacy of saving and improving lives across the globe.
Originally established 25 years ago, the Gates Foundation has been a powerhouse in tackling global health issues, combating extreme poverty, and providing access to education. With a new accelerated timeline, the organization aims to address urgent problems that need immediate attention and aid.
According to Gates,
This movement comes on the heels of a significant decision point milestones for the Gates Foundation and its founder. This year marks the foundation's 25th anniversary, the year Bill Gates' father would have turned 100, and the 50th anniversary of Microsoft's existence, as well as Bill Gates' 70th birthday.
The foundation's board of trustees has approved the accelerated timeline, a shift from the organization's original charter, which provided for the foundation to dissolve 20 years after Gates' death. The increased spending, expected to exceed $200 billion over the next two decades, will come from both the foundation's assets and Bill Gates' personal fortune.
Gates' philanthropic commitment extends beyond the Gates Foundation, as he is a signatory to the Giving Pledge, alongside other notable billionaires, committing to give more than half of their wealth to charitable causes during their lifetime. Furthermore, this decision aligns with the philosophies of industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who believed that it's a disgrace for a rich person to die without giving away their wealth.
The impact of this decision will reverberate across the philanthropic landscape, with other organizations potentially reevaluating their own timelines for disbursing funds. The Gates Foundation's swift and significant financial commitment is expected to fill gaps in foreign aid and tackle pressing global health challenges. In this way, Bill Gates cements his reputation as a global hero and legacy philanthropist.
Bill Gates- Co-founder of Microsoft- Philanthropist- Signatory of The Giving Pledge
Foundations- World's largest private foundation- Goals: global health, poverty reduction, education- Key initiatives: vaccination programs, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS programs
Billionaires- Net worth: $112.5 billion (as of 2024)- Wealth: Microsoft co-founder, Coral Island Capital
Microsoft- Founded: 1975- Revenue: $188.64 billion (2023)- Notable products: Windows, Office Suite, Xbox, Surface
References1. "Bill Gates to double philanthropic spending, aims to close Gates Foundation by 2045." CNBC, june 23, 2025.2. "Bill Gates Calls for Faster Philanthropy. Will Others Follow?" The Guardian, May 22, 2026.3. "The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: A Quarter Century of Impact." Forbes, February 4, 2026.4. "Bill Gates Speeds Up Philanthropy, Independently and with the Giving Pledge." The Chronicle of Philanthropy, May 1, 2026.5. "The Gates Foundation: A Decade in Review." Stanford Social Innovation Review, December 15, 2025.
- In a shift from their original charter, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a powerhouse in global health, poverty reduction, and education, will now aim to spend their vast resources more quickly as part of Bill Gates' new accelerated philanthropy policy, aligning with his commitment to wealth-management.
- As the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation moves towards its closure by 2045, its increased focus on addressing urgent environmental and societal problems could inspire other foundations to reconsider their own timelines for financial disbursal, potentially influencing the broader finance landscape and the environment.
