Bill Gates is making sure no one remembers him as just another billionaire who died rich with a huge fortune.
In a powerful new blog post, the Microsoft co-founder revealed he’s on a mission to give away “virtually all” of his $112 billion fortune within the next 20 years. That’s right, by December 31, 2045, the Gates Foundation will officially shut its doors after distributing most of his wealth toward global health and development. This isn’t just another PR move. Gates has been clear, he doesn’t want to hold onto money that could be saving lives.
The heart of his decision comes from Andrew Carnegie’s iconic 1889 essay The Gospel of Wealth. Gates admitted he’s been thinking a lot about Carnegie’s line: “The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.” It’s the kind of quote that hits harder when you’ve got billions sitting in the bank. Gates wrote, “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.” He says the world has too many urgent problems for him to be hoarding wealth, and now he’s speeding up his giving timeline like never before.
The Gates Foundation, which he co-founded with ex-wife Melinda Gates in 2000, will now work on an accelerated plan to ramp up its efforts across the globe. From fighting diseases to improving education and tackling poverty, the goal is simple: do more, faster. And once the clock hits the final day of 2045, the foundation will close for good, completing what may go down as one of the biggest private donation efforts in history.
This personal shift comes at a milestone-filled year for Gates. He turns 70 this October, Microsoft is turning 50, and his late father, who helped launch the foundation, would’ve turned 100 this year. All of it has led him to reflect deeply on how he spends his remaining years. Unlike many people his age, Gates isn’t planning to slow down or spend his days playing pickleball. “That life isn’t quite for me,” he said. Instead, he’s all in on strategy meetings, learning trips, and making an impact with whatever time he’s got.
His move sets a bold example in a time when more billionaires are being criticized for sitting on wealth. Gates is flipping the script by not only giving but giving fast, with a set deadline. If his plan succeeds, his legacy won’t just be about Windows or tech revolutions, it’ll be about how much good one person’s fortune can actually do.
