Bill Gates is to Donate his $100B Wealth by 2045

In a move that could redefine modern philanthropy, Bill Gates has announced a bold, time-bound mission to give away virtually his entire fortune within the next 20 years. Through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates plans to donate 99% of his wealth—currently estimated at around $107 billion—with the aim of closing the foundation’s doors permanently by December 31, 2045.

This decision marks a pivotal moment in Gates’ journey as a philanthropist. Over the past 25 years, the Gates Foundation has already contributed over $100 billion to global health, education, and poverty alleviation initiatives. But now, Gates has set a personal and institutional deadline to double that impact over the next two decades, pledging more than $200 billion in future contributions.

In a personal essay published on Gates Notes, Gates explains the inspiration behind this accelerated plan. Drawing from Andrew Carnegie’s 1889 essay The Gospel of Wealth, which argues that "the man who dies rich dies disgraced," Gates reflected deeply on what kind of legacy he wants to leave. Determined not to be remembered as someone who died wealthy while global challenges remain unsolved, he stated, "There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people."

The foundation’s eventual closure does not signify retreat but rather fulfillment. Gates envisions a world where his remaining resources are fully deployed toward the causes he has long supported—from eradicating infectious diseases to improving educational equity. His decision also comes amid personal milestones: Microsoft turns 50 this year, his late father—who helped establish the foundation—would have turned 100, and Gates himself will turn 70 this October.

TechCrunch reports that this announcement feels like a "death sentence of sorts" for the Gates Foundation—not in despair, but as a defined endpoint to its mission source. The idea is clear: sunset the institution, not its impact.

This approach aligns with a growing movement among billionaires to give back during their lifetimes. Gates has long been a leader in this space, having co-founded The Giving Pledge alongside Warren Buffett in 2010—a campaign encouraging the world’s wealthiest to donate most of their fortunes to charitable causes.

As the world watches one of history’s most successful entrepreneurs pivot fully into legacy mode, his new 20-year deadline offers more than just financial redistribution. It challenges today’s ultra-wealthy to consider not just how much they give, but when—and with what urgency.