Bill Gates, one of the founders of Microsoft, may be one of the richest men in the world, but he is determined not to die with that title.
In a post on his blog, the 69-year-old entrepreneur, founder of the Gates Foundation, revealed that he intends to accelerate donations to the charity before closing it in 2045.
His plan is to donate around 99% of his billionaire fortune over the next 20 years. “People will say many things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be one of them,” he wrote on Thursday (8).
Gates stated that his foundation has already donated $100 billion to health and development projects, and he expects to spend another $200 billion, depending on the markets and inflation.
His and Melinda‘s original idea was that the foundation would continue to operate even after their deaths. When asked about what changed, Gates emphasized that in 20 years, other wealthy individuals will be dealing with future challenges.
“It’s really a matter of urgency. We can spend a lot more if we don’t try to be perpetual, and I know the spending will be aligned with my values,” he explained to BBC Newshour.
In the interview, he also spoke about Elon Musk after accusing him of “killing children” through cuts in U.S. humanitarian aid made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“These cuts will kill not just children, but millions of children. You wouldn’t expect the richest person in the world to do that,” he explained. He also addressed the cuts made to a hospital in Gaza Province, Mozambique.
Donald Trump had claimed that the hospital was funding “condoms for Hamas” in the Gaza Strip. Later, Musk acknowledged that the claim was wrong and that “we make mistakes,” but he did not reverse the cut.
“I am disappointed that [Musk] made abrupt cuts and characterized them unfairly, even saying money was being spent in Gaza when, in fact, it was money to prevent mothers from infecting their babies with HIV. I mean, this is serious stuff,” Gates argued.
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