The Gates Foundation has announced a sweeping new strategy: it will allocate over $200 billion over the next two decades and officially conclude its work by 2045. This plan includes distributing nearly the entirety of Bill Gates’ personal fortune, drastically accelerating his philanthropic timeline.
Originally, the foundation was set to cease operations twenty years after Gates’ death. Now, driven by what Gates calls “urgent problems” and global aid cutbacks, that schedule has been moved up.
“There are too many critical issues in the world for me to hold on to resources that could be doing good right now,” Gates wrote on his personal site. “People will say many things about me when I die, but I’m determined that ‘he died rich’ won’t be one of them.”
The foundation is focusing on three core goals: preventing maternal and infant deaths, eliminating infectious diseases, and lifting millions out of poverty.
Gates’ announcement comes amid sharp reductions in global health funding. The United States, United Kingdom, France, and others have slashed their foreign aid budgets by tens of billions. This shift has created a widening gap in international support for vulnerable populations.
Gates remains optimistic despite those challenges. In a recent interview, he emphasized the power of scientific advances to improve lives. He specifically pointed to diseases like polio, stressing that eradication won’t be possible without serious governmental investment.
“Even with all the foundation’s resources, we can’t do this alone,” Gates noted. “Some goals, like ending polio, still depend on public sector funding, especially from countries like the U.S.”
The foundation has faced scrutiny in the past for wielding enormous influence in global health while lacking the oversight typical of government programs. Still, Gates insists that well-channeled private wealth can play a crucial role in addressing massive social challenges.
He also addressed the question of inheritance, reiterating that less than 1% of his wealth will go to his three children. “They had great upbringings and access to education,” he said in a podcast interview last month, “but giving them more wouldn’t actually benefit them.”
Gates has long been the target of conspiracy theories, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, but he has continued to advocate for science, vaccines, and a global approach to equity.
He concluded with a call to action for other billionaires: “I hope more wealthy individuals consider how profoundly impactful it can be to accelerate their giving. There’s so much potential to drive progress when we act now, rather than later.”
