Microsoft mogul Bill Gates says he expects his wealth to run out in about 20 years, as he continues giving away his money and sliding down the list of the world’s richest people.
“I have more than enough money for my own consumption,” said Gates, who’s currently worth $141 billion, in an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on Tuesday. “I’m getting myself to go down the list, and I’ll be proud when I fall off altogether.”
Gates and ex-wife Melinda French Gates have pledged to donate much of their wealth to various causes, mainly the eponymous foundation they launched in 2000 while married. They’re joined by a number of other extremely wealthy people who have agreed to offload their billions during their lifetime.
That push began in 2010, when Gates, French Gates and investor Warren Buffett created the Giving Pledge, asking U.S. billionaires to give away at least 50% of their wealth “to address some of society’s most pressing problems,” according to the group’s website. The initiative, which started with 40 pledges, has since expanded to more than 240 signatories across 29 countries.
The Gates Foundation is aiming to donate $9 billion annually by 2026. In 2022, Gates gave $20 billion to the organization. In all, he told Zakaria, he and partners such as Warren Buffett have plowed about $100 billion into the foundation, and he anticipates he will have given all of his money away within 20 years.
With News Wire Services
