On May 8, 2025, Bill Gates announced that he has decided to give away his money back to society much faster than he had originally planned. I Gates now plans to give away virtually all of his wealth through the Gates Foundation over the next 20 years to the cause of saving and improving lives around the world. And on December 31, 2045, the foundation will close its doors permanently.

his is a change from he and Melinda’s original plans. When he and Melinda I started the Gates Foundation in 2000, they included a clause in the foundation’s very first charter: The organization would sunset several decades after their deaths.

During the first 25 years of the Gates Foundation—powered in part by the generosity of Warren Buffett—the foundation gave away more than $100 billion. Over the next two decades, they will double their giving.

The exact amount will depend on the markets and inflation, but Gates expect the foundation will spend more than $200 billion between now and 2045. This figure includes the balance of the endowment and my future contributions.

This decision comes at a moment of reflection for Gates. In addition to celebrating the foundation’s 25th anniversary, this year also marks several other milestones: It would have been the year his dad’s, who helped him start the foundation, turned 100; Microsoft is turning 50; and he turn 70 in October.