The estimated net worth of Bill Gates is somewhere around $114 billion.
The Microsoft founder holds a large percentage of his wealth in Microsoft stock, which means his wealth fluctuates with the price of Microsoft on the stock market.
At one point, Gates was the richest man in the world, competing with Carlos Slim for the top spot.
Gates has since fallen down the rich list and is ranked lower than Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos for the title of the world's richest.
Early life
Bill Gates was born in Seattle, Washington, on October 28, 1955, to Bill Gates Snr. and Mary Maxwell Gates. He grew up in an upper-class home in Seattle and was interested in computer programming from a young age.
Education
Gates was a dedicated student at Lakeside High School, scoring high on the SAT before attending Harvard University in 1972.
During his college career, Gates entered a pre-law degree but dropped out in 1975 before finishing to found Microsoft with co-founder Paul Allen.
Family life
Bill married Melinda in 1994. The couple has three children: Phoebe, Jennifer, and Rory. In 2021, Bill and Melinda divorced.
How did Bill Gates build his net worth?
After leaving Harvard to work on a project with Paul Allen, Bill and Paul officially formed "Microsoft Corporation Inc" in 1983. However, due to the complex interface of the Windows System at the time, it would take another five years before the market adopted Windows as the preferred operating system of choice.
With Microsoft Windows spreading around the world, Gates started to see his wealth grow. By the 2000s, Bill was already a multi-billionaire on paper, with his fortune tied to the rapidly rising Microsoft stock.
With his vast fortune, Gates founded the "Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation" in 2000. The couple seeded the foundation with $40 billion in funding to tackle their philanthropic ventures.
According to reports from 2018, Gates earns around $11 million daily. That works out to a staggering $458,000 per hour. How's that for a living wage?
How has Bill Gates spent his net worth?
What's even more impressive is his commitment to the "Giving Pledge," along with fellow billionaire Warren Buffett. Billionaires who sign on intend to donate half their wealth to worthy causes before their death.
Today, Bill Gates focuses on philanthropic efforts. He is the largest owner of farmland in the United States.
Gates stepped down from his position at the head of Microsoft in 2014 but still leads a busy life focusing on various philanthropic interests. However, some experts state that that is nothing more than tax avoidance.
It's important to note that Bill Gates is the single-biggest taxpayer in North America, spending over $6 billion in taxes.
FAQs
How rich is Bill Gates?
With a fortune in excess of $114 billion, Bill Gates is one of the richest men in the world. He's a tech entrepreneur, philanthropist, and forward thinker who changed how the world works.
Is Bill Gates richer than Melinda French Gates?
Yes. Bill is richer than Melinda, who became a billionaire in her own right after their divorce in 2021.
How much does Bill Gates have in cash?
According to Bloomberg, Bill Gates holds more than $50 billion in cash at hand.
FAQs
As of 2023, Bill Gates' net worth is $114 billion (Approximately INR 9,41,674 crores), and even though it varies based on the performance of particular equities, he is still among the richest people living.
Does Bill Gates own $100 of Microsoft? ›
Gates remains one of the largest shareholders in Microsoft MSFT, with 103 million shares in the company that amount to a 1.38% stake, according to FactSet.
What percentage of Microsoft is owned by Bill Gates? ›
Key Takeaways. Bill Gates still owns more than 1% of Microsoft's shares, worth around twenty billion dollars.
Who is No 1 richest person in the world? ›
Who is one of the richest man alive co founder of Microsoft? ›
William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American billionaire business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He co-founded the software giant Microsoft along with his childhood friend Paul Allen.
Does Bill Gates own Costco? ›
Bill Gates Costco Wholesale Corp
The first Costco Wholesale trade was made in Q3 2002. Since then Bill Gates bought shares ten more times and sold shares on four occasions. The investor sold all their shares in Q4 2012 and doesn't own any shares in Costco Wholesale anymore.
How much of Apple does Bill Gates own? ›
Bill Gates' net worth is US$110 billion (AU$163 billion), and it turns out the Microsoft founder indirectly owns US$1.8 billion (AU$2.7 billion) worth of Apple shares.
What car does Bill Gates drive? ›
Bill Gates just loves Porsche sports cars, be they classic or modern, gas-powered or electric. Apart from that, he has other cars in which he is chauffeured most of the time. That said, the most expensive set of wheels he has ever purchased are his two Gulfstream G650ERs and two Bombardier Challenger 350s.
Who owns majority of Microsoft? ›
Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT)
Institutional investors hold a majority ownership of MSFT through the 72.58% of the outstanding shares that they control. This interest is also higher than at almost any other company in the Packaged Software industry.
Who owns Microsoft now? ›
Who owns the Microsoft Corporation? The Microsoft Corporation is owned by its shareholders. Currently, the largest shares are owned by Vanguard and BlackRock, two other companies.
The richest country in the world is Luxembourg.
What profession has the most billionaires? ›
In broader terms, the finance and investment profession has the most millionaires. It also has the most billionaires, with 371. Here's a list of the seven best careers if you want to be a millionaire.
How many trillionaires are there in the world? ›
Currently, no one has yet claimed trillionaire status, although some of the world's richest individuals may only be a few years away from this milestone..
How many Microsoft billionaires are there? ›
Microsoft made four men billionaires: Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Steve Ballmer and Charles Simonyi. Gates and Allen co-founded Microsoft in 1975, and Ballmer — who knew Gates at Harvard — got a slice of the company when he joined in 1980.
How many millionaires came from Microsoft? ›
Beyond just Mr Gates, analysts estimate that Microsoft's explosive growth has made for at least two more billionaires and as many as 12,000 millionaires. Like former CEO Steve Ballmer, who bought the LA Clippers for $2 billion in 2014.
Who is the CEO of Microsoft not Bill Gates? ›
Steve Ballmer became Microsoft's second CEO, succeeding Bill Gates, who hired him in 1980 as the company's first business manager.
Who is the actual owner of Microsoft? ›
Bill Gates, in full William Henry Gates III, (born October 28, 1955, Seattle, Washington, U.S.), American computer programmer and entrepreneur who cofounded Microsoft Corporation, the world's largest personal-computer software company. Gates wrote his first software program at the age of 13.
Who currently owns Microsoft? ›
Who owns the Microsoft Corporation? The Microsoft Corporation is owned by its shareholders. Currently, the largest shares are owned by Vanguard and BlackRock, two other companies.
Why doesn t Bill Gates own Microsoft anymore? ›
Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975, stepped down as the company's CEO in 2000, saying he wanted to focus on his foundation. He left his full-time role at Microsoft in 2008. His seat as board director, which he left in March 2020, was the last position that officially linked him to the company.
