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Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, has announced that the majority of his $200 billion fortune will be donated to Africa over the next two decades, with a strategic focus on health and education. The pledge is part of the long-term mission of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which plans to spend nearly all of Gates’ wealth and officially cease operations by December 31, 2045. This announcement marks one of the most ambitious philanthropic commitments in modern history, with Gates emphasizing his desire to see his wealth used to improve lives rather than accumulate further.
The announcement was made during Gates’ address at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he reaffirmed the foundation’s long-standing commitment to Africa. Gates explained that the vast majority of the foundation’s remaining funds would be directed toward addressing some of the continent’s most urgent needs chiefly healthcare access, maternal and child health, infectious disease control, and education infrastructure.
“I’m not interested in just being rich,” Gates said. “I want my wealth to serve a purpose and that purpose is to improve the lives of others, especially those who need it most.”
This philanthropic strategy builds on the Gates Foundation’s deep history of involvement in Africa. Since its founding in 2000, the foundation has spent more than $100 billion globally, with a significant portion of those funds directed to sub-Saharan Africa. In 2022 alone, the foundation pledged $7 billion to support African countries over a four-year period, targeting programs in health, agriculture, gender equality, and poverty reduction. Nigeria, the continent’s most populous nation, has received some of the largest investments, particularly in primary healthcare and vaccine delivery.
A core area of focus is maternal and child health. Gates has recently advocated for direct cash assistance to pregnant women and new mothers, highlighting its effectiveness in reducing preventable deaths. He has pointed to examples like the Rx Kids program in Flint, Michigan, and GiveDirectly in rural African communities as models for how unconditional cash transfers can dramatically improve early childhood outcomes and lift families out of poverty.
In addition to maternal health, the Gates Foundation is a primary funder of large-scale initiatives such as GAVI (the Vaccine Alliance) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. These partnerships have collectively saved millions of lives and played a critical role in immunization, disease eradication, and access to life-saving treatments. Gates believes that by continuing to support and expand such initiatives, the foundation can help ensure that African nations achieve major public health milestones over the next 20 years.
The announcement comes as global philanthropic and aid funding faces increasing scrutiny and challenges. Gates expressed concern about declining U.S. foreign aid budgets and emphasized the need for continued international investment in Africa’s development.
“If countries like the United States cut back on their foreign aid, lives will be lost millions of children, the poorest in the world, will suffer. I don’t want to see the progress we’ve made reversed,” he stated.
The Gates Foundation’s plan to spend down all its assets by 2045 reflects a growing trend among ultra-wealthy philanthropists who are choosing to give away their fortunes within their lifetimes. This “giving while living” philosophy ensures that resources are mobilized quickly to meet urgent challenges, rather than being locked away in perpetuity.
By pledging to allocate most of his wealth to Africa, Gates is not only reaffirming his commitment to global equity but also placing a spotlight on the potential of the continent’s young population. With over 60% of Africans under the age of 25, Gates emphasized that empowering the next generation with better health and education is key to unlocking economic and social progress.
The foundation’s final years will be marked by aggressive disbursement of funds and strategic partnerships with African governments, NGOs, and private sector players. The goal is to build sustainable systems that will endure long after the foundation itself has closed its doors.
In what is arguably one of the most historic acts of philanthropy, Bill Gates is positioning his legacy not just as a tech innovator, but as a global humanitarian whose fortune is set to reshape Africa’s future.
