Bill Gates to shutter his foundation by 2045, pledging to give away his fortune—and fires shots at Elon Musk and DOGE on his way out.

Bill Gates to Exit Stage Philanthropy, Left

After nearly three decades of trying to save the world through the power of vaccines, toilets, and spreadsheets, Bill Gates is winding down his philanthropic efforts. In a recent announcement, Gates revealed plans to wind down the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation by 2045 and give away virtually all his remaining wealth. That’s around $108 billion, according to Gates.

The End of an Era

Founded in 2000, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has spent the last 25 years tackling the planet’s least sexy—but most urgent—issues: eradicating diseases, funding vaccines, improving sanitation, and trying to fix U.S. education. Now, the clock is ticking with Gates saying, “It's really about the urgency. We can spend a lot more if we're not trying to be perpetual, and I know that the spending will be in line with my values."

“People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be one of them,” Gates wrote in the blog post.

It’s not just a tidy exit strategy—it’s a deliberate rebuke of the trend toward infinite billionaire empires. Gates isn’t trying to create a dynastic monument or float in space with a golden plaque. He wants the money gone, and the foundation done.

Elon Musk, DOGE and a Billionaire Beef

Of course, it wouldn’t be a 2025 billionaire news cycle without a little side of Elon. Gates made sure to throw in a jab at Musk, DOGE, and the endless funding cuts. In particular, he has criticized the cuts to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), claiming that Musk was involved in “killing the world’s poorest children”. Ouch. Gates doubled down in a following interview, saying, “These cuts will kill not just children, but millions of children. You wouldn't have expected the world's richest person to do it."

Musk has yet to respond publicly, but if we know anything, there’s probably a Tweet in draft.

Nothing as of yet.

Philanthropy, Legacy, and Serious Financial Heft

Gates’ decision to wind down the foundation is part of a broader, and rare, philosophical turn among tech titans. Where many billionaires are busy creating family offices, vast electronic kingdoms, or orbiting hobbies, Gates is leaning hard into liquidation—with purpose. While critics say the foundation’s impact was mixed—especially in areas like education—few can deny its financial heft. It has given away over $100 billion since inception and plans to give away $200 billion, depending on the markets and inflation, over the next two decades, according to Gates.

But the sunset plan may also be a wake-up call for other ultra-rich operators clinging to their philanthropic portfolios like collectible NFTs. If Bill Gates can hit the off-switch, what’s stopping the rest?

What Happens Next?

According to the foundation’s CEO, Mark Suzman, the closure announcement was spurred on by US government funding cuts, “This is at a moment now where there are significant cuts happening from the US, but not just the US alone, into areas that have traditionally supported our work,” Suzman said in an interview with Yahoo Finance. “And so we felt it was more important than ever that we put a stake in the ground and say, actually, we are fully committed to this. And we think these are goals that are still achievable.”

Gates himself will step back from day-to-day operations, eventually handing over control to new leadership. Whether his children inherit anything more than a polite handshake and some investment lessons is unclear—but it’s safe to say this isn’t your typical billionaire legacy plan.

If the idea was to go out with a bang consider it done.

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