Bill Gates Gave Away $60 Billion—Now He’s Worth Less Than Musk but Has Helped Millions

Bill Gates, the man who started Microsoft, could have been the richest person in the world today. In fact, if he had never sold or given away any of his Microsoft shares, he would be worth over $1.2 trillion more than Elon Musk, who is currently the richest person on Earth.

But Bill Gates chose a different path. He decided to use his money to help people instead of just keeping it all to himself. He and his ex-wife, Melinda Gates, have given away more than $60 billion to help fight hunger, poverty, disease, and support health and education in poor countries.

Let’s take a simple look at how this all happened.

The Microsoft Story

Bill Gates started Microsoft in the 1970s. It became one of the biggest and most powerful tech companies in the world. Microsoft makes software like Windows, which is used on millions of computers.

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When Microsoft became a public company in 1986, Bill Gates owned about 49% of the company. Over the years, as Microsoft grew, that stake would have been worth a fortune  over $1.4 trillion today. That amount is almost impossible to imagine. It’s more than the money of many countries put together!

But instead of keeping all that wealth, Bill Gates started giving it away.

Why He Gave It Away

Bill Gates grew up with parents who taught him about kindness and helping others. He said in a letter that his parents always showed generosity not just with money, but also with time. So when he became rich, he felt he had a duty to help those who didn’t have the same opportunities.

He created the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with his wife. Their mission was simple: use their money to improve lives around the world. The foundation helps people in poor countries get access to clean water, vaccines, health care, and education.

Instead of holding on to his Microsoft shares, Gates sold them and gave the money to this foundation. That’s why he doesn’t own much of Microsoft today, only about 0.9% of it.

How Much They’ve Helped

The foundation has spent more than $47.7 billion on charity so far. Their work has helped in big ways:

• Providing vaccines to children to stop deadly diseases like polio and malaria
• Helping farmers grow better crops in Africa
• Improving schools and learning systems
• Giving people clean water to drink
• Supporting women and girls’ rights and education

Millions of lives have been saved and improved because of this generosity.

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Where Are They Now?

Even after giving away billions, Bill Gates is still rich. He’s worth around $113 billion, and Melinda is worth about $30 billion. But compared to Elon Musk, who at his highest had over $464 billion, Gates is no longer on top of the rich list.

Still, Bill doesn’t seem to mind.

In 2024, he announced that by 2045, he plans to give away almost all of his remaining money and close down the Gates Foundation. Melinda, on her part, has started her own group called Pivotal Philanthropies and has promised to give $13.5 billion to support women and girls around the world.

Both of them are part of something called the Giving Pledge. It’s a promise made by rich people to give away at least half of their wealth during their lifetime or after death. This pledge was started by Gates, Melinda, and their friend Warren Buffett, another billionaire known for giving.

What Could Have Been

Now imagine this: if Bill and Melinda never gave away their money and never sold their Microsoft shares, they would be worth about $1.5 trillion combined today. That means:

• Bill Gates alone would be worth $1.2 trillion, making him the world’s first trillionaire
• Melinda would have been worth $300 billion, which would make her the third richest person in the world

But that’s not the road they took. Instead of hoarding wealth, they chose to change the world.

A Message of Generosity

When asked why he gave so much away, Bill Gates said it was because he wanted to help as many people as possible. He believes that wealth should be used to make life better for others, not just for one person.

Melinda said something powerful too. She said it was “absurd” for one person to have so much money while so many others suffer. To her, the only right thing to do with a fortune that big is to give it away, in the most helpful way possible.

Bill Gates could have sat back and become the richest man in history, but he chose a different kind of success, one that is measured in lives saved, children educated, and hope restored.

This story reminds us all that true greatness is not just about how much money you have, but how much good you do with it.