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Bill Gates has made his largest donation since 2000
Last updated on Aug 16, 2017, 06:40 am
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According to a recently released Securities & Exchange Commission filing, Microsoft founder Bill Gates recently made his biggest donation since 2000.
Gates donated 64 million Microsoft Corp. shares to a yet unknown recipient on 6th June - in terms of market value, the donation is worth $4.6 billion.
However, spokespersons for both Bill Gates and Microsoft have not yet responded to requests for comments.
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Data
Bill Gates's turn of the century giveaways
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The donation on 6th June marks the largest gift of shares Bill Gates has made since 2000. According to Bloomberg, the billionaire donated $16 billion worth of Microsoft shares in 1999, and $5.1 billion again in 2000.
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Details
Bill Gates's dwindling holdings in Microsoft
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Bill Gates's latest donation was worth 38% of his holdings in Microsoft.
Over the years, Bill Gates has directed over 700 million Microsoft shares to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), an amount which would be worth over $50 billion, had he held them today.
Due to his charity, Gates's share in Microsoft has decreased from 24% in 1996 to 1.3% today.
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Do you know?
Gates: the world's richest person for nearly two decades
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Microsoft founder Bill Gates, aged 61 now, is worth $86.1 billion even after the donation. Gates has held the title of the world's richest person for four years in a row now, and for 18 out of the past 23 years.
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Historic donations
Bill and Melinda Gates's donations over the years
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Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda Gates, have always had a penchant for charity, and the couple founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) in 2000 with the aim of improving healthcare and eradicating extreme poverty in the world.
Since 1994, the couple has given away $35 billion to charity, according to a review of BMGF tax returns, annual reports, and regulatory filings.
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Do you know?
Bill Gates's efforts to improve charitable practices among the wealthy
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In 2010, Bill and Melinda Gates, along with billionaire Warren Buffet, created the Giving Pledge to encourage the wealthy to donate a majority of their wealth. Since then, they have been joined by 168 others who have pledged a majority of their wealth to charity.