Bill Gates is preparing for the final phase of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, even as he plans to give away almost all his wealth. The foundation, which has worked for more than 20 years in global health, education and poverty reduction, is now set to shut down by 2045. Before that happens, Gates wants to spend nearly everything he has to make the biggest possible impact.
As part of this plan, the foundation will cut up to 500 jobs by 2030. It currently employs around 2,300 people worldwide. The goal is to reduce costs and move more money directly into programmes. Foundation CEO Mark Suzman said the layoffs would be handled carefully. “We will do this thoughtfully, carefully, and systematically,” he said, adding that the 500 figure is a maximum target, not a fixed number.
What is Bill Gates’ Net worth?
According to reports, Bill Gates’ current net worth is estimated at about $107 billion, but he has made it clear that he does not plan to die rich. Over his lifetime, he expects to give away close to $200 billion through the foundation. He plans to spend much of that money if not all over the next two decades as the foundation winds down.
The foundation approved a record $9 billion annual budget in 2026 which was the largest in its history. That money will go toward fighting infectious diseases, improving maternal and child health, expanding education, and tackling poverty. Cutting staff is meant to help keep operating costs under control, which are capped at about $1.25 billion a year, or roughly 14% of the total budget.
Bill Gates partnered with OpenAI to boost healthcare
At the same time, Gates is pushing the foundation into a new direction of artificial intelligence. The foundation has partnered with OpenAI on a $50 million project called Horizon1000. The plan is to bring AI tools to 1,000 primary healthcare clinics in Africa by 2028, starting in Rwanda.
Gates has said AI can help where doctors and nurses are in short supply. He wrote that AI offers “a powerful way to extend clinical capacity” and called it a “gamechanger in expanding access to quality care” in poorer countries. The focus is not on replacing doctors, but on helping them with tasks like symptom checks, medical records, and basic guidance.
Bill Gates is speeding things up at his foundation. He is shrinking the foundation’s workforce, and spending more money now.
