World’s richest man Bill Gates has donated an incredible $4.6 billion (£3.6 billion) to charity – the largest amount since setting up the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Gates donated 64 million of Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) shares on 6 June, according to a Securities & Exchange Commission filing, which was released Monday.
The couple has donated $35 billion since 1994. Their foundation, which aims to improve global healthcare and reduce extreme poverty, has become the world’s largest private charity with $40.3 billion of funds.
Gates said the donation was “about building on a wonderful tradition of philanthropy that will ultimately help the world become a much better place”.
“This money is dedicated to helping the poorest. They know that they are proud of that, they go on trips with us to see the work that’s being done.”
Famously known to give large amounts of his wealth to charities, Gates has also set up the Giving Pledge with Warren Buffett. Over 170 of the richest people, including Facebook’s (NASDAQ:FB) Mark Zuckerberg, have signed up to the promise to give at least half of their wealth to charity.
“People wait until late in their career to give back. But why wait when there is so much to be done?” said Zuckerberg about joining the pledge. “With a generation of younger folks who have thrived on the success of their companies, there is a big opportunity for many of us to give back earlier in our lifetime and see the impact of our philanthropic efforts.”
Microsoft founder Gates has been the world’s richest man since 2013 – not including a brief couple of hours last month when Jeff Bezos overtook him as Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) shares temporarily spiked.