Bill Gates has long been known for his wealth secrets and his philanthropy. This year, he’s got another list of donations that look humongous but don’t even dent his billionaire status.
After all, what's a few hundred million here and there when you’re sitting on billions?
More than 1,300 charities received committed grants from the Gates Foundation in 2024, which has a yearly budget of $8.6 billion.
Let’s see which charities received over $25 million from the billionaire in 2024.
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1. $85 million to Innovative Vector Control Consortium
In July 2024, Gates committed a cool $85 million to help the Global Fund, focusing on combating malaria.
The goal of IVCC is to prevent insect-borne diseases, mainly malaria, across the globe.
These efforts might save millions of lives, but when you have enough money to buy small countries, this donation feels like throwing pennies in a fountain.
Own a car? Here's 7 warning signs you're paying too much for car insurance. 2. $70 million to AfricaNenda Foundation
In May 2024, Gates donated $70 million to the AfricaNenda Foundation to support an Africa-based network of digital payment scheme experts that helps countries ensure access for all adults in Africa.
Of course, for Gates, this donation represents just a tiny fraction of his wealth, but for Africanenda, it could mean transforming the lives of millions with access to digital payments and banking.
3. $200 million to World Health Organization
Through multiple donations, Gates donated over $200 million to the World Health Organization in 2024.
The majority of his donations focus on tackling polio and targeting immunization efforts in developing countries.
Gates’ commitment to wiping out polio is only slightly more impressive than his ability to make even bigger donations feel like pocket change.
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4. $100 million to the United Nations Population Fund
Multiple donations went to the United Nations Population Fund to support vulnerable women and girls in Africa.
The fund is meant to increase contraceptive availability and financing for vulnerable women and girls.
While $100 million may seem like a lot to the average person, it’s really not that much to a billionaire.
5. $40 million to Bloomberg Philanthropies
Founded by three-term mayor of New York City, Michael R. Bloomberg, Bloomberg Philanthropies tackles issues ranging from public health to supporting the arts. This grant is specifically for pneumonia and pandemic preparedness, although the donation feels like a drop in the bucket compared to the size of Gates’ fortune.
6. $80 million to the United States Fund for UNICEF
Polio is a top concern for the Gates Foundation and is reflected heavily in charities that receive grants. This is another charity that is heavily focused on eradicating polio worldwide.
While the donation was made to fund various causes, polio was cited as one of the main topics.
One could wonder if the cause of polio is so important, why the donation is less than 1% of the Gates Foundation annual budget.
Get Out of Debt for Good: Try these 6 clever ways to crush your debt 7. $31 million to High Tech High Graduate School of Education
High Tech High seeks to disrupt traditional education by engaging students in the adult world of work through fieldwork and internships, along with integrating hands, hearts, and minds through rigorous, hands-on projects. The Gates Foundation is one of just eight partners who support this mission.
8. $28 million to Sightsavers
Sightsavers work to treat eye conditions such as cataracts and debilitating diseases which cause sight loss. They also perform eye operations and distribute treatments where needed.
The $28 million donation from the Gates Foundation will undoubtedly help Sightsavers carry out their mission, but Bill Gates probably wouldn’t even notice that amount missing.
To a billionaire, $28 million of his annual budget is like $3.25 out of a $1,000 budget.
9. $25 million to RESULTS Educational Fund, Inc
This donation is to help advocate and mobilize solutions for critical global health challenges.
The organization helps enterics, diagnostics, genomics, and epidemiology, global education, global health and development public awareness and analysis.
It also handles HIV, maternal, newborn, and child nutrition and health, nutrition, pneumonia and pandemic preparedness, polio, tuberculosis, and vaccine delivery.
Split among so many different health concerns, $25 million doesn’t go that far, so despite looking like a lot on paper, this donation feels minimal compared to Gates’ billion-dollar fortune.
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Bottom line
When you look at these donations, it’s clear that Gates is a force for good, but let’s not kid ourselves: None of these millionaire moves are even close to making him poor.
With a net worth that could fund several of these initiatives ten times over, he continues to be a symbol of how even a sliver of a billionaire's wealth can transform the world.
But to Gates? Well, this is just another Tuesday.
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