Gates Children to Inherit 10,000 Lifetimes of 'Normal' Income. It's Just a Sliver of Bill's Pie.
Bill Gates 2018. Photo courtesy of United States Department of Health and Human Services. Public domain.
He's one of the wealthiest men in the world — but his kids won't be living like it. Microsoft® co-founder and philanthropic titan Bill Gates just confirmed the jaw-dropping percentage of his fortune that his three children will inherit after he dies.
The Man Behind the Money
Bill Gates, now 69, built a software empire from scratch and amassed a fortune that currently stands at a staggering $152 billion.
Gates co-founded Microsoft in 1975 and dominated the PC revolution. But in the past two decades, Gates has shifted gears — from mogul to megadonor. Through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he's pledged to give away nearly all of his wealth, aiming to make a bigger dent in global poverty than any billionaire before him.
Inheritance or Independence?
So, what's left for his three children — Jennifer (28), Rory (25), and Phoebe (22)? Gates said they'll get "less than 1%" of his fortune, according to MarketWatch. Still, that "less than" amounts to around $1.52 billion each.
That's right — a single percent of his wealth is more than most people will earn in 10,000 lifetimes.
"In my case, my kids got a great upbringing and education," Gates explained during a podcast appearance reported by PEOPLE, "but [they will get] less than 1 percent of the total wealth, because I decided it wouldn't be a favor to them."
According to Finance Monthly, in case anyone assumed the Gates kids would one day take the reins of Microsoft, he also put that notion to bed, saying, "It's not a dynasty. I'm not asking them to run Microsoft."
Why So Little?
Gates has long argued that leaving massive wealth to one's children can actually hinder them.
In comments reported on by PEOPLE, Gates said, "I wanna give them a chance to have their own earnings and success, be significant and not overshadowed by the incredible luck and good fortune I had."
In the same statement, Gates also explained that his kids were very aware of his intentions with his estate, saying, "You don't want your kids to ever be confused about your support for them and your love for them. So I do think, explaining early on your philosophy that you're gonna treat them all equally, and that you're gonna give them incredible opportunities, but that the highest calling for these resources is to go back to the neediest through the foundation, [was important]."
Gates currently gives away about $9 billion a year and told CNN in 2024 that he expects to fall off the list of the world's wealthiest individuals within 20 years. He stated, "I have more than enough money for my own consumption. I'm getting myself to go down the list, and I'll be proud when I fall off altogether."
Once the wealthiest man on the planet, Gates is now thirteenth on the list, trailing behind tech peers like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos.
A Peek Inside Xanadu
Though the Gates children won't inherit his tech empire, they have already benefited from a lifestyle most can barely imagine. That includes frequent returns to the family's $130 million Medina, Washington estate — known as Xanadu 2.0 — a 66,000-square-foot marvel with six kitchens, 24 bathrooms, an underwater music system in the pool, and even a trampoline room with a 20-foot ceiling.
In comments reported by Finance Monthly, Gates once admitted, "My house in Seattle, I admit, is gigantic. My sisters have downsized. I can't. I like the houses I have. My kids like to come back—that is a luxury."
Billions for Good, Not Blood
True to form, the lion's share of Gates' fortune will go to The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — which he founded with ex-wife Melinda in 2000. The foundation focuses on health equity, education, and fighting global poverty. This isn't a man with one mega-project — it's a full-blown apparatus moving billions across the globe every year.
In an X (formerly Twitter) post reported by PEOPLE, Gates wrote, "I have an obligation to return my resources to society in ways that have the greatest impact for reducing suffering and improving lives."
So, yes — Gates' children may inherit just a fraction of what's available. But in Gates-world, even crumbs are coated in platinum.
References: Bill Gates Reveals How Much of His Over $100 Billion Net Worth His 3 Kids Will Inherit When He Dies — Here's the Shocking Number | Bill Gates Reveals How Much of His $152 Billion Fortune He'll Leave His Kids—And What Happens to His $130 Million Home | Here's how much of his fortune Bill Gates will leave to his kids—but who gets the $130 million Washington estate?
