Bill Gates Plans to Leave His Children Less Than 1% of His Fortune

American billionaire and Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates has shared that he intends to leave his children less than 1% of his immense fortune. He believes they should carve out their own paths to success rather than depend on inherited wealth.

During an interview on the Figuring Out With Raj Shamani podcast, Gates explained that his children have already received an excellent upbringing and education. He wants them to build their own careers without relying on his financial legacy.

His decision stems from a desire to help them develop their own identities and accomplishments. With a net worth estimated at $162 billion by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Gates believes that passing on a smaller portion of his wealth will encourage his children to establish their own achievements.

“It’s not a dynasty, I’m not asking them to run Microsoft. I want to give them a chance to have their own earnings and success,” he said.

Gates further explained that he doesn’t want his children to be defined by the “incredible luck and good fortune” he has had. He emphasized the importance of making his intentions clear early on, ensuring they understand his philosophy—providing equal opportunities while directing the bulk of his wealth to philanthropic efforts.

“You don’t want your kids to ever be confused about your support for them and your love for them,” he said. “So I do think explaining early on your philosophy: that you’re going to treat them all equally and that you’re going to give them incredible opportunities, but that the highest calling for these resources is to go back to the neediest through the foundation.”

Despite inheriting only a small portion of his wealth, his children will still be financially secure—1% of his fortune still amounts to over a billion dollars.

Gates has long championed philanthropy, dedicating much of his wealth to global health, poverty reduction, and education through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.