Bill Gates, the co-founder of software giant Microsoft is not only no longer the richest man in the world, but he is also no longer among the top 10 richest people in the world.
The billionaire, who once ruled high on the coveted Bloomberg Billionaires list, dropped to the 12th position as markets closed on Monday.
Gates no longer holds a major stake in Microsoft, retaining less than 1% of the company’s shares—valued at over $28 billion, but his fortune continues to grow through Cascade Investment LLC, his private investment firm. Cascade manages a diverse portfolio including holdings in companies like Republic Services, Ecolab, Deere & Co., Canadian National Railway, and luxury assets such as the Four Seasons Hotels. Microsoft’s continued market success, now worth nearly $2.8 trillion, has also indirectly supported Gates’s wealth through stock appreciation and dividends.
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As of July 8, Bill Gates’ net worth is $124 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Philanthropy remains central to Gates’s financial narrative. Through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he has already donated over $60 billion, making him one of the most generous philanthropists in history. In May 2025, Gates announced his intention to give away 99% of his wealth and committed an additional $200 billion in funding for the foundation to deploy by 2045, at which point it will wind down. This massive philanthropic pledge has affected his standing on global rich lists—dropping him out of the top five for the first time in over two decades—but his influence remains profound. Gates’s approach to wealth emphasizes long-term impact over personal accumulation, setting a model for tech billionaires and philanthropists alike.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, in the past one day, Bill Gates’ net worth plummeted by $351 million.
In a blog in May this year, the Microsoft co-founder shared that he had $108 billion in net wealth and had committed to donate almost all of it towards charity in the next 20 years. He estimated that the Gates Foundation might spend over $200 billion before closing by the end of 2045 in charity.
“On the occasion of its 25th year, the Gates Foundation today made a new commitment to accelerate its mission to help all people live healthy, productive lives by spending $200 billion over the next 20 years. The decision marks a major acceleration in the foundation’s work and sets a new date of 2045 to sunset its operations,” as per the blog post.
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Bill Gates’s departure from the top 10 richest people in the world primarily stems from his extraordinary philanthropic efforts and the way net worth is calculated in relation to charitable giving. Over the past two decades, Gates has consistently committed vast portions of his fortune to global health, education, and poverty alleviation through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
This shift in Gates’s wealth ranking highlights a broader transformation in how success and influence are measured among the ultra-rich. Rather than focusing solely on personal fortune, Gates exemplifies a growing movement where billionaires leverage their resources to address global challenges. His approach redefines wealth, emphasizing lasting social impact over sheer monetary accumulation. This mindset not only alters his place on rich lists but also sets a precedent, encouraging other wealthy individuals to consider philanthropy as a key part of their legacy and role in society.