“Bill Gates gave $1.5 billion of Microsoft Corp. stock in November to the Gates Foundation Asset Trust, the entity that manages the foundation’s endowment, according to Amy Enright, a spokeswoman for the foundation,” Caleb Melby reports for Bloomberg.
“The transfer decreased his stake in the company he co-founded to 3 percent,” Melby reports.
MacDailyNews Take: Confidence – or, more accurately, lack thereof.
Melby reports, “Gates has a net worth of $82.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.”
MacDailyNews Take: Crime pays.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Getting out while the gettin’s halfway decent and still working on buying that stairway to heaven.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Bo” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Bill Gates unloads another 20 million Microsoft shares for $882 million – August 5, 2014
Bill Gates dumps Microsoft stock; Steve Ballmer now owns more MSFT shares than Gates – May 3, 2014
Microsoft CEO Nadella should be questioning Bill Gates’ credentials as ‘technology advisor’ – February 6, 2014
Forbidden fruit: Bill Gates’ kids banned from owning superior Apple products – December 31, 2012
Bill Gates foundation has not yet saved more lives than Windows destroyed (ok inconvenienced), but on balance I think his karma is a net positive.
Nope. You can’t fix your karma buying indulgences. Better karma next time Mr. Gates.
When you’re rich, there ain’t no karma
Truth: when you’re the richest man in the world, if you don’t set up some extreme giveback organization to the world’s worst problems you have a huge target in your back as the world’s biggest _______.
Yeah, from a human material world point of view. But I tend to find we humans are considerably more than just matter. 😉
Who said the Gates foundation is about saving lives ?
No you got it right.
Look at any IT drone in a windows shop and you can see it in their eyes, that look of a soul slowly dying 😉
TAX WRITE OFF, 2014. lol
Do you have to keep posting that bloody awful turtlehead photo?
Lets hope that MDN never find a picture of him sitting on a big red ball.
The Gates Foundation sounds like (and overall is) a good thing. However, Bill has worked hard to achieve a near monopoly in gathering the donations of the very rich. This has resulted in reduced donations to other not-for-profits. As a consequence, just like with Windows, a monoculture is developing in which the Gates Foundation has an over-sized voice. Other equally (often more) deserving initiatives are now struggling for funding. Once a monopolist always a monopolist…
From what I have seen, the Gates Foundation is only giving away the interest and dividends on their mighty cash horde. The principle is untouched.
Gates also has a history of giving away PCs so that Microsoft still gets paid for the Windows licenses on them and Apple gets locked out. His giving serves his own financial interests.
OoHoo Mr. Gates! Getting out of Dodge before the Marshall arrives! There’s a morale buster MS kids! Darn!
I only hope when Bill’s time comes and he drops in at the Pearly Gates only to fall through a trap door deservingly to the “other hotter place” he ends up with an eternity of vicious wedgies for the numbnuts nerd he was.
I don’t know of a more “respected” figure in tech I disrespect more than Gates besides the obvious not-CEO-material blatant buffoons who went after him, good for laughs and not much else.
“Gates has a net worth of $82.9 billion”
How interesting! All we’ve been hearing about for the last 10 years is his big-time philanthropy yet his net worth in that time has *increased* by at least 20%…
He’s given away at least $28B, and plans to give away a lot more. If he keeps making money that’s a good thing.
I’m no fan of Microsoft nor Gates’ activities when he was there, but all the posts here dismissing the charity and humanitarian efforts are cynical at best.
The rat is deserting a sinking ship, the MS Windowstania (my apologies to the Lusitania).
Should REALLY have used the infamous mug-shot photo instead!
I get it.. If I post anything against MDN, I get deleted..lol.. Lets all get MS and Bill gates bashing so MDN is happy. :):)
Good for Bill Gates. No point throwing money into a sinking ship when it can be used for good instead.
In other news. Steve Jobs has reduced his stake in Apple to 0.
I’m not sure if this is meant to be funny, or is a fact. I’m sure Steve’s (family’s) stake is not zero. I’m sure Apple will be taking care of his family and their families for generations to come.