Bill Gates during an event in Delhi

Bill Gates Reveals His Children’s Share of His Fortune – The Number Is Shocking

Bill Gates is one of the wealthiest individuals in the world, with a fortune worth billions. His name regularly appears on the list of the world’s richest people. Many might assume that this wealth will be passed down to his children after his death. However, Gates surprised everyone by revealing that he will leave only a very small portion of his fortune to his children during his appearance on the podcast Figuring Out with Raj Shamani.

While being hosted on the Figuring Out with Raj Shamani podcast, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, now 69 years old, revealed that he will leave less than 1% of his current fortune—estimated at $102.2 billion according to Forbes’ 2025 list of the world’s billionaires—to his children: Jennifer (28), Phoebe (22), and Rory (25), from his ex-wife Melinda French Gates. He said, “My kids had a great education and upbringing, but they’ll be getting less than 1% of the total wealth because I’ve decided it wouldn’t be of benefit to them.”

Bill also stated that he isn’t interested in having any of his children manage the family business; he simply wants them to earn their own success, make an impact, and not be overshadowed by the extraordinary luck and fortune he had.

Although the inheritance percentage is very small, each of his children is still set to inherit more than a billion dollars.

Bill Gates currently ranks 13th among the world’s wealthiest individuals, behind Elon Musk at the top of the list, followed by others including Mark Zuckerberg in second place and Jeff Bezos in third.

It’s worth noting that Gates has stated his intention to donate nearly all of his wealth to the Gates Foundation, which he co-founded with his ex-wife in 2000. He wrote on X, “It’s my duty to return my resources to society in ways that have the greatest impact in reducing suffering and improving lives.”

He has long pledged to donate most of his fortune to addressing social issues, as he told CNN in 2024, announcing that he is donating at a rate of $9 billion annually. He also revealed that he has enough for his personal needs and would be proud when his name is removed from the list of the world’s richest people.