Bill Gates has announced his intention to bequeath almost his entire fortune, and for a very specific reason

American billionaire Bill Gates has announced his intention to bequeath almost his entire fortune - some $200 billion - to the African continent by 2045. This decision is motivated by his desire not to end his life as a rich man.

Steph Deschamps / June 13, 2025

Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and one of the richest men in the world, surprised by declaring, “People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I'm determined that people won't say: he died rich. I don't want to die rich.”

The announcement was made during his visit to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At 69, he said he wanted to give 99% of his fortune - some $200 billion - to Africa as a priority. In so doing, he wishes to mark the end of his life with a gesture of global solidarity.

For years, Bill Gates has been working through his foundation to improve living conditions on the African continent. He now intends to intensify his efforts, particularly in the fight against preventable maternal and infant deaths, but also to eradicate deadly infectious diseases among children.

In an interview with the BBC, he said: “I recently made a commitment to distribute my fortune over the next twenty years. Most of this funding will be used to help you meet the challenges here in Africa.”

Bill Gates is also banking on innovation to transform African healthcare systems. He encourages the continent's leaders to integrate artificial intelligence into their medical projects now: “You now have the opportunity, as you build your next-generation healthcare systems, to think about how AI is integrated into them.”

With this historic pledge, Bill Gates aims to turn his immense fortune into a tool for human progress, far from the image of the billionaire who accumulates endlessly.