Bill Gates
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust manages the endowment that funds the Gates Foundation — one of the largest private philanthropic organizations in history. Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft in 1975 and led it to become the world's most valuable company before stepping back from day-to-day operations. Today his public market portfolio is managed with a long-term orientation focused on companies aligned with the foundation's global health, agricultural, and development goals, as well as core blue-chip holdings.
The foundation's 13F filings reflect the Trust's public equity holdings, which are managed by Michael Larson through Cascade Investment. The portfolio is notable for its large concentration in Berkshire Hathaway — a reflection of Gates's long friendship and intellectual partnership with Warren Buffett. The trust also holds significant positions in waste management, agricultural chemicals, and consumer staples, sectors that align with the foundation's thematic priorities around global sustainability and health.
I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it. The same principle applies to investing — find the simplest path to the best long-term outcome.
— Bill Gates, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust