On the same day, March 13th 2020, a 64-year old Gates announced he was stepping down from the company’s board- ironically to concentrate more on giving away some of the money he has made in the 44 years, to charity.
Microsoft’s founder has been slowly inching away from his company, since 2000 when he stepped down as its Chief Executive Officer.
In a brief statement on his LinkedIn timeline, Bill Gates said that he was also stepping away from the board of Berkshire Hathaway the multinational conglomerate holding company owned by his long-time friend, Warren Buffet so as to pave away for him to dedicate more time to tackling the world’s development challenges through his philanthropy arm- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Here below is his full statement:
“I have made the decision to step down from both of the public boards on which I serve – Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway – to dedicate more time to philanthropic priorities including global health and development, education, and my increasing engagement in tackling climate change. The leadership at the Berkshire companies and Microsoft has never been stronger, so the time is right to take this step.
I&M Select Banking Sapphire Club wins “Best Innovation of the Year” at UMEAS 2025Serving on the Berkshire board has been one of the greatest honors of my career. Warren and I were the best of friends long before I joined and will be long after. I look forward to our continued partnership as co-trustees of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and co-founders of The Giving Pledge.
With respect to Microsoft, stepping down from the board in no way means stepping away from the company. Microsoft will always be an important part of my life’s work and I will continue to be engaged with Satya (Satya Narayana Nadella the Microsoft chief executive officer (CEO) since 2014)) and the technical leadership to help shape the vision and achieve the company’s ambitious goals. I feel more optimistic than ever about the progress the company is making and how it can continue to benefit the world.
I am looking forward to this next phase as an opportunity to maintain the friendships and partnerships that have meant the most to me, continue to contribute to two companies of which I am incredibly proud, and effectively prioritize my commitment to addressing some of the world’s toughest challenges.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is the world’s largest private charitable foundation; the foundation and its predecessors has doled out $53.8 billion since 1994. The organization funds global health, international development and U.S. education. In 2018 it gave nearly $530 million toward eradicating polio, some $450 million for vaccine delivery, $400 million to treat and prevent HIV and malaria, and about $390 million for agricultural development.
