Bill Gates Net Worth

Bill Gates net worth: Charity Donations: $28 billion
Foundation: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

American business magnate, computer programmer, investor, philanthropist and author, Bill Gates, has a net worth of $61 billion as of March 2012, according to Forbes’ rich list. The software giant and once richest person in the world (1995 to 2009) co-founded the largest computer software company in the world, Microsoft, with Paul Allen. The company officially established on April 4, 1975, with Bill Gates as the CEO.  He stepped down as Microsoft’s CEO in 2008, to concentrate with his charity work through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. A charitable foundation he founded with his wife, Melinda. He is now the world’s second-richest person and United States’ richest person. Since becoming billionaire, Bill Gates has since donated over $28 billion to charities and encouraged over 40 of the world’s wealthiest to sign his “Giving Pledge,” aim to donate the majority of their wealth to charity during their lifetimes. He started giving to charity in 1999, when he donated $16 billion in Microsoft stock to his family foundation. With Warren Buffett as one of the biggest donor, the foundation is now one of the biggest philanthropic institution in the world. His charity tackles AIDS, tuberculosis, polio and funds famine-resistant crops to fight hunger mostly in Africa.