Key Facts About the Gates Foundation Trust Investments
The Gates Foundation Trust is heavily influenced by its founders, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, with over two-thirds of its marketable equity portfolio held in just three key stocks. Gates, who co-founded Microsoft and has gradually divested his stake, still retains significant influence with 28.5 million Microsoft shares worth approximately $14.8 billion as of the latest SEC filing.
In addition to Microsoft, the trust also holds substantial investments in Berkshire Hathaway (17.2 million shares valued at about $7.9 billion) and Waste Management (35.2 million shares worth approximately $7.5 billion). Microsoft continues to perform strongly, especially in its cloud computing division, Azure, which is now a $75 billion business with a 34% increase over the past year. Waste Management reported consistent organic growth and is expanding through strategic acquisitions.
