By Catie Hogan, The Motley Fool
Publication Date: 2026-05-22 21:11:00
Recently, the Gates Foundation disclosed it sold its final 7.7 million shares of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), a position worth approximately $3.2 billion. A sale of that size raises eyebrows and perhaps causes a bit of nervous chatter among investors. Why would Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, have his foundation sell every last share? Is it time to panic?
Turns out, the answer is a definitive no.
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The reason for the sale isn’t a bearish outlook on Microsoft; instead, it’s a philanthropic pledge. The foundation is committed to spending all of its endowment by 2045 and, to do so, must liquidate its positions and spend them down accordingly. The foundation is planning to spend more than $200 billion over two decades.