The Gates Foundation plans to spend $9 billion in 2026 as part of its long-term strategy to gradually wind down operations and permanently close by 2045. Alongside this increased payout, the foundation intends to reduce its workforce by around 500 staff members over the next five years. The move marks the conclusion of a four-year plan to stabilize the foundation’s budget at its current level.
Approximately 30 percent of the foundation’s future funding will support education in the United States and agricultural initiatives in low- and middle-income countries. The majority of its financial resources over the coming two decades will focus on maternal and child health, infectious disease prevention, and poverty alleviation. This commitment builds on existing initiatives, including the $500 million maternal health fund launched with the UAE last year.
Bill Gates emphasized that despite global setbacks, he is optimistic about the next decade. In his annual letter, he expressed confidence that the world will not slide back into the “Dark Ages” and will instead enter a new era of unprecedented progress. The foundation’s wind-down plan was first announced in May 2025, with a projected $200 billion total payout, sparking widespread attention and discussion within the global philanthropy sector.
A significant portion of the foundation’s future investments will target Africa, while Southeast Asia is also a priority, exemplified by the opening of a new Singapore office and collaboration with Indonesia’s Tanoto Foundation. Since 2009, roughly $159 million in grants has supported initiatives in Indonesia, primarily in vaccine procurement.
In addition to its programmatic spending, the foundation facilitated a $7.9 billion transfer to the private foundation run by Gates’ ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, marking one of the largest charitable contributions ever publicly recorded. Historically, the Gates Foundation has been the largest global donor, providing $5.6 billion between 2018 and 2022, significantly outpacing other major foundations such as the UK’s Wellcome Trust.
While Bill Gates’ personal wealth is estimated at $160 billion, other philanthropists such as Mackenzie Scott are rapidly approaching comparable levels of lifetime giving, having donated over $26 billion since 2019. The foundation’s ambitious spending plans and strategic closures underscore its ongoing commitment to global health, education, and development, even as it charts a course toward eventual closure.
