Bill Gates

Net worth $118.9 billion
Birthday October 28, 1955
Status Married
Country United States
Ethnicity English, German, Scots-Irish
Source(-s) of wealth Author, Businessman, Philanthropist

How much is Bill Gates Worth? Bill Gates Net Worth in 2026

$ 118.9 billion

Bill Gates Net Worth

$14,200,000,000 / year

Bill Gates salary

By the Alux Research Team. How we estimate net worth

Bill Gates’s net worth is estimated at $118.9 billion as of October 2026. Bill Gates is the co-founder of Microsoft, now an investor, author and philanthropist, with the latest development being the 2025 publication of his memoir Source Code: My Beginnings.

Net worth	$118.9 billion (estimate, October 2026)
Estimated annual income	Mainly from investment returns on his holdings
Born	28 October 1955, Seattle, Washington (age 70)
Country	United States
Occupations	Businessman, investor, author, philanthropist
Known for	Co-founder of Microsoft; Gates Foundation

How Bill Gates built it

Co-founded Microsoft in 1975. He started it with Paul Allen after enrolling at Harvard in 1973.
Took the company public. Microsoft went public in 1986 and he became the world's youngest billionaire the next year.
Diversified into other investments. Cascade Investment holds stakes across many industries, and he backs TerraPower and Breakthrough Energy.

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How much is Bill Gates worth in 2026?

Bill Gates’s net worth is estimated at $118.9 billion. His remaining Microsoft shares, plus investments held through Cascade Investment, which he has diversified over the years. A large share of his wealth has gone to philanthropy. Estimates vary. Net worth estimates are approximate and differ between sources.

Bill Gates in 2026: what they’ve been up to

2025: Published Source Code: My Beginnings, the first of three planned memoirs.
2025: Said his charitable donations total $100 billion, with $60 billion going to the foundation.
2024: The foundation was renamed the Gates Foundation after the co-chair role ended, leaving him as sole chair.
Ongoing: Chairs TerraPower and backs climate work through Breakthrough Energy.

How Bill Gates makes money

Microsoft: the foundation of his fortune; he co-founded the company in 1975.
Cascade Investment: his investment vehicle, holding stakes across many industries.
Breakthrough Energy and TerraPower: climate and nuclear energy ventures he founded or chairs.
Books: royalties from titles including The Road Ahead, Business @ the Speed of Thought, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster and How to Prevent the Next Pandemic.

Career timeline

1973: Graduated from high school and enrolled at Harvard College.
1975: Co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen.
1981: Became president and chairman when Microsoft was incorporated.
1986: Microsoft went public; he became the world’s youngest billionaire the following year.
2000: Stepped down as CEO, became chief software architect, and helped create the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
2010: Co-founded the Giving Pledge with Warren Buffett.
2014: Stepped down as Microsoft chairman and became technology adviser.
2015: Founded Breakthrough Energy.
2020: Left the Microsoft board to focus on philanthropy.
2025: Published Source Code: My Beginnings.

Awards and notable work

Bill Gates has been on the list of the world’s richest people since 1987, and was the wealthiest from 1995 to 2007 and again in 2009. He is chairman of TerraPower, founder of Cascade Investment and Gates Ventures, and chairman of Branded Entertainment Network. His books include The Road Ahead and Source Code: My Beginnings.

Early life and background

Bill Gates grew up in Seattle, the son of lawyer William H. Gates Sr. and Mary Maxwell Gates. At 13 he entered the Lakeside School, where he became fascinated with programming on a General Electric system and wrote his first program, a version of tic-tac-toe. With Paul Allen and others, he later wrote software for a payroll program in exchange for computer time and royalties, and at 17 co-created Traf-O-Data. He enrolled at Harvard in 1973, dropped out after two years, and with Allen started Microsoft after the release of the MITS Altair 8800.

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Bill Gates net worth FAQ

What is Bill Gates’s net worth?

Bill Gates’s net worth is estimated at $118.9 billion as of October 2026. Estimates vary, so treat the figure as approximate.

How does Bill Gates make money?

Bill Gates makes money from his Microsoft shares and investment holdings, and has given a large share of his wealth to philanthropy.

How old is Bill Gates?

Bill Gates is 70 years old. Bill Gates was born on 28 October 1955.

Where is Bill Gates from?

Bill Gates was born in Seattle, Washington and is a citizen of the United States.

What is Bill Gates doing now?

He published the memoir Source Code: My Beginnings in 2025 and continues to chair the Gates Foundation and TerraPower.

How is Bill Gates’s net worth estimated?

The figure is an approximation based on public reporting, company valuations, and deal and earnings figures. It changes as new information emerges.

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How we estimate net worth

Our estimates are based on public reporting, company valuations, and deal and earnings figures all compiled in an internal valuation model. They are approximate, and figures change over time as new information emerges.

Last updated: October 2026.