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Billionaire Bill Gates will leave an unprecedented philanthropic legacy, surprising the world on Thursday with the announcement that he will donate 99% of his remaining tech fortune to the Gates Foundation, which will cease operations in 2045, after bringing forward its original closing date.
In an exclusive interview with CBS Mornings, the Microsoft founder explained that he will spend his fortune on global causes over the next two decades. The estimated figure is 200 billion dollars, which will be invested in initiatives focused on health, education and improving quality of life around the world.
"By deciding to spend all this money over the next 20 years, we will be able to achieve much more," the entrepreneur said in a conversation recorded the week before the announcement. strong>Gates believes that this decision will save "tens of millions of lives".
In a letter published online on Thursday, Gates explained that he found inspiration in Andrew Carnegie, whose phrase "the man who dies thus rich dies disgraced," from his essay The Gospel of Wealth (1889), resonated deeply with him.
"They will say many things about me when I die, but I am determined that 'he died rich' will not be one of them. There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to keep resources that could be used to help people," Gates wrote in the letter
One of the largest donations in history
The magnitude of the commitment positions this initiative as one of the largest philanthropic donations recorded in modern history, suring -adjusted for inflation- the contributions of figures such as John D. Rockefeller and Carnegie himself. Only Warren Buffett, Gates' partner in the The Giving Pledge initiative, has pledged a comparable sum, with a fortune estimated at $160 billion, subject to market fluctuations.
Gates said in an interview with The Associated Press that he is excited to channel so many resources into these causes. His goal is not only to maintain for critical issues, but also to ensure that the global influence of the Gates Foundation has a lasting impact, even after its dissolution.
"I think 20 years is the right balance between giving as much as possible to advance these issues and giving people enough notice that this money will run out," he explained.
The Gates Foundation will continue to operate during this final period, with the intention of maximising its impact before closing its doors for good.