Bill and Melinda Gates are the founders of both the Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, which they established in the United States. Bill, a prominent investor, remains committed to his pledge of giving away more than 99% of his wealth. The headquarters for this charitable work is located in Seattle, Washington.
Melinda Gates, a philanthropist and former Microsoft multimedia product manager, has a background in computer science. Together, she and Bill launched the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000.
With nearly $70 billion in assets, the foundation is the second-largest philanthropic institution globally. Since 1994, Bill Gates has donated over $39 billion through this organization to support initiatives focused on combating diseases, improving education, and advancing gender equality.
The Gates Foundation tackles a range of issues, including global health challenges, international development, and education reform within the United States.
Based in Seattle, the foundation operates under the leadership of CEO Mark Suzman, with oversight from the board of trustees.
In recent years, Melinda has placed particular emphasis on improving access to contraception for disadvantaged women around the world, with her foundation contributing more than $1 billion toward this effort.
Bill and Melinda Gates, after seven years of dating, tied the knot in Hawaii but divorced in August 2021. The couple shares three children. Melinda has been repeatedly recognized as one of the world's most influential women by Forbes. Meanwhile, Bill Gates is estimated to have a net worth of $116.6 billion, according to Forbes.
