Bill Gates is still hovering around the $100-105 billion mark in early 2026. The Microsoft founder hit centibillionaire status back in 1999 during the dot-com frenzy, but while Microsoft’s stock has rocketed since then, Gates’ wealth has stayed remarkably steady—thanks to his habit of giving it away faster than most people spend on coffee.
The real story here is the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust’s portfolio, a roughly $37-38 billion stash of marketable equities that’s surprisingly old-school for a tech billionaire. About 59% sits in just three stocks, channeling the value-investing wisdom of his longtime mentor, Warren Buffett.
Topping the list is Berkshire Hathaway, claiming 28.5-30% of the pie with around 21.8 million shares worth billions. Buffett has been steadily donating his own Berkshire shares to the foundation annually—like clockwork philanthropy—and the trust has held on tight. Even with Greg Abel now steering Berkshire, those tracks look set to keep chugging along unchanged.
Next comes Waste Management (WM), holding steady at about 17% with 28.9 million shares. In an industry where landfills are basically moated fortresses thanks to red tape, WM quietly hauls in high margins—hitting 31.5% adjusted operating margin in 2025 and eyeing more in 2026. Who knew garbage could be this glamorous? Or at least this reliably profitable.
Rounding out the trio is Canadian National Railway at 13.3%, with 51.8 million shares. This coast-to-coast rail giant shrugged off tariff headwinds in 2025 by hauling record grain volumes. Slow-growing? Sure. But in a consolidating industry, size and steel tracks make for a surprisingly sturdy bet.
Gates stepped back from Microsoft years ago to chase bigger goals through the foundation. His latest pledge: give away virtually all his remaining wealth over the next 20 years, with the foundation closing its doors for good in 2045 after doubling down on giving—potentially $200 billion more poured into saving lives worldwide.
While tech titans chase moonshots and headlines, Gates bets big on unglamorous winners like trash collection and freight trains to fund global good. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most revolutionary act in wealth management is refusing to chase the next hot thing—and quietly letting compound interest and common-sense stocks do the heavy lifting for charity.
In a world obsessed with explosive growth, there’s something almost rebelliously funny about building an empire on garbage and trains to end up giving most of it away.
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