Bill Gates Begins Shutting Down Gates Foundation, Approves Final $9 Billion Budget

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has officially started the process of winding down the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world’s largest private charities. As part of this exit plan, the foundation has approved a massive $9 billion budget for 2026, which will be used to fund its final major projects in global health and poverty reduction.

To manage the wind-down, the organization has announced plans for significant job cuts, as it begins to scale back its operations. Bill Gates explained that the goal is to spend all the foundation's resources within the next two decades rather than letting it exist forever. He believes that the world’s biggest problems—like polio, malaria, and extreme poverty—need more money and focus right now to be solved.

For years, the Gates Foundation has been a major player in Africa, especially in Nigeria, where it has spent billions on polio eradication, agriculture, and healthcare. While the foundation will still spend heavily in the short term, the news of its eventual closure and job cuts has raised questions about who will step in to fill the gap in funding for critical health programs in the future.
What are your thoughts on Bill Gates shutting down his foundation? Do you think other billionaires should follow his lead? Share your comments below!

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