Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, has announced plans to dedicate the majority of his $200 billion fortune to advancing health and education across Africa.
Speaking on Monday at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Gates emphasised that unlocking human potential through improved healthcare and education could set every African nation on the path to lasting prosperity.
“Unleashing human potential by improving health and education should put every country in Africa on a path to prosperity,” Gates stated.
He also encouraged young innovators across the continent to explore how Artificial Intelligence could be applied to transform healthcare delivery.
In a separate announcement last month, the 69-year-old philanthropist revealed his intention to donate 99 per cent of his wealth by 2045—the year the Gates Foundation is expected to wind down its operations.
In a blog post, he reflected on how he wants to be remembered, writing: “People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I’m determined that ‘he died rich’ is not one of them.”
Graça Machel, former First Lady of Mozambique, praised Gates’s commitment, describing it as timely and impactful. “It comes at a moment of crisis,” she said.
The announcement follows a backdrop of shrinking foreign aid to Africa. In particular, funding cuts by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration have raised alarms about the future of healthcare on the continent.
Since its founding in 2000 by Bill Gates and his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, the Gates Foundation has distributed more than $100 billion to global development initiatives.
Despite his pledge, Gates may still remain a billionaire, according to Bloomberg, which noted that even after giving away 99 per cent of his fortune, he could still rank among the wealthiest individuals in the world.
