Confirmation: Bill Gates to donate his entire fortune

Bill Gates, former CEO of Microsoft and co-chair of the Gates Foundation, has confirmed that he will donate €185.22 billion through his foundation over the next two decades.

Bill Gates announced this initiative on the anniversary of his organisation, with the deadline he set for the donation being 31 December 2045, at which time he will close the Gates Foundation.

"There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to withhold resources that could be used to help people. People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I'm determined that 'died rich' will not be one of them," he wrote in a message posted on his website.

According to Mr Gates, the donations will be used to build quality health care and education facilities in the poorest regions, with the aim of preventing newborns, children, and mothers from dying of preventable causes and eradicating diseases such as polio, malaria, and measles.

(MH with MaSi - Source: GatesNotes - Photo: © DPA - Photoshot)