Bill Gates reveals how much money his children will inherit
Hint: It's a teenie weenie percentage of his wealth but it's still more than most people will make in this lifetime.
If your father had a net worth of more than $100 billion (about R1.85 trillion), you'd expect him to leave you a pretty penny as an inheritance.
Well, not if your dad is Bill Gates. The Microsoft founder and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, have three children: Jennifer (28), Rory (25) and Phoebe (22).
They were born with a silver spoon in their mouths, but they shouldn't expect a big slice of their philanthropist father's money when he kicks the bucket.
During an interview on Raj Shamani's 'Figuring Out' podcast, Bill revealed that he plans to leave his kids just 1% of his fortune.
He commented while sharing his views on the idea that parents should save everything for their children.
"My kids got a great upbringing and education but less than one percent of the total wealth because I decided it wouldn't be a favour to them. It's not a dynasty, I'm not asking them to run Microsoft.
"I want to give them a chance to have their own earnings and success. You know, be significant and not overshadowed by the incredible luck and good fortune I had," he said.
Before you start feeling sorry for his children, 1% of over $100 billion is still a lot of money.
It's at least $1 billion!
We don't see Jennifer, Rory and Phoebe feeling too upset about that windfall.
Bill said explaining your philosophy to your children also helps.
"You don't want your kids to ever be confused about your support for them and your love for them.
"And so I do think explaining early on your philosophy, that you're going to treat them all equally and that you're gonna give them incredible opportunities, but that the highest calling for these resources is to go back to the neediest through the [Bill Gates] foundation," he said.
All three children seem to be doing well for themselves already. Jennifer studied at Columbia University.
She has a master's degree in public health and is currently a pediatric resident. She graduated from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2024.
Jennifer married equestrian Nayel Nassar in October 2021. They have two children together – Mia and Leila.
Rory graduated from the University of Chicago and is currently a PhD candidate at the Institute of World Politics.
He prefers to stay out of the public eye.
Although Phoebe left college early, Bill says she still "came away from Stanford with a [Bachelor of Science in human biology] degree".
Phoebe is also a founder and reproductive health advocate. She co-founded the fashion app, Phia, with her friend Sophia Kianni. Phia is launching sometime in 2025.
“Sophia and I are first-time founders, and learning as we go. With Phia’s beta, we’re building with our customers, so we can deliver a product that ultimately makes them the smartest shoppers in the room," Phoebe told People last year.
The friends also host a podcast called 'The Burnouts'.
A billion-dollar inheritance or not, we think Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe will be okay!
Watch Bill Gates and Raj Shamani's interview below.
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Main image credit: Instagram/@phoebegates