• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Ex-Google engineer says Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Sundar Pichai share the same trait—it's the lesson he swears by as a $7.2 billion AI CEO

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Ex-Google engineer says Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Sundar Pichai share the same trait—it's the lesson he swears by as a $7.2 billion AI CEO
FinanceWarren Buffett

Warren Buffett warns Gates Foundation there is no guarantee his support of the charity will continue once he’s gone: ‘No money coming after my death’

Christiaan Hetzner
By
Christiaan Hetzner
Christiaan Hetzner
Senior Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Christiaan Hetzner
By
Christiaan Hetzner
Christiaan Hetzner
Senior Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 28, 2024, 12:00 PM ET
Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett
Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett, whose fortune is estimated at $127 billion, says the Gates Foundation may have to do without his money once he’s gone.Daniel Zuchnik—WireImage
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

After donating more than $39 billion over the span of 15 years, Warren Buffett warned his support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation may end with him.

Recommended Video

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the 93-year-old philanthropist said his will did not foresee further explicit pledges of charity to the organization once he was gone. Up until now there was no concrete indication one way or the other what might happen with his fortune in the event of his passing.

“The Gates Foundation has no money coming after my death,” said Buffett, whose longtime business partner at Berkshire Hathaway, Charlie Munger, passed away at the age of 99 late last year.

Buffett explained that all of his remaining wealth—currently worth around $127 billion—that he has not given away by then will be bequeathed to a charitable trust overseen by his three children: Howard, Susie, and Peter. 

While this does not, in and of itself, preclude the eventuality of future donations to the Gates Foundation, Buffett said they will have to decide unanimously how his billions will be spent once he’s gone. 

“I feel very, very good about the values of my three children,” he told the Journal, “and I have 100% trust in how they will carry things out.”

Buffett, whose will becomes public upon his death, first sketched out a plan for what would become of his wealth in November, naming the three as executors and trustees. 

“They were not fully prepared for this awesome responsibility in 2006, but they are now,” he said at the time. 

Speaking to the paper, his daughter and two sons said they had not yet made concrete plans for how the money would be spent, not only because it depended on tax laws and developments in society but also because it was premature.

“I can imagine it will be probably some continuation of what we’ve been doing,” Susie Buffett said. 

The Gates Foundation did not respond to a request from Fortune for a statement. 

Second recent blow to the Gates Foundation

Run by CEO Mark Suzman, the charity has disbursed grants totaling almost $78 billion since it was founded. Among its causes—combating poverty around the world and eradicating malaria, a disease that claims over 600,000 lives every year.

One of the foundation’s most generous supporters, Buffett has made donations since 2006, when he joined as trustee. Buffett stepped down in 2021, the same year in which Melinda French Gates announced her intention to divorce the Microsoft cofounder.

On Friday, Berkshire Hathaway said in a statement the Omaha native would donate a further 9.9 million shares of its class B stock worth a total of $4 billion to the foundation effective immediately.

The news is the second recent blow to Suzman and the foundation, after Melinda French Gates resigned in May in order to devote herself to the fight against the rollback of women’s rights in the U.S. and around the world. 

“Warren Buffett has been exceedingly generous to the Gates Foundation through more than 18 years of contributions and advice,” Suzman told the Journal. “He has played an invaluable role in championing and shaping the foundation’s work to create a world where every person can live a healthy, productive life.”

About the Author
Christiaan Hetzner
By Christiaan HetznerSenior Reporter
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Christiaan Hetzner is a former writer for Fortune, where he covered Europe’s changing business landscape.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

a
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
Atomic Industries CEO: America spent 60 years retreating from manufacturing. The next 100 are about building it back
By Aaron SlodovJune 29, 2026
49 minutes ago
Today’s top high-yield savings rates: Up to 5.00% on June 29, 2026
Personal FinanceSavings accounts
Today’s top high-yield savings rates: Up to 5.00% on June 29, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJune 29, 2026
1 hour ago
Top CD rates today, June 29, 2026: Lock in up to up to 4.40%
Personal FinanceBanks
Top CD rates today, June 29, 2026: Lock in up to up to 4.40%
By Glen Luke FlanaganJune 29, 2026
1 hour ago
Photo: Kevin Warsh
EconomyMarkets
President Trump will not get what he wants from Kevin Warsh, a source tells us, as inflation will force the Fed upwards
By Jim EdwardsJune 29, 2026
1 hour ago
lol
Real EstateHousing
Harvard’s housing report has a darker message than affordability—the middle-class home was always a historical accident
By Nick LichtenbergJune 29, 2026
4 hours ago
Mortgage rates today, June 29, 2026
Personal Financemortgages
Mortgage rates today, June 29, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJune 29, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
2 days ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
4 days ago
Ex-Google engineer says Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Sundar Pichai share the same trait—it's the lesson he swears by as a $7.2 billion AI CEO
Success
Ex-Google engineer says Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Sundar Pichai share the same trait—it's the lesson he swears by as a $7.2 billion AI CEO
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 28, 2026
1 day ago
Cristiano Ronaldo is soccer's first-ever billionaire: He went from begging for burgers outside McDonald's to landing a $400 million contract
Success
Cristiano Ronaldo is soccer's first-ever billionaire: He went from begging for burgers outside McDonald's to landing a $400 million contract
By Preston ForeJune 28, 2026
24 hours ago
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
Environment
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
By Catherina GioinoJune 28, 2026
1 day ago
Iran is forcing the U.S. into an escalation trap as a 'shadow war' over the Strait of Hormuz heats up that could kill the tenuous ceasefire
Politics
Iran is forcing the U.S. into an escalation trap as a 'shadow war' over the Strait of Hormuz heats up that could kill the tenuous ceasefire
By Jason MaJune 28, 2026
17 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.