The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has fully exited its stake in Microsoft, selling its remaining shares worth about $3.2 billion and ending a decades-long financial association with the software giant co-founded by Bill Gates.
According to media reports, the foundation sold its final 7.7 million Microsoft shares during the first quarter of 2026, reducing its holding in the company to zero for the first time since the foundation’s creation in 2000.
The move concludes a gradual sell-down process over the past two years. The foundation had held 28.5 million Microsoft shares as recently as March 2025, when the stake was valued at around $10.7 billion and accounted for roughly a quarter of its investment portfolio.
Reports also suggest that the exit reflects a broader shift in the foundation’s investment and philanthropic strategy, as it increases funding commitments and diversifies its portfolio beyond concentrated holdings tied to Microsoft.
Despite the foundation’s exit, Bill Gates continues to personally hold Microsoft shares outside the trust.
