Bill Gates Explains Why His Children Will Inherit No More Than One Percent of His Fortune

Bill Gates has revealed that his three children with his former wife, Melinda French Gates, will not inherit much of his fortune, explaining that giving them a large amount of money would not be helpful to their personal growth and success.

The co-founder of Microsoft, whose estimated net worth in the year 2025 is around $108 billion, has three children: Jennifer, aged 28, Rory, aged 25, and Phoebe, aged 22.

Speaking on the Figuring Out with Raj Shamani podcast, Bill Gates explained that each child will receive less than one percent of his total wealth.

Although one percent still amounts to over $1 billion, he believes leaving them more would not be a good idea.

He shared that even though his children had incredible opportunities growing up, he wants them to create their own paths and not live in the shadow of his achievements.

Bill Gates also stressed the importance of being open and transparent about his estate planning.

He said it is essential for his children to understand that the main purpose of his wealth is to help the world’s most vulnerable people through the work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Melinda French Gates, who divorced Bill Gates in the year 2021 after 27 years of marriage, has also spoken about their parenting approach.

She said that they gave their children the freedom to choose whether or not to keep the “Gates” family name.

She also mentioned that they have had honest and open conversations with their children about their unique family background, always reminding them never to feel superior because of it.