Africa
Bill Gates to Give $200 Billion Fortune to Africa
Bill Gates, the billionaire who built Microsoft, has promised to give his $200 billion fortune over the next 20 years to make healthcare and education better in Africa. At the headquarters of the African…
Bill Gates, the billionaire who built Microsoft, has promised to give his $200 billion fortune over the next 20 years to make healthcare and education better in Africa.
At the headquarters of the African Union, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Gates, who is 69 years old, explained to delegates that his vision was humble but grand: "By unleashing human potential through health and education, every country in Africa should be on a path to prosperity."
Microsoft to End Operations by 2045
Recently, Gates signaled that by 2045, when his foundation would retire from business, he aims to donate 99% of his fortune. Due to President Trump's "America First" strategy, the US government has cut back on assistance to Africa.
"I vowed not so long ago that I would donate my money within the next 20 years."
Gates told the assembly, "All but a small fraction of that money will be spent helping you with your issues here in Africa." Graça Machel, a former First Lady of Mozambique, called the statement significant in this "moment of crisis" and stated that she believed Gates was serious about change.
Focus on Mothers’ and Children’s Health
The Gates Foundation will prioritize primary care, particularly for mothers and children under the age of five. Families are best off when they consume nutritious food before and after giving birth, Gates said.
He also said, "The first four years are very important for making sure the child gets good nutrition." The foundation's three core missions are to keep children and their mothers alive, keep a new generation free from horrifying diseases, and raise millions of individuals out of poverty.
AI Technology and African Healthcare
Gates instructed young African companies to come up with new concepts of how AI can be utilized in medicine. He added that AI would revolutionize health in a manner similar to how mobile phones revolutionized finance on the continent.
He said, "Africa kind of jumped over traditional banking. Now you have an opportunity to consider how AI fits into that as you develop your next-generation health systems." Rwanda is already a good model of how to use AI-based ultrasound technology to find high-risk pregnancies and make mothers healthier.
Personal Mission to Give Away Wealth
Gates has made it clear what he intends to do with his fortune. He wrote in a recent blog item, "A lot of people will say a lot about me when I die, but I'm sure that 'he died rich' won't be one of them." Although he gave away 99% of his fortune, he can still be a billionaire. He is currently the world's fifth-richest individual.
Gates says that Warren Buffett and other rich donors have had an impact on the way he gives. Some individuals, however, say his foundation evades taxes and wields too much influence over global health policy.
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