Investment by Bill Gates

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Bill Gates' fortune

Main article: Bill Gates' condition

2022

Purchase of a 4% stake in beer manufacturer Heineken for €848 million

Microsoft founder Bill Gates acquired 3.76% of the securities of Heineken Holding NV, the controlling shareholder of the second largest brewing company in the world. The deal, which was announced on February 17, 2023 on the website of the Netherlands Financial Markets Authority ( AFM), exceeded €800 million. Read more here.

Investing $200 million in Reinvented Toilet

On August 25, 2022, Samsung Electronics announced the completion of a project to create an innovative toilet, created with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The development was called Reinvented Toilet. With its help, solid waste is burned and liquid waste is recycled. Read more here.

Bill Gates Foundation invested in Terabase Energy

On August 5, 2022, it became known that Terabase Energy, which offers software, solutions for automating and deploying solar farms, raised $44 million in a round of funding led by Breakthrough Energy VenturesBill Gates to commercialize its technology for automated construction of solar power plants. Read more here.

Investing in Source Global, developer of technology that turns air into drinking water

March 28, 2022 it became known that the venture fund Breakthrough Energy, founded by Bill Gates, invested in the startup Source Global, which creates hydropanels that make drinking water from the air. Read more here.

Investing up to $15 billion in environmental technology projects

In early January 2022, the Breakthrough Energy Catalyst (BEC) private-state fund, supported by Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, announced an investment of up to $15 billion in environmental technology projects in the United States, Britain and the European Union. The priority facilities for financing will include companies that develop and produce environmentally friendly fuels. Read more here.

2021

Investing in low-cost electric car battery developer OurNext Energy

On October 18, 2021, BMW and Bill Gates funds invested in OurNext Energy, which develops advanced batteries for electric vehicles. Startups completed a Series A funding round, raising $25 million. Read more here.

Smart battery developer with Bill Gates investment ESS goes public

In October 2021, ESS listed shares on the New York Stock Exchange after introducing a new development - smart batteries, which include iron, salt and water - easily accessible and safe materials. Read more here.

Bill Gates wins control of Four Seesons hotel chain

On September 8, 2021, it announced the sale of a 23.8% stake in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts to Bill GatesCascade Investment for $2.21 billion. The latter as a result of this transaction increased its stake in the hotel chain to 71.3%. The entire business of the hotel operator is estimated at $10 billion. Read more here.

Buying a stake in coronavirus test manufacturer Mologic for $41 million

On July 20, 2021, it became known that billionaires Bill Gates and George Soros took part in the deal to acquire Mologic for $41 million. Some of the richest people on Earth are trying to expand access to affordable modern medical technology around the world. Read more here.

Purchase of about 110 thousand hectares of agricultural ozzemeles in the United States through 22 shell firms

Over the past 10 ten years, Bill Gates has acquired approximately 110 thousand hectares of farmland in 18 American states. The co-founder of Microsoft is the largest private landowner in the United States, as evidenced by an investigation by NBC News and The Land Report, the results of which were published in early June 2021.

Bill and Melinda Gates' land holdings range from 30,000 hectares in northern Louisiana, where their farmland grows corn, cotton and rice, to 8,000 hectares in Nebraska, where soybeans are grown. They bought and then sold another 2,500 hectares in Georgia, NBC News found. In Washington, the Gates own more than 5,600 hectares of farmland, including potato fields so vast that they can be seen from space, and some are designed to grow potatoes that are used at McDonald's. These Gates land holdings are unrelated to previous investments in companies supporting large-scale agriculture, such as Monsanto and John Deere, which specializes in tractor manufacturing.

Bill Gates regularly invests in the fight against climate change and supports green food production, such as companies that create fake meat. However, the co-founder of Microsoft claims that the purchase of land is not related to its environmental activities:

My investment group decided to do it. This is not related to the climate, "he said.

Open evidence suggests Gates' investment firm Cascade Investments has acquired farmland through a network of at least 22 shell companies across the country. These shell companies make it difficult to figure out where and how much farmland the Gates actually own. This was noticed by farmer and landowner John S. Quarterman from Georgia. It was here that the Gates first bought the land in 2013 through two shell companies registered at an address in Kirkland by Derek Yurosek, then the head of agricultural operations at Cascade Investments.

Every state where the Gates own land has a convoluted network of local shell companies that don't explicitly call Cascade Investments an owner but use data from Cascade Investments, its subsidiary and employees of businesses for land operations.^[1]

Investing in Turntide Technologies Cloud-Controlled Engine Developers

In mid-March 2021 American , the developer of cloud-controlled engines Turntide Technologies raised $80 million in a funding round led by a fund Breakthrough Energy Ventures created by the co-founder. Microsoft Bill Gates Other investors Amazon include Climate Pledge Fund (established by its founder), Amazon Jeff Bezos Footprint Coalition Ventures by actor Robert Downey Jr., Keyframe Capital, Fifth Wall and Captain Planet LP. Turntide's total funding, including the latest round, was $180 million. More. here

Plans to invest $2bn in start-ups that fight climate change

In mid-February 2021, Bill Gates announced plans to invest $2 billion over the next five years in startups that fight climate change.

According to the founder of Microsoft, climate catastrophe can be avoided with innovative technologies. Gates calls for a 5-fold increase in global public investment in research and development of renewable energy sources (at least up to $110 billion per year).

Gates devoted an entire book to his plans to combat climate change, titled How To Avoid A Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have And The Breakthroughs We Need, scheduled for release on Feb. 16, 2021.

The billionaire focuses on just two numbers - 51 billion and zero. The first number denotes the number of tons of greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere every year as a result of human activity, and the second number is a symbol of the amount that humanity must reach by 2050 in order to prevent the climate crisis. Bill Gates' new book sets out a blueprint for how to achieve that goal.

Gates has been investing in climate change projects for the past few years. In 2015, he led an initiative to fund clean energy technologies, and in 2019, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave hundreds of millions of dollars to help farmers in developing countries adapt to the impacts of climate change.

The founder of Microsoft claims that if the environment deteriorates, death and economic problems will plague humanity longer than the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. According to Gates, over the next 40 years, mortality from rising temperature indicators on the planet will compare with mortality from COVID-19 - about 14 deaths per 100 thousand people.^[2][3]

One of the largest farmland owners in the United States: more than 1000 square meters. km in 19 states

In January 2021, it became known that Bill Gates is one of the largest private owners of agricultural land in the United States: he owns land with an area of ​ ​ almost 1000 square meters. km

Gates has been buying up farmland for several years, at which time he owns plots in 19 states. The largest are located in Louisiana (280 sq km), Arkansas (194 sq km) and Nebraska (83 sq km). The lands are owned by an investment fund - Cascade Investments, which invests in the Gates family.

The billionaire has long been interested in agriculture - in terms of science and ecology, but exactly how Gates' territory is used is unknown.

2020

Investment in hydrogen engine developer ZeroAvia

In mid-December 2020, it became known about the investment of $37.7 million in ZeroAvia. A group of investors has invested in the startup, which includes Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, founded by billionaires Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, respectively. Read more here.

Investment in ultrasound scanner developer Caption Health

At the end of November 2020, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded Caption Health a grant of $4.5 million to develop an AI system that will allow medical professionals with no experience in ultrasound diagnostics to perform ultrasound of the lungs. This decision should help HCWs diagnose pneumonia in a timely and accurate manner, the leading cause of death for children under 5 years of age, in low-resource settings and a shortage of highly qualified doctors. Read more here.

Investing in Kymeta

At the end of August 2020, it became known about investing $85.2 million in Kymeta. Most of all in this round was invested by the founder of Microsoft Bill Gates - $78.5 million The startup's market value was not disclosed. Read more here.

Investing in artificial breast milk maker Biomilq

In mid-June 2020, it became known that Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos invested in the manufacturer of artificial breast milk Biomilq. Read more here.

Investing in Lilac Solutions

In mid-February 2020, it became known that the Breakthrough Energy Ventures fund, led by Bill Gates, became the main investor in the mining technology company Lilac Solutions, which seeks to optimize lithium production and ensure environmental protection. As part of Series A financing, the company received $20 million. Read more here.

2019

US authorities' restrictions scupper Gates' plans to build nuclear reactor in China

At the end of November 2019, Bill Gates said that the disruption of his project to build an experimental nuclear reactor in China slowed down the development of this technology for five years. An attempt to build a prototype in China failed due to restrictions on cooperation and foreign investment in the nuclear sphere, which were introduced by the United States in October 2018. Read more here.

Investment in chip developer Luminous

In early June 2019, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi invested in chip developer Luminous Computing. Read more here.

10 technologies capable of making a breakthrough on Gates' assessment

In late February 2019, Bill Gates named 10 cutting-edge technologies to come to the fore in 2019.

1. Dexterous robots

For all the talk of full robotization of production, most robots are still clumsy and don't know how to handle atypical tasks. This defect will be able to fix neural networks and machine learning. While the robot cannot yet be programmed to understand the environment as humans do, it can learn to control an object on its own through virtual trial and error.

2. A new wave of nuclear power New nuclear technologies promise to make this energy source safer and cheaper. Among them are generation IV fission reactors, small modular reactors and synthesis reactors. Developers of generation IV fission reactors hope to launch the technology by the 2020s.

3. Prediction of preterm birth

A simple blood test can reveal the risk of preterm birth in a pregnant woman. By sequencing free-floating RNA in the mother's blood, the researchers were able to detect fluctuations in the expression of seven genes that are activated before preterm birth. After receiving such a warning, doctors will be able to take measures to prevent early birth and give the child a better chance of survival.

4. Intestinal tube in tablet

The capsules attached to the flexible cable contain miniature cameras that transmit images to the doctor's console via a cable. Such devices allow you to obtain detailed images of the intestines without anesthesia, even in babies and children, making it easier to find and study complex diseases.

5. Individual cancer vaccines

Scientists are on the cusp of commercializing the first personalized cancer vaccine. Using the body's natural defenses to selectively kill only tumor cells, the vaccine, unlike conventional chemotherapy, limits damage to healthy cells. In addition, the aftereffection effect prevents tumor recurrence.

6. Non-animal meat

Making lab-grown meat involves extracting muscle tissue from animals and growing it in bioreactors. The final product is very similar to real meat, although researchers are still working on the flavour. Plant-based alternatives to protein food are also gradually approaching actual beef and pork in terms of taste and nutritional properties. Unfortunately, so far, emissions from laboratory-grown meat are only 7% less than from beef production, so the environmental benefit of such changes is small.

7. Carbon dioxide capture device

Practical and affordable ways to capture carbon dioxide from the air will help get rid of greenhouse gases. Even when limiting carbon dioxide emissions, the greenhouse effect can persist for thousands of years. To prevent dangerous temperature rises, the world will need to remove a trillion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, according to the UN climate group. However, modern technologies allow you to capture this gas from the air and even turn it into synthetic fuel.

8. Wrist ECG machine

ECG-enabled smartwatches, made possible by the development of hardware and software, combine wearability and accuracy comparable to that of medical devices.

9. Sanitary well-being without sewage

Economical toilets that can work without a sewage system and process waste on the ground are a guarantee of the sanitary well-being of third world countries, researchers say. Several prototypes with different mechanisms of operation were presented to the competition for autonomous biotouels: some carry out filtration using an anaerobic membrane, others heat the waste, forming a carbon-rich material that, among other things, can fertilize the soil.

10. Speaking AI assistants

Recent technological advances will allow digital assistants to better understand natural language and even move from following simple instructions to talking. In the future, AI assistants will be able to cope with daily little things, such as notes, searching for information or shopping online.^[4]

2018

Investment in lithium-ion battery alternative developer Mata

In December 2018, it became known that the innovative project, Malta which was previously part of the X Corporation's secret laboratory, Google was allocated to an independent company. The startup was supported by billionaire investors, including the founder Microsoft Bill Gates and head. Amazon Jeff Bezos Malta will direct the funds to further develop its energy storage system, which can become an alternative in the future. lithium-ion energy storage facilities More. here

Investment in nuclear fusion

On October 30, 2018, it became known that Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson rushed into the sphere of nuclear fusion, which the late Stephen Hawking called the most promising technology of mankind. The richest people on the planet are willing to invest in startups developing a commercial fusion reactor based on fusion rather than atom splitting. Read more here.

The launch of a fund for the development of clean energy for 100 million euros

On October 17, 2018, Bill Gates launched the Breakthrough Energy Europe fund, funds from which will be used to develop "fundamentally new" technologies in the field of environmentally friendly power. Read more here.

Investment in EarthNow

In April 2018, Bill Gates invested in real-time EarthNow, a real-time video surveillance system developer. Read more here.

2017: Plans to build a smart city

Bill Gates plans to build a "smart" city, KPNX reported on November 10, 2017.^[5]

According to him, through one of his controlled investment firms, Gates paid about $80 million for an almost undeveloped plot of land with an area of ​ ​ about 100 square meters. km in the central part of Arizona. On this territory, a 45-minute drive west of the state capital of Phoenix, it is planned to build a city of the future called Belmont.

We will create an advanced community in Belmont in which communications and infrastructure will be based on advanced developments using high-speed digital networks, data centers, advanced manufacturing technologies and distribution models, self-driving cars and autonomous logistics hubs, Belmont Partners, which specializes in real estate investments and participates in the transaction, said in a press release.[6]

About 15 square meters. km of the area of ​ ​ the "smart" city is planned to be allocated for development by offices, shopping centers and other commercial real estate. Also on the territory of Belmont it is planned to place public schools and about 80 thousand residential buildings.

In addition, the planned I-11 route must pass through the city, which will connect Belmont with neighboring Phoenix and Las Vegas. With this in mind, the place for the "smart" city was chosen very well, said Ronald Schott, representative of the Arizona Technology Council, in an interview with KPNX.

Bill Gates is known for his innovative projects, and I think he chose the right place.... Finally, innovation will come to Arizona, "the specialist said.

It has not yet been announced when the construction of the city of the future will begin and whether Microsoft will open its representative office in it.

2016: Alternative power - Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions

In December 2016, it became known that Microsoft founder Bill Gates, British billionaire Richard Branson and 18 other richest businessmen in the world will invest $1 billion in the Breakthrough Energy Ventures venture fund. The investment will be made within 20 years, Wired reported.

The venture capital fund intends to invest in high-risk projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, primarily in alternative power. "Our goal is to create companies that will help provide future generations with reliable, affordable and non-emissions-driven energy," Gates stated.

The fund was created as part of the Breakthrough Energy Coalition project, which the founder of Microsoft established in 2015. Breakthrough Energy Ventures intends to invest in technologies with the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of at least 500 megatons, according to the official website of the project.

2013

Ritz Carlton hotel purchase for $161m

In 2013, the media reported that Gates and several other unnamed buyers paid $161 million for the Ritz Carlton Hotel in San Francisco. In 2014, it was estimated at $200 million.

6% in Spanish construction company

In October 2013, it became known that Bill Gates acquired a 6% stake in the Spanish construction company Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas (FCC) for 113 million euros.

54% of the FCC is owned by Esther Koplovitz - one of the richest women in. Spain Gates will become the second most important shareholder. Other shareholders of the company include banks Credit Suisse and The Royal Bank of Scotland (more than 3% each). Recently, the company has been going through difficult times, trying to refinance debts totaling 5 billion euros and find a strategic partner^[7] in the^[7]

On the day of the deal, FCC quotes jumped 5.42% in trading in Spain. Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas is on the list of 35 companies whose shares form Spain's main stock index IBEX. Market participants believe that the company now has a much better chance of successfully completing the refinancing process.

According to Spanish experts, Gates became one of those large foreign investors who believed in the future of the Spanish economy and appreciated the reforms carried out by the government.

2012

Garbage removal

In 2012, Gates acquired shares in Republic Services, which operates 334 waste disposal companies, 191 active landfills and 74 waste recycling plants. As of September 2012, Gates' share in the company was 16%, which is equivalent to about $2.2 billion.

Microsoft shares make up only 20% of Bill Gates' wealth. Its other assets include a garbage recycling company, a chain of car dealerships, an engineering company to build car engines and many more

Car dealer network

By 2012, Gates also owns a $680 million stake in the AutoNation dealership network. AutoNation owns and operates 258 auto franchises, mainly in the southeastern United States. In 2012, shares of this company rose in price by 13%. Gates' other asset is a stake in Ecolab, one of his best-known investments outside IT worth about $1.8 billion.

EcoMotors

In July 2012, it became known that Bill Gates is increasing investment in the engineering company EcoMotors International. Personally, Gates, venture capital firm Braemar Ventures and Khosla Ventures, which is managed by billionaire and investor Vinod Khosla, will invest $32.5 million in EcoMotors, bringing the total funding to $66 million. What is Gates' contribution to this amount is not specified.

EcoMotors was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Allen Park, Michigan. The company is developing car engines that absorb half as much fuel and emit 50% less greenhouse gases than traditional engines. Gates and Khosla Ventures first invested in EcoMotors in 2010.

According to EcoMotors, investor money will go to continue development for two large customers, Navistar and Zhongding Holding Group. The company will also produce a gasoline version of one of its successful models.

2005-2011

In 2005, Gates invested in ethanol producer Pacific Ethanol, however, sold his stake in 2008. In addition, in 2010, he invested in the nuclear energy manufacturer TerraPower. Ecolab also received a significant amount of funds from Gates.

Due to regular sales of shares in the company, which Gates founded many years ago, Microsoft securities account for only a fifth of its assets in 2012 (in 2011 there were more of them - 25%).

So, as it became known on February 11, 2011, in just 10 days of this month, Bill Gates sold 10 million shares of Microsoft. In total, over the past year, the founder parted with 90 million securities of the company, reducing his share by 13%. And in the past two years, Gates "share has shrunk by 22% after more than a dozen deals. Gates has only about 7% of the stock remaining. According to analysts, some investors may regard such an active sale of Microsoft shares as a bad sign by their founder.

The average annual income of investors over the past five years is only about 2.74%. At the same time, investments in Apple would bring the investor 38.8% per year, Google - 11.12%, Oracle - 30%, and IBM - 17.37%.

A significant part of Gates' fortune is also made up of shares in Cascade Investment, which is headquartered in Kirkland, Washington, near Microsoft's Belliview headquarters.

Bill Gates has an investment company registered, through which the entrepreneur owns almost half of the Four Season Holding hotel chain (purchased in 2007), including hotels in Atlanta and Houston. The billionaire also owns a stake in the Charles Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Not much is known about Cascade Investment's business, however, a number of leaked information about its transactions eloquently characterize how Bill Gates understands asset diversification. Cascade is heavily involved in Gates' biggest investment deals. Its permanent head since 1994, named Michael Larson, has also been a director of a number of businesses in which Gates invested. In particular, Republic Services, Autonization, Group Televisa and Ecolab. He is also chairman of the board of trustees of the Western Asset/Claymore Inflation-Linked Securities & Income Fund, Gates' other long-term investment.

2004: Amyris Funding

In 2004, Bill Gates invested in Amyris, a company that focuses on healthy flavors, skincare and sweeteners.

Notes