Bill Gates’ Net Worth in 2025: How Did His Net Worth Grow Over Time?

Bill Gates is a prominent American billionaire, businessman, writer, and philanthropist, with a fortune estimated at $156 billion. While it’s easy to assume that most of his money comes from Microsoft, the tech giant he co-founded, that’s not entirely accurate. Today, he owns roughly 103 million Microsoft shares, which, at a value of $370 each, represent about $38 billion of his total wealth.

The remaining portion—over $100 billion—comes from a broad array of investments and holdings managed through his firm, Cascade Investments. We’ll get into the details of Cascade a bit later, but it’s important to point out that Bill is the majority owner of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and he also happens to be the largest private farmland owner in the United States.

When Microsoft went public in 1986, Bill held a 45% ownership stake in the company. Steve Ballmer owned 8%, and Paul Allen had a 25% share. By the year 2000, Bill’s portion had decreased to 14% as a result of selling off stock, and today he owns just under 1.4% of Microsoft—equivalent to those 103 million shares.

Interestingly, he’s no longer the biggest individual shareholder; that distinction now belongs to Steve Ballmer, who owns about 4%. With Microsoft paying a $3 dividend per share each year, Bill earns roughly $309 million annually from that alone, while Ballmer takes in close to $1 billion.

Over time, Bill has made nearly $60 billion through stock sales and dividends, mostly tied to Microsoft and other investments. That stream of income has powered Cascade Investment LLC, which he uses to back a wide variety of companies—including ownership of an impressive 270,000 acres of farmland across the country.

He also owns significant stakes in publicly traded companies such as Apple, Canadian National Railway, Republic Services, Ecolab, Waste Management, and Berkshire Hathaway. On top of that, Cascade controls the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

Between 1997 and 2008, Bill held the title of the world’s richest person without interruption. He traded places with Carlos Slim a few times in the years that followed, but eventually reclaimed the top position—until July 2017, when Jeff Bezos of Amazon overtook him. Over the last decade, Bill has consistently ranked among the five wealthiest individuals on the planet.

Microsoft had humble beginnings as a conversation between childhood friends Bill Gates and Paul Allen. They landed a meeting with MITS, the makers of the Altair 8800 computer, and managed to persuade the company to develop and sell their interpreter.

In 1975, MITS launched Altair BASIC, marking the start of their success and leading to the creation of their own company, Microsoft. By 1977, they had opened their first office overseas in Japan and relocated their headquarters to Washington state.

In 1980, they secured a major contract to build an operating system for IBM, which became known as MS-DOS. From the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s, Microsoft grew into a tech powerhouse. When the company went public in 1986, 12,000 employees became millionaires, and four of them joined the billionaire club. However, the company also came under legal scrutiny and faced multiple antitrust cases for its dominant behavior in the software market.

By the mid-1990s, Microsoft had broadened its range of products, from networking tools and web-based software like the widely recognized Internet Explorer browser. In 2000, Bill Gates stepped down as CEO, passing the leadership to long-time colleague Steve Ballmer. Today, Satya Nadella leads the company.

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Early Life

William Henry Gates III was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington. As a child, he was often the target of bullying and preferred spending time alone in his room. Whenever his mom would ask what he was doing, he’d respond with, “I’m thinking.” At the age of 13, he began attending Lakeside, a private prep school, where he wrote his very first software program.

He was in the eighth grade during his first year at Lakeside. That same year, the school’s Mother’s Club funded the purchase of a Teletype Model 33 ASR terminal along with access to a GE computer, which students could use.

Gates quickly became fascinated with programming the GE computer in BASIC and created his first program—a tic-tac-toe game where players could play against the computer.

But things didn’t stay smooth. Gates and his friends—Paul Allen, Ric Weiland, and Kent Evans—were eventually banned from using the school’s computer after they were caught exploiting system glitches to get extra computer time. That incident sparked the creation of the Lakeside Programmers Club, which the four of them formed to earn some money through their skills.

After their suspension was lifted, the group struck a deal to find and report software bugs in return for more computer access. Gates began exploring the code behind several programming languages, including Fortran, Lisp, and machine language. In 1971, a teacher at Lakeside approached Gates and Evans with a request to help build a computerized class scheduling system for the school.

They got to work on the project, but Gates added a personal touch—he altered the program so he’d end up in classes with girls he found more interesting. Their goal was to have the system fully running by the time they were seniors. Sadly, near the end of their junior year, Evans passed away in a mountain climbing accident. After the tragedy, Gates brought in Allen to help finish the project for Lakeside.

That same senior year, Gates and Allen started a business called Traf-O-Data. They built traffic data processors using the Intel 8008 chip. Gates graduated from Lakeside in 1973 and enrolled at Harvard later that year.

While at Harvard, he studied mathematics and upper-level computer science, and met Steve Ballmer. Despite his promising start, Gates left Harvard at the end of his second year.

Microsoft

The release of the MITS Altair 8800, built around the Intel 8080 processor, presented a golden opportunity for Gates and Paul Allen to launch a software business. MITS, the company behind the new microcomputer, partnered with the duo after they developed both an Altair emulator for a minicomputer and a BASIC interpreter.

The name “Microsoft” was officially registered on November 26, 1976. In the company’s early years, Gates was deeply involved—personally reviewing every piece of code and often tweaking it himself. Then, on November 20, 1985, Microsoft introduced its first retail version of Windows.

When Microsoft went public in 1986, the initial share price was $21. By the end of the first trading day, stock had climbed to $27.75, making Gates’ 45% ownership worth an impressive $350 million. Less than a year later, as stock prices surged, he officially reached billionaire status at 31.

On June 15, 2006, Gates revealed that he would gradually step away from his day-to-day role at Microsoft over the following couple of years to concentrate more on his philanthropic work.

Then, on March 13, 2020, Gates announced he was stepping down from his role as Microsoft’s Chairman.

Cascade Investments

Over time, Bill has earned more than $50 billion from selling stocks and collecting dividends. He put that money into Cascade Investment, his private investment company. Today, Cascade is believed to handle over $200 billion worth of investments, spread across many different areas. Some of its biggest and most well-known investments include:

Farmland: Cascade Investment owns more farmland than anyone else in the U.S., with 269,000 acres managed through different companies. This kind of investment has done well even when the stock market hasn’t.

Technology Stocks: Cascade owns large amounts of stock in big tech companies. Its two biggest tech investments are in Apple Inc. and Microsoft.

Equity Holdings: Cascade Investment’s five largest known stock holdings are in Canadian National Railway, Republic Services (a company that handles trash and recycling), Ecolab (which makes cleaning and disinfecting products), Femsa (a company that makes drinks), and a few others that aren’t named specifically.

Berkshire Hathaway: The biggest part of Cascade’s portfolio is in Berkshire Hathaway. This company owns a mix of businesses, like insurance, energy, and stores, and makes up over half of Cascade’s total investments.

Waste Management: Cascade’s second-biggest investment is in Waste Management, which focuses on trash removal and environmental services.

Four Seasons: In 2007, Bill and Cascade partnered with Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal to jointly control 70% of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. In September 2021, Bill and Cascade bought the Prince’s $2.21 billion share, increasing their ownership to 71.3% and putting the hotel chain’s value at $10 billion.

Personal Life

In 1987, Melinda French became part of Microsoft’s product development team. At a company dinner, she happened to sit next to Bill, and the two hit it off. It wasn’t long before Bill asked her out. Melinda moved up within the company and eventually became General Manager of Information Products, staying at Microsoft until 1996.

Bill and Melinda got married on January 1, 1994, at a golf course in Lanai, Hawaii. They have three children: Phoebe Adele, Rory John, and Jennifer Katharine.

That same year, in 1994, Gates purchased the Codex Leicester, a collection of scientific writings by Leonardo da Vinci, for an impressive $30.8 million at an auction.

In 2000, Bill and Melinda combined three family foundations to form the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is now the largest publicly operated charitable foundation in the world.

On December 9, 2010, Bill, Melinda, and investor Warren Buffett all signed the Giving Pledge, agreeing to give away at least half of their wealth to charitable causes over time.

Bill Gates’s Net Worth Over Time

In March 1986, Microsoft went public, and by the end of its first day of trading, Bill Gates owned 45% of the company he had co-founded a decade earlier, which pushed his net worth up to $350 million.

By 1987, with the increasing buzz around the software industry driving Microsoft’s stock price higher, Bill Gates became the youngest self-made billionaire in history, with his wealth rising to $1.25 billion.

The launch of Windows 3.0 in 1990 proved to be a major turning point for Microsoft, with almost two million copies sold by the end of the year. This success made Microsoft the first software company for personal computers to achieve over $1 billion in annual sales. Bill famously set the goal of having “Windows everywhere.”

In 1995, with the value of Microsoft’s stock continuing to rise, Gates’ wealth reached $14.8 billion, particularly after the release of Windows 95, which sold more than a million copies in just four days.

By 1997, Gates’ net worth had more than doubled to $39.8 billion, making him the richest person globally, with a massive $19 billion lead over Warren Buffett.

The tech stock boom in 1999 sent Bill’s wealth skyrocketing to $85 billion, a more than $25 billion increase from the year before—roughly $3 million every hour. At one point, his net worth even surpassed $100 billion.

However, in 2000, Gates experienced his first significant drop in wealth when the tech bubble burst, and antitrust issues affected Microsoft’s stock. He stepped down as CEO, passing the leadership to Steve Ballmer.

By 2008, Gates was no longer the richest person in the world for the first time in 13 years, falling to third place behind Warren Buffett and Carlos Slim Helu. He chose to leave his full-time role at Microsoft to dedicate more time to philanthropy.

His net worth continued to fluctuate, with it standing at $40 billion in 2009, $53 billion in 2010, $63.4 billion in 2011, and $76 billion in 2014. By 2020, it had grown to $110 billion, and in 2023, it reached $138 billion.

Bill Gates’ Incredible Seattle Mansion

Bill Gates and his family own several impressive properties throughout the United States, and while it’s likely he has homes in other countries as well, not much is known about those.

In Washington state, he owns a massive lakeside estate called “Xanadu 2.0.” He purchased the land in 1988 for $2 million and then spent $63 million and seven years building it into one of the most extraordinary private residences anywhere. To increase privacy, he also bought nearby properties, spending another $14 million to do so.

The mansion is designed in a modern “Pacific lodge” style, blending traditional elements with advanced technology. During the construction of Xanadu 2.0, every piece of wood and timber was carefully crafted, with special attention paid to sound quality.

More than seven kinds of stone were used throughout, and every floor in the house—including the walkways and driveway—features built-in heating. Around 300 workers helped build the estate, including 100 electricians.

Located on a hillside in Medina with a view of Lake Washington, the main residence covers an incredible 66,000 square feet. The property includes a 60-foot swimming pool with an underwater audio system, a 2,500-square-foot gym, a 1,000-square-foot dining area, six kitchens, and a large banquet hall that can hold up to 200 guests.

One of the walls is made up of 24 video screens that join together to form one huge display. There’s also a comfortable 1,000-square-foot dining room that seats 24 people around a fireplace.

The house is highly automated, with more than 52 miles of fiber optic wiring running through it. Everyone staying in the house gets a microchip badge that automatically adjusts things like lighting, room temperature, music, and even the artwork shown on digital panels as they move from room to room.

Each space also has its own touchscreen control panel for managing these features manually.

Security throughout the home is extremely advanced, with hidden cameras and sensors built into the floors. You won’t see any exposed electrical outlets, and each door handle was custom-designed, with each one costing around $2,000. Some of the interior doors weigh over 800 pounds, but they’re engineered to open and close effortlessly.

The house includes some really standout features. One of them is a domed library with two hidden bookcases—one of which secretly opens to reveal a bar. The pool house alone is 3,900 square feet and includes a pool that’s 17 by 60 feet in size.

The pool is equipped with an underwater sound system, adding a relaxed vibe for anyone swimming. There’s a 6,300-square-foot underground garage that can fit ten vehicles, plus two more garages located above ground.

As an avid reader, Gates had a quote from The Great Gatsby engraved on the ceiling of his massive library, which holds some priceless pieces, including works by Leonardo da Vinci. The property taxes on the mansion come to about $1.063 million a year, based on its $150 million assessed value.

More Bill Gates Real Estate

Rancho Santa Fe, CA: In October 2014, the Gates family spent $18 million on a huge 228-acre property in Rancho Santa Fe, California, not far from San Diego. They bought it from Jenny Craig, the well-known figure behind a major weight-loss business. Named “Rancho Paseana,” the horse ranch is a great fit for Gates’ daughter Jennifer, who is passionate about horseback riding. The estate includes a racetrack, an orchard, five barns, and even has a dedicated suite for a live-in veterinarian.

Del Mar, CA: In April 2020, Bill and Melinda paid $43 million for a beautiful oceanfront estate in Del Mar, California, just around 15 minutes from their Rancho Santa Fe ranch. They purchased the home from the widow of the late oil tycoon and investor T. Boone Pickens.

Wellington, Florida: In 2013, Gates bought a second horse ranch located in Wellington, Florida, for $8.7 million. The family had stayed at the property several times during Jennifer Gates’ equestrian events and enjoyed it so much that they decided to make it their own.

Cody, WY: Back in 2009, Gates bought a 492-acre ranch near Cody, Wyoming, for an undisclosed price. The property, which once belonged to the famous William “Buffalo Bill” Cody, was originally listed for $12 million, then dropped to $8.9 million shortly before Gates made the purchase. In roughly 150 years, the ranch has only had three owners.

Commercial Properties: Through Cascade, his investment firm, Gates owns shares in a number of well-known hotels. He holds a stake in the Charles Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and controls about half of all Four Seasons hotels worldwide. Along with other investors, he also owns a portion of the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco.

Interesting Facts

When Microsoft went public in 1986, Gates’ net worth shot past $350 million. Just a year later, in 1987, he officially became a billionaire at the young age of 31. By 1999, his wealth had reached around $100 billion—which would be approximately $153 billion today after adjusting for inflation.

Had he never given away any of his money to charity, his net worth today would be close to $175 billion. His enormous Seattle estate spans 66,000 square feet and carries an estimated value of $147 million.

Since 2003, he’s earned at least $50 billion from Microsoft dividends alone. At this point, he still holds roughly 1.3% of the company.

Gates plans to donate 99.96% of his fortune to charitable causes before he dies and reportedly intends to leave each of his three children just $10 million.

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Bill Gates’ path from a curious young boy to the co-founder of Microsoft and one of the richest people on the planet shows just how driven and sharp he really is. He didn’t just change the technology industry—he also committed himself to giving back, pledging to give away most of his fortune to help improve health and education around the world.

Through both his foundation and his investments, Gates continues to have a big influence on society. His wide-ranging interests—from owning farmland to a major stake in the Four Seasons, along with his forward-thinking moves in tech—show a legacy that reaches well beyond Microsoft and will leave a mark on future generations.