Mark Zuckerberg plans to give away 90% of his wealth, Bill Gates says

In an era where the world’s richest are being closely watched for how they use their wealth, Mark Zuckerberg seems to be taking a bold step. According to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, the Meta CEO is committed to giving away over 90 per cent of his fortune and he’s already making progress.

Gates, who has long been a champion of large-scale philanthropy, shared his thoughts during an interview with Fortune. He pointed to Zuckerberg’s philanthropic venture — the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative — as a sign of serious intent. “He’s off to a very good start,” Gates said, referring to Zuckerberg’s giving plans, adding that the two often discuss philanthropy and other big-picture issues.

This rare acknowledgement comes at a time when Gates himself is changing the future of his own foundation. He recently announced that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest private charitable organisations in the world, will wind down by 2045. He said the goal now is to fast-track impact while he’s still around to guide it. “This wasn’t part of the original plan,” Gates admitted.

“When Melinda and I started the Gates Foundation in 2000, we included a clause in the foundation’s very first charter: The organization would sunset several decades after our deaths. A few years ago, I began to rethink that approach. More recently, with the input from our board, I now believe we can achieve the foundation’s goals on a shorter timeline, especially if we double down on key investments and provide more certainty to our partners,” Bill Gates explained.

The Meta CEO and his wife, Priscilla Chan, had already made headlines back in 2015 when they pledged to donate 99 per cent of their Facebook shares during their lifetimes, according to BBC. Since then, their foundation has been working on projects in education, healthcare, and science.

Gates also highlighted how the philanthropic landscape is changing. He pointed to the growing number of tech entrepreneurs stepping forward to commit a majority of their wealth through the Giving Pledge — a campaign Gates launched in 2010 alongside Warren Buffett and Melinda French Gates. “There are dozens and dozens of tech entrepreneurs doing amazing giving,” he said.

While many billionaires take decades to ease into charity, Zuckerberg’s early entry into serious giving has stood out. For Gates, who has been a mentor figure to many in the tech space, this new wave of young donors brings optimism.

Talking about his decision to speed up the Gates Foundation’s work, Gates said 2025 will be a deeply personal year — the foundation turns 25, Microsoft completes 50 years, and he turns 70. He also paid tribute to his late father, who played a key role in setting up the foundation and would have turned 100 next year.

Between Gates’ changing strategy and Zuckerberg’s early giving, one thing is becoming clear — a growing number of tech billionaires are no longer waiting until the end of their careers to make a difference.