The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has completely emerged from its long-held position Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), selling the rest of its shares during the first quarter of 2026.
According to quarterly 13F filing With the SEC on May 15, the fund sold the last 7.7 million shares of Microsoft stock, a stake valued at about $3.2 billion.
The move reduces the foundation’s holdings of Microsoft to zero for the first time in decades, marking the end of one of the most closely watched relationships between a major charity and a technology company.
The exit follows a broader reduction strategy that has already significantly reduced the fund’s exposure to Microsoft in recent quarters.
By the end of March 2025, the organization still owned approximately 28.5 million shares worth about $10.7 billion. However, the position was reduced sharply throughout 2025, including a significant sell-off in the third quarter that reduced the stake by about 65%.
Besides the divestment of Microsoft, the Trust also modified several other underlying holdings during the reporting period.
The portfolio saw cuts in positions associated with Berkshire Hathaway and Waste Management as the organization continued to rebalance its assets amid plans to expand annual charitable spending.
The changes are consistent with the institution’s broader strategy to increase liquidity and diversify its business investment Al Qaeda while preparing to liquidate the endowment in the long term.
The organization has committed to raising annual grants to about $9 billion while accelerating spending on global health, poverty reduction, education, and other humanitarian initiatives over the next two decades.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation trusts other stock holdings
Since Microsoft is no longer part of the portfolio, the fund’s largest remaining holdings are concentrated in it Berkshire Hathaway (New York Stock Exchange: BRKB), Waste Management (NYSE: WM), Canadian National Railway, and Caterpillar (NYSE: cat).
This shift is expected to reduce concentration risk while maintaining exposure to stable, long-term investments focused on industry and infrastructure.
The transaction applies only to the trust and does not reflect Bill GatesPersonal holdings, which are said to remain at more than 100 million Microsoft shares.
The fund itself operates as a separate charitable investment vehicle managed with the support of Cascade Asset Management, with Gates serving as sole trustee.
Despite the significance of the divestment, market reaction is expected to remain relatively muted, with investors largely viewing the sale as related to the foundation’s structural and philanthropic goals rather than concerns about the company’s business outlook.
