Bill Gates is widely recognized as a technology visionary and one of the smartest businessmen of our time. While his legacy as the co-founder of Microsoft, one of the largest software developers in the world, is well established, Gates has also quietly built a reputation as a highly disciplined and successful long-term investor. His vast financial resources, along with his philanthropic capital, are professionally managed through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, Cascade Investment LLC, and a carefully curated personal portfolio.
As of Q2 2025, Gates’ total investment assets stand at an impressive $47.8 billion, allocated across just 25 stocks. This highly concentrated yet diversified portfolio reflects his belief in investing in a handful of incredible companies with proven business models, strong leadership, and sustainable competitive advantages. His current portfolio is structured to balance reliable dividend stocks with exposure to sectors offering significant long-term growth potential, including technology, healthcare innovation, and sustainable infrastructure.
Working alongside a skilled team of investment managers, Gates takes a meticulous approach to equity investments, prioritizing companies with a history of strong revenue growth, high operating margins, and consistent cash flow generation. His investment philosophy emphasizes purchasing shares at fair prices, guided by rigorous financial analysis and a commitment to long-term value creation.
Gates’ strategy also reflects his personal values, with a focus on companies that not only deliver financial returns but contribute to solving critical global challenges. This is evident in his significant investments in environmental services, healthcare solutions, and technologies that improve access to clean water and sanitation.
Through the assets managed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, Gates’ approach serves as a blueprint for modern investing, combining disciplined financial management, a long-term horizon, and a strong commitment to positive social impact.
Key Portfolio Metrics (As of Q2 2025)
✅ Total Portfolio Value: $47.78 Billion (up from $41.81B in Q1)
✅ Number of Holdings: 25 Stocks
✅ Average Holding Period: 27 Quarters (6.75 Years)
✅ Top 10 Holdings: 96.21% of Portfolio
✅ Largest Sector Allocation: Prepackaged Software (27.27%)
✅ Performance: +10.15% (1Y), +64.03% (3Y), +115.57% (5Y)
About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust plays a critical role in funding the Foundation’s global initiatives focused on health, education, and poverty alleviation. The Trust’s investment philosophy emphasizes financial sustainability through long-term equity investments in a handful of companies known for their resilience and profitability.
- Endowment Size: $47.8 Billion (as of Q2 2025)
- 2024 Charitable Support: $8.0 Billion
- Investment Goals: Generate steady returns to fund philanthropic efforts while maintaining capital preservation
- Governance: Independent from the Foundation’s grant-making, managed by Cascade Investment LLC
The Trust applies advanced investment models and works closely with a highly skilled team of portfolio managers to achieve its financial objectives. The approach prioritizes industries like software, insurance, healthcare innovation, and sustainable infrastructure.
Why Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway Dominate the Portfolio
Microsoft (MSFT) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) together account for more than half of the portfolio, with weightings of 27.3 percent and 23.5 percent respectively. This concentration reflects not only long-term outperformance but also the historic ties and trusted relationships behind these investments.
Microsoft, co-founded by Bill Gates in 1975, is the company most closely tied to his legacy. Beyond its historic significance, it has evolved into one of the world’s most valuable technology leaders. Its dominance in productivity software, rapid growth in cloud computing through Azure, and emerging leadership in artificial intelligence have positioned Microsoft as a consistent generator of free cash flow and shareholder value. These strengths, along with Gates’ deep personal connection to the company, make Microsoft the portfolio’s largest single holding.
Berkshire Hathaway, guided by Gates’ long-time friend and investing mentor Warren Buffett, forms the other anchor of the portfolio. Gates joined Berkshire’s board in 2004 and stepped down in 2020, yet he has always maintained Berkshire as a core holding. The trust he places in Buffett’s disciplined capital allocation, coupled with Berkshire’s diversified mix of insurance, utilities, railroads, and equity stakes, provides resilience and stability across market cycles. Buffett’s mentorship and enduring friendship have reinforced Gates’ conviction in Berkshire as a long-term cornerstone investment.
Top 10 Holdings in Bill Gates’ Portfolio (Q2 2025)
- Microsoft (MSFT)
- Market Value: $13.03B
- Shares Held: 26.19M
- Portfolio Weight: 27.27%
- Last Transaction: Q2 2025 (Cut 7.96% of shares)
- As a leader in cloud computing and artificial intelligence, Microsoft remains Gates’ top stock pick. Despite a decrease in shares this quarter, this position continues to deliver high average returns.
- Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B)
- Market Value: $11.72B
- Shares Held: 24.12M
- Portfolio Weight: 24.53%
- Last Transaction: Q2 2025 (Added +40.48% of shares)
- This strategic investment move remains a core holding, giving Gates exposure to Warren Buffett’s incredible companies through Berkshire Hathaway Inc..
- Waste Management (WM)
- Market Value: $7.38B
- Shares Held: 32.23M
- Portfolio Weight: 15.44%
- Gates’ environmental focus is evident in his large position in Waste Management Inc., North America’s largest waste collection and recycling firm, benefiting from growth from price increases and sustainable infrastructure demand.
- Canadian National Railway (CNI)
- Market Value: $5.70B
- Shares Held: 54.83M
- Portfolio Weight: 11.94%
- A classic infrastructure play, this investment supports Gates’ long-term exposure to the logistics sector, a strategy also seen in investments in FedEx and other global logistics leaders.
- Caterpillar (CAT)
- Market Value: $2.85B
- Shares Held: 7.35M
- Portfolio Weight: 5.97%
- CAT Caterpillar Inc. remains a top 5 holding, benefiting from global infrastructure development and increasing demand for construction machinery.
- Deere & Co. (DE)
- Market Value: $1.81B
- Shares Held: 3.56M
- Portfolio Weight: 3.79%
- A leading agricultural technology provider, Deere supports Gates’ focus on food security and technological innovation in farming.
- Ecolab (ECL)
- Market Value: $1.41B
- Shares Held: 5.22M
- Portfolio Weight: 2.94%
- ECL Ecolab Inc. plays a crucial role in hygiene and water treatment solutions, directly aligning with Gates’ efforts to improve offline healthcare services and global sanitation.
- Walmart (WMT)
- Market Value: $888.87M
- Shares Held: 9.09M
- Portfolio Weight: 1.86%
- One of Gates’ key dividend stocks, Walmart provides consistent cash flow and exposure to essential consumer goods.
- Coca-Cola FEMSA (KOF)
- Market Value: $601.15M
- Shares Held: 6.21M
- Portfolio Weight: 1.26%
- One of the longest-held positions in Gates’ portfolio, providing reliable returns from emerging markets and stable dividend payments.
- FedEx (FDX)
- Market Value: $576.09M
- Shares Held: 2.53M
- Portfolio Weight: 1.21%
- FedEx remains a strategic bet on global trade and the booming e-commerce economy.
Recent Portfolio Changes (Q2 2025)
In the second quarter of 2025, Gates made only a few moves in his portfolio. The most notable was a 40.48 percent increase in Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B), worth about $3.53 billion. This shows stronger conviction in Berkshire as a stable long-term compounder.
At the same time, Gates trimmed Microsoft (MSFT) by 7.96 percent, selling around $984 million. Microsoft is still his largest single holding, and the change looks more like rebalancing after years of strong gains rather than a shift in strategy.
Importantly, the top 10 positions in the portfolio have not changed. While Berkshire’s weight increased and Microsoft’s decreased, the overall structure stayed the same. This consistency highlights Gates’ long-term focus: holding core positions steady while making careful adjustments at the margin.
🛡️ Is Gates’ Portfolio Defensive in 2025?
Gates continues to demonstrate the mindset of an investor at heart. His portfolio is carefully structured with a balanced mix of dividend stocks, defensive blue chips, and a select handful of high-growth technology names. Unlike many billionaire portfolios that lean heavily into speculative bets, Gates shows little appetite for risk in unproven sectors.
A key driver of this defensive tilt is the need for reliable portfolio income to fund the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s philanthropic work. Dividend-rich holdings such as Berkshire Hathaway, Canadian National Railway, Waste Management, and major healthcare companies generate steady cash flows that can be redirected toward charitable grants. This creates a portfolio that is not just about long-term capital appreciation but also about consistent liquidity to support global health, education, and climate initiatives.
Outside of these income-heavy positions, Gates’ limited moves into higher-growth stocks like Microsoft show that he is willing to participate in innovation but without sacrificing the stability needed to underpin his charitable commitments. The fact that no major speculative additions have been made, reinforces that his 2025 strategy is about capital preservation, steady growth, and dependable distributions.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Gates’ portfolio rebounded from $41.8B in Q1 to $47.8B in Q2 2025, showing resilience.
- His biggest move was a major increase in Berkshire Hathaway, while slightly trimming Microsoft.
- The portfolio remains highly concentrated, with 10 stocks making up over 96% of assets.
- Sector exposure is heavily weighted to software, insurance, and environmental services — defensive and essential industries.
For those looking to navigate today’s volatile markets with confidence, Gates’ investment model offers not just a benchmark, but a masterclass in how to balance resilience with growth.
Want to track Gates’ latest moves? Visit Gainify.io to explore real-time updates on his 13F filings and stay ahead of his next big investment decisions.