Buffett to Give Away Entire Berkshire Stake in 8 Years as Gates Foundation Loses 13 Million-Share Gift
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jul 14
Buffett to Give Away Entire Berkshire Stake in 8 Years as Gates Foundation Loses 13 Million-Share Gift
3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jul 14
Summary
Warren Buffett is accelerating annual Berkshire Hathaway stock donations to charities run by his three children, a pace that would eliminate his remaining stake within eight years.
For the first time in 20 years, Buffett left the Gates Foundation out of his midyear giving and did not include it among future recipients.
13 million Berkshire Class B shares were instead directed to four family foundations, including 9 million to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and 1 million each to Sherwood, Howard G. Buffett and Novo.
The break with the Gates Foundation follows renewed scrutiny after US Justice Department documents revived questions about Bill Gates' ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
With Buffett's exit and a 2045 sunset plan, what fills the void the Gates Foundation will leave behind?
As Buffett's family foundations absorb billions, will they face the same intense public scrutiny as the Gates Foundation?
Warren Buffett Pauses $43 Billion Gates Foundation Giving Over Epstein Ties: Repercussions for Global Philanthropy
Overview
In mid-2026, Warren Buffett made headlines by pausing his annual charitable stock gifts to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, breaking a two-decade tradition and a pledge he made in 2006. Instead, he redirected all his 2026 donations—totaling millions of Berkshire Hathaway shares—to four family-linked foundations. This shift comes as Buffett, now 95, aims to accelerate his giving while his children can still oversee the process. The Gates Foundation, which has received over $43 billion from Buffett since 2006, now faces a significant change in its funding landscape and must navigate the impact of this unprecedented decision.