TODAY’S donation pushes Bill Gates into an even more exalted position as the world’s biggest philanthropist.
The Gates foundation, which is worth $30 billion, (£17billion), is now the largest charity to have been created by a single benefactor or private company by a factor of three, following a previous $3 billion gift from its founder last July. Mr Gates has stated that he intends to give away 90 per cent of his fortune, which is currently valued at about $50 billion.
The causes to which he has channelled his wealth — global health inequalities, education programmes, public libraries and projects around his home town of Seattle — have changed dramatically because of his contributions.
To date, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation has been the largest recipient of his charity. His pledge today follows an initial $750 million grant in 1999, which was used to help to set up the organisation to support research and improve access to vaccines.
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