Bill Gates net worth is $107 billion dollars as of 2023, and even though it fluctuates depending on how certain stocks perform, he’s still one of the RICHEST people alive.
When I was 21, I went to Bill Gates’s house (and I peed in his bathroom. True story). It was INSANE (his house was—not peeing in his bathroom… but that was cool too). And I asked him the ONE question I had always wanted to know the answer to…
“If you saw a dollar bill on the ground, is it worth your time to pick it up?”
I tell you the full story in this video (and what his answer was).
The bottom line here is that Bill Gates is RICH.
But how did he create such a massive net worth for himself?
Let’s dive into where Bill Gates’s money comes from, and not only how he got rich, but how he stays rich.
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Bill Gates Net Worth & Income Breakdown
“Money has no utility to me beyond a certain point. Its utility is entirely in building an organization and getting the resources out to the poorest in the world.” —Bill Gates
Revenue Source #1: Microsoft Stock
Billy G isn’t the head honcho of Microsoft anymore, but he still owns over 1% of the shares and makes about $300 million dollars a year just from owning the stock.
That’s a LOT of cheddar.
As an entrepreneur and founder, knowing when to step away from your business can be tough.
When you’re the one who built it, it can be hard to give away control to someone else. Or let it run without you.
I have BIG respect for Bill knowing when to step away from it all and to just be involved as a shareholder. That move frees up a lot of his time and energy to work on other projects (ones that make even more money for him!) while STILL getting a big payday from Microsoft.
When you’re on your entrepreneurial journey, know when to walk away. You don’t have to run your company forever. In fact, the best case scenario for you might be exactly what Bill Gates did with Microsoft!
Get out of the day-to-day management, profit off your shares, and have more time to redirect to other projects.
Revenue Source #2: Cascade Investment
After Bill stepped down as the Microsoft CEO in 1995, he started the investment firm Cascade Investment.
With this firm, he earns money by investing in other businesses. Depending on the terms of the deal, he could be making money from dividends, stock gains, sales of assets, etc.
It’s a privately owned company, meaning the exact financial earnings aren’t reported, so we don’t know exactly how much it contributes to Bill Gates net worth. But what we do know is that it comes with a lot of risk.
Investing in businesses isn’t a sure thing.
Bill Gates is a smart guy, so I’m sure he does his homework—but he still takes on A LOT of risk by doing it, and can lose a significant chunk of the money he puts into companies if they don’t work out.
Investing is high risk, high reward. But sometimes it doesn’t work out, and as an investor, you have to be prepared for that.
Revenue Source #3: Personal Investments
This guy loves to invest.
Not only is Bill Gates an owner of Cascade Investment, but he also invests in other companies through his own personal investment firm, the Bill & Melinda Gates Investment fund.
He and his ex-wife Melinda actually started it AFTER their divorce.
Again, it’s a privately held company so we don’t know exactly how much it contributes to his net worth.
But what we do know from this investment fund, is that Bill is known for being a patient investor.
He usually invests in companies in the healthcare, technology, education, and environmental industries, so he’s aiming for long-term payoff rather than short-term results.
And I think this is a KEY reason why Bill Gates net worth grows over time.
Sure, it goes up and down since so much of his net worth is tied to the stock market and because of his massive contributions to charity, but in general, his net worth continues to scale over time.
I think it’s because he invests in companies that are forward-thinking, and as they grow and mature, they become more and more valuable—which results in an even BIGGER payday for him.
My Key Takeaways
Bill’s doing a lot of things right.
He:
- Found a gap in the market and created a valuable product
- Became the CEO of that company
- Stepped down when the time was right
- Kept his shares so he could maintain some control of the company & make money
- Freed his time up to work on other projects
- Started new investment funds
- Invests in companies that align with his beliefs
- Takes calculated risks by investing in companies with long-term potential
- Exercises patience and lets his investments grow and mature
- Plus, he gives a lot back to charities
“I’ve been very lucky, and therefore I owe it to try and reduce the inequity in the world. And that’s kind of a religious belief. I mean, it’s at least a moral belief.” —Bill Gates
What have YOU learned from Bill Gates and his journey to becoming a billionaire?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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