US Trends

what does bill gates own

Bill Gates doesn’t “own” just one thing – he sits on top of a web of major stock holdings, real estate (including huge tracts of farmland), and stakes in private companies and hotels, plus the assets of his foundation’s investment trust.

Big picture: what does Bill Gates own?

At a high level, publicly available sources show that Gates’ wealth is spread across:

  • A large remaining stake in Microsoft , the company he co‑founded.
  • Tens of billions of dollars in other stocks (Berkshire Hathaway, Waste Management, railways, industrials, etc.).
  • A massive farmland and real‑estate portfolio, making him one of the biggest private owners of farmland in the US.
  • Stakes in hotels and private companies , plus cash and other investments.
  • Assets held in and for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, which manages tens of billions in publicly traded securities for philanthropy.

He has also publicly said that he plans to give away most of his fortune over time through philanthropy, so the exact mix shifts year by year.

Major stocks and investment portfolio

Public 13F filings and portfolio trackers show that a big part of “what Bill Gates owns” is concentrated in a handful of listed companies.

Key points:

  • Microsoft (MSFT)
    • Still his single most important holding and historically the core source of his wealth.
* The Gates‑related trust holds tens of millions of Microsoft shares, valued in the tens of billions of dollars in recent filings.
  • Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B)
    • One of the largest non‑Microsoft positions; Gates has long aligned with Warren Buffett’s value‑investing approach.
  • Waste Management (WM)
    • Another major core holding, worth billions; fits his preference for stable, recurring‑revenue businesses.
  • Other big listed holdings (through his investment vehicles and filings):
    • Canadian National Railway, Caterpillar, Deere, Ecolab, and other industrial, infrastructure, and healthcare‑adjacent names; combined, these stocks round out a portfolio in the tens of billions.

These positions are often held via the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust and related entities, which regularly rebalance but remain heavily concentrated in a small group of companies.

Farmland, land, and real estate

One of the most striking things Bill Gates owns is land, especially farmland in the United States.

  • Largest private owner of US farmland (or close to it)
    • Reports and land‑tracking publications place Gates as the top or one of the very top private farmland owners, with roughly a quarter‑million acres of productive farmland spread across many states.
* His holdings are distributed over more than a dozen states, including major agricultural regions.
  • Types of real estate
    • Large tracts of farmland used for crops and agricultural production.
* High‑end residential properties, including his famous high‑tech mansion in the Seattle area (often nicknamed “Xanadu 2.0”).

* Other properties in states like California and Montana have been highlighted in real‑estate overviews.

Much of this land is held through investment and agricultural entities rather than in his personal name, but it is widely described as part of his overall asset base.

Hotels, private companies, and other assets

Beyond big public stocks and land, Bill Gates also owns or co‑owns stakes in businesses and alternative assets.

Examples from public breakdowns:

  • Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts
    • He controls a large stake in the luxury hotel group via investment entities; Forbes has valued this position in the several‑billion‑dollar range.
  • Other private and thematic investments
    • Energy and climate‑related ventures, agricultural technology, and infrastructure‑related companies have been highlighted as part of his current portfolio.
* Cash and “other investments” also make up tens of billions in some wealth breakdowns, covering bonds, funds, and miscellaneous assets.

Because many of these interests are held through private vehicles, we don’t have a full, line‑by‑line list, but the public estimates show a strong tilt toward long‑term, infrastructure‑like businesses.

Role of the Gates Foundation and his plan

When people ask “what does Bill Gates own,” a big part of the answer runs through his foundation structure.

  • The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust manages a portfolio of roughly tens of billions of dollars in public stocks to fund global health, education, and development programs.
  • Gates has repeatedly committed to giving away most of his wealth and has already donated huge amounts of Microsoft stock and other assets into the foundation and related charitable efforts.

So, while he personally owns shares, land, and companies, a growing share of “what he owns” is being directed toward philanthropy through this trust structure.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.