Just 3 Stocks Make Up 65% of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Portfolio. Should They Be a Part of Yours?

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the world. To support its efforts at facilitating improvements in the lives of people around the world, the foundation, which has provided more than $77 billion in funding from its inception through 2023, manages the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, which is currently valued at around $42 billion.While it includes 24 holdings, just three stocks represent the lion's share of the portfolio. Combined, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A)(NYSE: BRK.B), and Waste Management (NYSE: WM) make up 65% of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust. Let's look at each one more closely.Its weighting may be smaller -- 28.6% as of February compared to about 34% in February 2024 -- but Microsoft still represents the largest position in the trust portfolio. As the only tech stock in the portfolio, it offers significant artificial intelligence (AI) exposure.Continue reading

Mar 28, 2025 - 14:54
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Just 3 Stocks Make Up 65% of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Portfolio. Should They Be a Part of Yours?

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the world. To support its efforts at facilitating improvements in the lives of people around the world, the foundation, which has provided more than $77 billion in funding from its inception through 2023, manages the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, which is currently valued at around $42 billion.

While it includes 24 holdings, just three stocks represent the lion's share of the portfolio. Combined, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A)(NYSE: BRK.B), and Waste Management (NYSE: WM) make up 65% of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust. Let's look at each one more closely.

Its weighting may be smaller -- 28.6% as of February compared to about 34% in February 2024 -- but Microsoft still represents the largest position in the trust portfolio. As the only tech stock in the portfolio, it offers significant artificial intelligence (AI) exposure.

Continue reading