The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) has been a major player in global philanthropy, distributing over $77 billion in grants since its establishment.
Funded by the BMGF Trust, which held assets totaling $48 billion as of June 2024, the foundation’s investments are heavily weighted in Microsoft (33%) and Berkshire Hathaway (21%). These strategic investments have allowed the trust to outperform the S&P 500 by 10 percentage points over the last three years, underscoring Bill Gates’ confidence in these companies.
Microsoft, the leading global software provider, excels in business productivity and cloud computing. Its Azure cloud platform is expected to rival Amazon Web Services (AWS) by 2027.
Despite recent challenges including market share declines and a weaker fourth-quarter performance, experts remain hopeful about Microsoft’s prospects, although the stock is currently viewed as pricey.
Berkshire Hathaway, under the leadership of Warren Buffett, is a major diversified holding company with a strong foothold in the insurance sector. The company’s prudent investment strategies and substantial portfolio are projected to drive a 17% annual increase in operating income through 2027. Berkshire is considered a solid defensive investment, particularly beneficial during economic downturns.
Investors might need to be wary of Microsoft’s current high valuation but could find Berkshire Hathaway appealing for its consistent growth and defensive attributes.
California is pushing forward a legislative plan that could redefine how the state handles inactive crypto holdings.
Circle, the company behind the USDC stablecoin, has raised more than $1.1 billion in a highly anticipated IPO, outperforming its earlier fundraising targets.
Steve Eisman, the famed investor known for forecasting the 2008 housing collapse, is sounding the alarm—not on overvalued tech stocks or interest rates, but on the escalating risk of global trade disputes.
Kevin Hassett, head of the National Economic Council in Trump’s second term, has revealed a multi-million-dollar investment in crypto exchange Coinbase—prompting concerns over potential conflicts of interest in Washington.