The Microsoft founder plans to give away virtually all of his wealth by 2045.

In 1999, Bill Gates became the first person ever to reach centibillionaire status. That's a net worth of $100 billion. The rising value of Microsoft ( MSFT 1.83% ) stock in the late 1990s ballooned his wealth well beyond that of anyone else in the world. In fact, it would be another 18 years until another tech company founder joined Gates in the club.

Today, though, Gates isn't worth much more than he was in 1999 despite the fact that Microsoft's market value climbed almost eightfold from its April 1999 level. That's because he's given much of his wealth away to the Gates Foundation, a nonprofit that supports public health, gender equality, economic development, and education around the world. He plans

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