# The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust has fully exited its long-held position in Microsoft.

*business · news · 2026-05-17 · Finbold*

## Key points

- The Gates Foundation Trust sold its final 7.7 million Microsoft shares in Q1 2026.
- This exits all Microsoft holdings for the first time in decades, ending a major endowment-company relationship.
- The trust sharply reduced its Microsoft stake throughout 2025, including a 65% cut in Q3 2025.
- The divestment is part of plans to increase annual philanthropy spending to $9 billion and wind down the endowment.
- Bill Gates’ personal Microsoft holdings, over 100 million shares, are unaffected by the trust's action.

**Companies:** Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway, Waste Management, Canadian National Railway, Caterpillar
**Countries:** United States

[Read the full story on Finbold](https://finbold.com/bill-gates-foundation-fully-dumps-its-microsoft-msft-stake/)

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