Bill Gates Finally Joined Instagram, And Oh Yeah, He Also Donated $4.6 BILLION To Charity

So I was all set to write about how one of the most innovative and technologically savvy men in the entire world, Bill Gates, had finally joined Instagram this week. I know this because I follow another super-genius in Richard Branson and he announced it on his Instagram account this morning (above).

I thought that would be the big Bill Gates news for the day: “Richest Man In The World Who Made His Money from Technology Finally Joins Instagram.” (Yes, he is still the richest man in the world. Sorry, Jeff Bezos, but you already lost that title back to Gates.)

Boy, was I WAYYY OFF.

That’s because Gates also did something else just a tad bit more noteworthy this week. A little thing about him donating $4.6 BILLION to charity. Yes, BILLION.

Reports Bloomberg

Bill Gates made his largest gift since the turn of the century, giving away Microsoft Corp. shares that accounted for 5 percent of his fortune, the world’s biggest.

The billionaire donated 64 million of the software maker’s shares valued at $4.6 billion on June 6, according to a Securities & Exchange Commission filing released Monday. While the recipient of the gift wasn’t specified, Gates has made the majority of his donations to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the charity he and his wife use to direct their philanthropic efforts.

It’s the largest gift of Microsoft shares that Gates has made since 2000. The 61-year-old gave away $16 billion worth of Microsoft shares in 1999 and $5.1 billion a year later, according to calculations by Bloomberg.

All told, according to Bloomberg, Bill and Melinda Gates have given away about $35 billion in stock and cash since 1994. This now means that Gates’ stock in Microsoft is now down to just 1.3 percent today versus the 24 percent he owned back in 1996. He still currently remains the richest person in the world.

Oh yeah, here are Gates’ first two Instagram efforts, as if any of that matters now. Ha!

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Before settling down at BroBible, Douglas Charles, a graduate of the University of Iowa (Go Hawks), owned and operated a wide assortment of websites. He is also one of the few White Sox fans out there and thinks Michael Jordan is, hands down, the GOAT.