The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a record $9 billion budget for 2026, marking its highest-ever annual spending to support global health, disease prevention, women’s health, education, and technology-driven solutions such as artificial intelligence.
Alongside the expanded funding, the foundation said it will gradually reduce its workforce, cutting up to 500 jobs by 2030 to control administrative expenses. Operating costs will be capped at about 14 per cent of total spending.
The decision aligns with co-founder Bill Gates’s long-term plan to wind down the foundation by 2045 after distributing most of his wealth to philanthropic causes worldwide.