In its first 25 years, the Gates Foundation became one of the world’s largest charitable foundations and one of the most powerful institutions in global health — an accomplishment that carried both accolades and controversy.
Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates had grand ambitions for their foundation, but little experience in global health or philanthropy. They were moved by stories like those written by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof about children dying from diseases caused by a lack of sanitation. In characteristic Gates style, they tackled these problems with rigor, data and close oversight.
