For nearly 50 years, Bill Gates and Microsoft were deeply connected. The company he co-founded with Paul Allen in 1975 changed personal computing forever, built one of the world’s most powerful tech empires, and turned Gates into a global business icon. Even after leaving day-to-day leadership, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation continued holding billions of dollars in Microsoft stock for decades. But now, a historic shift has quietly taken place. For the first time since 2000, the foundation owns zero Microsoft shares. And the surprising reason behind this dramatic exit goes far beyond ordinary investing decisions.
