Bill Gates is a famous tech leader best known for founding Microsoft Corp. He was CEO from 1981 until 2000, transforming Microsoft into one of the world's leading software companies. After stepping down as CEO, he continued to serve as Chief Software Architect until 2006. By 2020, he had left Microsoft’s board to focus entirely on philanthropy through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which works on global health and education issues. Gates still holds around 103 million shares in Microsoft, valued at over $42 billion. His compensation model was unique for its time—he earned a steady salary and bonuses tied to his performance, but interestingly, he didn’t rely on stock options due to his significant existing stake in the company. He’s notable for stepping back from a day-to-day role to influence technology and society on a larger scale. Gates's knowledge and vision greatly shaped Microsoft's future and continue to impact the tech world today.

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Bill Gates

Founder and Ex-CEO of Microsoft

Education

Computer Science; Harvard College (1973–1975)

Field of Expertise

Technology & Engineering - Engineering

Sector of Economy

Technology

Born

October 28, 1955 - 69 years ago

CEO of Microsoft for

24 years 7 months (Jun 1975 - Jan 2000)

Previous Experience

Founder of Microsoft

Rivals

Competitors/colleagues of Bill Gates

Mark Zuckerberg

Founder and CEO of Meta Platforms, Inc.

2022 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.00

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$27.11M

Total Holdings

$207.33B

Sundar Pichai

CEO of Alphabet Inc.

2023 Compensation

Stock

$155.42M

Salary

$2.00M

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$6.80M

Total Holdings

$459.19M

Andrew R. Jassy

CEO of Amazon

2023 Compensation

Stock

$27.83M

Salary

$365.00K

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$992.76K

Total Holdings

$19.04M

Jen-Hsun Huang

Founder and CEO of Nvidia

2023 Compensation

Stock

$61.63M

Salary

$1.00M

Bonus

$4.00M

Other

$2.49M

Total Holdings

$99.30B

Safra A. Catz

CEO of Oracle

2022 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$950.00K

Bonus

$4.17M

Other

$135.47K

Total Holdings

$347.67M

Elon Musk

Founder and CEO of Tesla, Inc.

2023 Compensation

Stock

$1.86M

Salary

$0.00

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$0.00

Total Holdings

$92.56B

Holdings

See how much did Bill Gates make over time.

Bill Gates's current holdings in Microsoft amount to about 103 million shares, which are now worth over $42 billion. At the peak of the tech boom, he held a much higher percentage of shares, making him one of the richest individuals in the world. Over the years, he has sold portions of his holdings but retains a significant stake. Notably, Gates did not use stock options throughout most of his CEO tenure; his wealth was primarily based on his existing shares. His decision to diversify into philanthropy does not diminish the fact that his financial legacy at Microsoft is immense, with the shares continuing to provide substantial value even after his active management role ended.

Mar 17, 2025

MSFT @ $388.70

Total Stock Sold

$14.73B

MSFT

$14.73B

400,000,000 MSFT shares

What if they kept their stock?

If Bill Gates didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra MSFT400,000,000 shares worth $66.06B.
This is 348.36% and $51.32B more than what they got when they sold the stock.

Charitable Transactions

MSFT

98,000,000 shares

MSFT

Recent Charitable Transactions

MSFT

64,000,000 shares

MSFT

Jun 30, 2017

Charity

MSFT

31,000,000 shares

MSFT

Jan 28, 2015

Charity

MSFT

3,000,000 shares

MSFT

May 28, 2013

Charity

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of Bill Gates.

MSFT

64,000,000 shares

MSFT

Jun 30, 2017

Charity

MSFT

$172.20M

MSFT at $68.88/share

May 3, 2017

Sale

MSFT

$173.51M

MSFT at $69.40/share

May 2, 2017

Sale

MSFT

$207.65M

MSFT at $69.22/share

May 1, 2017

Sale

MSFT

$255.26M

MSFT at $63.81/share

Feb 1, 2017

Sale

MSFT

$129.10M

MSFT at $64.55/share

Jan 31, 2017

Sale

MSFT

$130.22M

MSFT at $65.11/share

Jan 30, 2017

Sale

MSFT

$198.98M

MSFT at $60.30/share

Oct 27, 2016

Sale

MSFT

$121.56M

MSFT at $60.78/share

Oct 26, 2016

Sale

MSFT

$164.68M

MSFT at $60.99/share

Oct 25, 2016

Sale

Compensation History

See how much did Bill Gates make over time.

Throughout his tenure at Microsoft, Bill Gates's compensation was heavily tied to his role and the company's performance. In 2000, he received a total compensation of $639,401, which included a salary of $439,401 and a bonus of $200,000. His bonuses were linked to Microsoft’s performance metrics and were paid under the company's Executive Bonus Plan. Interestingly, Gates did not receive stock options or stock grants during his time as CEO, which is uncommon for tech executives. His pay structure reflected a philosophy of aligning executive compensation with corporate success, a model that has influenced how many tech companies structure their pay today. Even in his later years, Gates’s focus shifted more towards philanthropy, but his legacy within Microsoft reflects a pioneering approach to executive compensation.

Year

2000

Total Compensation

$639.40K

Salary

$439.40K

Board Justification

Microsoft's compensation philosophy is based on a pay-for-performance model, aligning executive compensation with company performance and shareholder value. The compensation package includes a competitive salary, performance-based bonuses, and stock options to encourage long-term commitment and performance.

Bonus

$200.00K

Board Justification

The bonus was awarded under the Company's Executive Bonus Plan, which allows for a discretionary bonus of up to 100% of base salary based on individual performance goals.

Other

$0.00

Board Justification

No other compensation was reported for Bill Gates in 2000.

Restricted Stock

$0.00(0 N/A)

Board Justification

No vested stock was reported for Bill Gates in 2000.

Performance Metrics

The performance metrics for determining the CEO's compensation include corporate revenue and profit goals, which are reviewed by the Compensation Committee to provide incentives for superior corporate performance.

Other Microsoft CEOs

Here are other CEOs of Microsoft

Steven A. Ballmer

Ex-CEO of Microsoft

January 2000 - February 2014