Bill Gates Drops Out of World's Top 10 Richest; Trails Ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer

Bill Gates, once the world’s richest individual, has now fallen to the 12th position on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. As of 8 July 2025, Gates’s net worth stands at $124 billion, placing him behind Michael Dell at number 11 with $137 billion, and Steve Ballmer, his former Microsoft colleague, who now holds the 5th position with $172 billion.

The decline in Gates’s ranking is not due to declining investments or asset losses, but stems from Bloomberg’s recalculation of his wealth to better reflect his extensive philanthropic activities.

Bloomberg Adjusts Gates’s Wealth Due to Philanthropy

According to the Bloomberg Index, Gates’s net worth was reduced by $52 billion, primarily to account for his ongoing commitment to charity.

“On the occasion of its 25th year, the Gates Foundation today made a new commitment to accelerate its mission to help all people live healthy, productive lives by spending $200 billion over the next 20 years. The decision marks a major acceleration in the foundation’s work and sets a new date of 2045 to sunset its operations,” said the Gates Foundation.

To date, Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates have donated over $60 billion to the Gates Foundation. Earlier this year, the foundation announced its plan to spend an additional $200 billion by 2045, after which it will shut down its operations.

Bloomberg Billionaires Index 

Top Billionaires on the Bloomberg List (As of July 2025)

Top 5 Wealthiest Individuals:

1. Elon Musk – $346 billion (despite a daily drop of $15.3 billion)

2. Mark Zuckerberg – $253 billion

3. Larry Ellison – $248 billion

4. Jeff Bezos – $244 billion

5. Steve Ballmer – $172 billion

Others in the Top 10:

• Larry Page – $160 billion

• Bernard Arnault – $157 billion

• Sergey Brin – $150 billion

• Warren Buffett – $144 billion

• Jensen Huang (Nvidia) – $138 billion

• Michael Dell – $137 billion

Gates, although no longer in the top 10, remains among the world’s most generous philanthropists. Unlike many others on the list who are benefiting from the surge in tech stocks, Gates has opted to channel his wealth toward global health, education, and development initiatives.

Conclusion

Bill Gates’s departure from the world’s top 10 richest individuals is not indicative of financial decline, but rather a powerful testament to his enduring commitment to philanthropy.

Bloomberg’s recent adjustment to his net worth—accounting for his past and future charitable contributions—highlights the impact of Gates’s decision to dedicate the majority of his wealth to global causes.

Together with Melinda French Gates, he has already donated over $60 billion and pledged an additional $200 billion by 2045, after which the Gates Foundation plans to cease operations.

Unlike other billionaires who have retained their rankings through surging tech stocks and expanding business empires, Gates has embraced a path centered on altruism, health equity, education, and poverty alleviation.

Though he no longer occupies a top financial spot, his moral and humanitarian legacy continues to grow. In many ways, Gates's true wealth lies in his transformative contributions to global well-being, setting a standard few others have matched.