In late October 2014, Bill Gates sold 20 million Microsoft shares for a reported $925 million. Afterward, he still held 278 million shares, which Computerworld estimated were worth about $13.6 billion at the time. Those are historical figures, not a current estimate of Gates’s holdings.
What Gates sold in October 2014
Computerworld reported that Gates sold 20 million Microsoft shares over five days, from Oct. 27 through Oct. 31, 2014. The sales brought in a reported $925 million, with individual sale prices ranging from $45.92 to $46.76 per share. Computerworld’s Nov. 11, 2014 report said the transaction details came from SEC filings.
Why his remaining stake was valued at $13.6 billion
After the sales, Gates owned 278 million Microsoft shares. Computerworld valued that stake at about $13.6 billion using the Monday closing price referenced in its November report. The figure was an estimate based on the share price at that time, not cash proceeds from the sale.
How the October figure compared with August
Computerworld said that after earlier sales in early August 2014, Gates held 298 million shares, valued at approximately $12.9 billion. By the October sales, he had 20 million fewer shares, but the reported value of his remaining stake was higher.
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| Snapshot reported by Computerworld | Shares held | Estimated stake value | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| After early-August 2014 sales | 298 million | Approximately $12.9 billion | August 2014 snapshot |
| After Oct. 27–31, 2014 sales | 278 million | About $13.6 billion | Valued using the Monday closing price referenced in the Nov. 11 report |
The report attributed the increase in estimated value to a 12.7% rise in Microsoft shares since early August. In other words, the stake’s estimated value reflected both the number of shares remaining and the market price used for the calculation.
The reported purpose of the recurring sales
Computerworld described the sales as part of a longstanding plan to fund the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It reported that Gates had generally sold about 80 million shares annually—usually 20 million per quarter—for more than a decade. That describes the pattern as reported in 2014; it does not establish that the same schedule continued afterward.
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What these figures do—and do not—tell you
- The $925 million figure refers to proceeds from the reported sale of 20 million shares during Oct. 27–31, 2014.
- The $13.6 billion figure is a contemporaneous estimate for 278 million shares, not the sale proceeds.
- The available report does not establish Gates’s current Microsoft share count or the present value of any holdings.
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