While some billionaires would rather avoid the spotlight, Bill Gates is cut from a different cloth. He is best known as the co-founder and former CEO of (NASDAQ: MSFT), which he ran for a quarter of a century, but has cemented his place in history for his philanthropic and charitable work.

Gates is currently worth $131 billion (as of this writing), making him the world's ninth richest person, according to Forbes. However, in a pact made with Warren Buffett, Gates signed The Giving Pledge and says he eventually plans to give away "virtually all" of his wealth to charitable causes.

The Bill Melinda Gates Foundation (soon to be The Gates Foundation) is the vehicle created to support those charitable ventures. Its stated goal is "to create a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life."

Continue reading

Source Fool.com