Helping to found (NASDAQ: MSFT) nearly 50 years ago, Bill Gates is widely recognized as one of the wealthiest individuals in the world. Forbes, for example, estimates Gates's net worth at about $135 billion. He's also one of the most philanthropic. Valued at $46 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2024, the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation performs charitable work in more than 130 countries -- from assisting with agricultural development to improving financial resources for low-income communities.

But how much exactly does Microsoft represent in the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation Trust's portfolio? Let's take a look.

While some smaller companies represent nominal positions in the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, most of the holdings are well-recognized names. Trash pickup and disposal specialist Waste Management, Berkshire Hathaway, and Canadian National Railway each account for about 16% of the trust's portfolio as of the end of Q1 2024. And then there's Microsoft, which holds a commanding position among tech stocks with a market capitalization of $3.4 trillion, dwarfing its closest peer, Oracle, which has a market cap of $398 billion.

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Source Fool.com