Gates Foundation Trust Slashes Microsoft Stake by 65% in Q3 Portfolio Rebalancing
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust executed a dramatic reduction of its Microsoft position during the third quarter, selling approximately 17 million shares worth $9.14 billion. Microsoft's weighting in the $50 billion portfolio collapsed from first to fourth position, now trailing Berkshire Hathaway, Waste Management, and Canadian National Railway.
This continues a pattern of quarterly divestments since late 2023, interrupted only by a major 2022 purchase. Cascade Investment managers overseeing the trust appear to be executing a strategic reallocation, coinciding with the foundation's plan to boost annual grantmaking to $9 billion by 2026.
The MOVE significantly alters the trust's concentration risk—Microsoft previously accounted for nearly one-third of total holdings. While Gates remains symbolically tied to his tech creation, the foundation demonstrates increasing preference for diversified exposure across sectors.
