The Gates Foundation Trust, co-founded by billionaire Bill Gates, has increased its portfolio value to $47.78 billion as of the end of the second quarter of 2025, boosting its stake in Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class B (NYSE:BRK) with its holdings remaining highly concentrated in three key stocks.
Gates Foundation Makes Only Two Material Changes To Its Portfolio In Q2
According to its 13F filings, the foundation only changed two positions in the said quarter. While it bought 6,951,249 more shares of Berkshire’s class B shares, it trimmed 2,266,040 shares in Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) in the second quarter.
Gates Foundation, which has received substantial donations from both Gates and the “Oracle of Omaha,” Warren Buffett, continues to reflect the investment philosophies of both titans.
According to its latest 13F filings for the second quarter, the three largest stock holdings in the foundation's portfolio now constitute approximately 67% of the fund's total value.
| Company | Value (as of June 30) | % Of Holdings (as of June 30) | Number Of Shares Held (as of June 30) | Change From March 31, 2025 (in %) |
| Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) | $13.027 billion | 27% | 26191207 | -8% |
| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK) | $11.718 billion | 25% | 24123684 | 41% |
| Waste Management Inc. (NYSE:WM) | $7.375 billion | 15% | 32234344 | 0% |
Key Stocks Representing Two-Thirds Or 67% Of Its Portfolio
Microsoft Corp.
- Microsoft stock remains the largest single holding for the Gates Foundation, valued at over $13 billion.
- While the foundation trimmed its position by 8% during the quarter, the value of its existing holdings increased significantly by $2.345 billion.
- This surge is largely due to Microsoft's 27.55% gain over the last six months and its dominant position in artificial intelligence, particularly through its Azure cloud platform and its investment in OpenAI.
- Gates has steadily contributed Microsoft stock to the foundation since its inception in 2000.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
- Showcasing a strong bet on his long-time friend, Gates’s foundation increased its holding of Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares by 41% in the second quarter.
- Buffett has donated these shares to the Gates Foundation since 2006, maintaining voting control by converting his Class A shares.
- The foundation now holds over 24 million Berkshire shares, valued at approximately $11.718 billion.
Waste Management Inc.
- The Gates Foundation Trust has held a stake in Waste Management since 2002, exemplifying Buffett's ‘value’ investing principles.
- The number of shares held remained unchanged from the previous quarter.
- WM is a leading provider of comprehensive waste management and environmental services, with a significant portfolio of landfills.
Beyond The Top 67% Of The Gates Foundation’s Holdings
Beyond its top three holdings, the Gates Foundation Trust maintains a diverse portfolio with significant stakes in several other major companies. As of the second quarter of 2025, the foundation held a stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) valued at over $2.85 billion and a holding in Canadian National Railway Co. worth more than $5.7 billion.
Other notable investments include positions in Deere & Co. (NYSE:DE), Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL), and Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT), each valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.
The value of an investment can increase even if the number of shares held remains the same, which is a common occurrence in stock market investing. This happens when the market price of the stock itself goes up.
For instance, the Gates Foundation’s holdings in Caterpillar, Walmart, and Coupang Inc. (NYSE:CPNG) saw their values increase by 18%, 11%, and 37% respectively, during the second quarter.
Although the foundation did not buy any additional shares in these companies, the price per share for each of these stocks rose on the open market, leading to a significant increase in the total value of the foundation’s investment.
Price Action
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:QQQ), which track the S&P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, rose in premarket on Friday. The SPY was up 0.21% at $646.33, while the QQQ advanced 0.0052% to $579.92, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo Courtesy: Alexandros Michailidis on Shutterstock
