Bill Gates Makes $10.95 Million Per Day — More Than 4 Times What The Average Person Earns In A Lifetime. Here's How He's Spending It

Microsoft Corp. Co-Founder Bill Gates held the title of the world’s richest man for the majority of 20 years before being surpassed by Amazon.com Inc. Founder Jeff Bezos.  

Yet, he continues to rank among the global elite in terms of wealth. To illustrate the scale of his fortune, consider this: The average person earns about $2.7 million in their lifetime, according to career information site Zippia. Gates earns approximately three to four times that amount in one day, highlighting the extent of his financial resources.

Sources differ on the exact amount, with one estimating his daily earnings at around $10.95 million — about $117 per second. Another source offers a lower figure of approximately $7.6 million per day or $319,635 per hour. 

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While Gates is best known as the mastermind behind Microsoft, he has amassed a fortune beyond what his Microsoft shares are worth. Despite only a fraction of his wealth coming from Microsoft, the company remains a pivotal part of his financial journey. Since Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in 1975, the company has dominated various tech markets, achieving a market cap of over $1 trillion by 2019. Sources state only about 12.5% of Gates's net worth comes from Microsoft.

His wealth also flows from real estate investments, including the $127 million Xanadu 2.0 in Washington and the $18 million Rancho Paseana in California. Gates’s investment savvy extends through his firm Cascade, which holds stakes in luxury hotels and other ventures.

Gates’s collection of luxury vehicles, private jets and art reflects his eclectic interests, while his philanthropic efforts underscore his commitment to global causes that support initiatives in health, renewable energy and more.

As a notorious philanthropist, much of Gates's earnings go toward charitable efforts, mainly through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2023, the foundation committed $8.3 billion to fight poverty, disease and inequality, marking a 15% increase from the previous year. The foundation aims to increase its payout to $9 billion by 2026. 

In 2023, Gates expanded his investment portfolio, indicating a strategic approach to wealth management. He acquired a 3.76% stake in Heineken Holding NV, valued at approximately $939.87 million. This investment signifies a diversification of his interests beyond the tech sector. 

Gates has also invested in farmland, owning about 242,000 acres or roughly 0.03% of all U.S. farmland. During a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” session, he said that he aims to enhance productivity and job creation through these investments, with decisions made by a professional investment team. 

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