Do you want to know the Companies Owned By Bill Gates? Bill Gates, is a very famous person when it comes to technology and wealth. People know him to be the owner of Microsoft, but many do not know this nobleman has a lot to offer when it comes to business.
The former CEO of Microsoft, Bill Gates, is currently the third-richest man in the world, with his net worth estimated to be around $146 billion according to Bloomberg.com. He dropped from the peak to this position, after Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, moved to the apex with Tesla’s Elon Musk, coming in between them as the second-richest man in the world.
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Bill Gates has retired from his day-to-day work at the office of Microsoft and has all his attention based on building a strong empire through his philanthropic works, via the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
However, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is very famous now, since it was founded just to fight against diseases and eradicate poverty from the world, which everyone sees as a good course. The Foundation is focused on producing vaccines for diseases, such diseases include the deadly Coronavirus and Malaria. They also educate people all over the world. Despite this good effort by the Bill and Melinda Foundation, they still have a substantial portfolio of investments, which its capital is used to help other businesses, create solutions to complex and entrenched problems all around the world.
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In the year 1975, Bill Gates, founded Microsoft Corporation after he dropped out of Harvard University to become an entrepreneur in technology. Fast-forward, he built a successful company and over the decade, Bill Gates transformed his company into a major technology powerhouse, where he earned all his fortune and fame from.
In my quest to know more about this technology genius, I have researched and fortunately bumped into some hidden facts about this great man, which many know nothing of.
Would you believe if told that, Bill Gates has other sources of income aside from Microsoft which is his first company? You’re surprised huh? Oh yes; he does. Below is the list of companies owned by Bill Gates that many do not know of.
List Of 12 Companies Owned By Bill Gate
1. Berkshire Hathaway, Inc:
Bill Gates Foundation’s investment portfolio has Berkshire Hathaway Inc, as the largest holding among all his invested companies. The Foundation has nearly 40 million shares of Berkshire Hathaway which has a market value of over $7 billion. Berkshire Hathaway is one of the largest companies in the S&P 500, with a market value of $522.43 billion.
During the recent ranking in the world, Berkshire Hathaway was ranked sixth in the 2020 Fortune 500 list. Billionaire Warren Buffett, who is also an investor in this company, is a very good friend to Bill Gates after they met somewhere in 1991.
Bill Gates also served as a member of the Board of Directors alongside his good friend Buffett, until March 2020 when he retired. As good investors, both have pledged to give out a greater portion of their wealth towards philanthropic works.
2. Companies Owned By Bill Gates: Waste Management, Inc:
The second-largest holding in the Foundation’s portfolio, is Waste Management, Inc. With a market value of $1.97 billion, the Foundation holds over 18.6 million shares in Waste Management. Waste Management is however the provider of waste management and associated environmental services. In addition, Waste Management further develops and operates waste to energy and landfill gas to energy facilities in the United States. This is the largest waste management company in the United States, with over 20 million customers. With more than $49.73 billion in market caps, the company was ranked 207th on the 2020 Fortune 500 list.
3. Companies Owned By Bill Gates: Canadian National Railway Company:
This company is the third-largest holding in the Foundation’s portfolio. The company has a market value of $1.51 billion with which the foundation has over 17.1 million shares. Provision of integrated transport services, including rail, trucks, freight forwarding and warehouses are the duties of the Canadian National Railway Company. This company has main objectives which are the transportation of petroleum products, grain and fertilizers, coal, metals, and automotive products. This company has a market cap of $74.1 billion.
4. Companies Owned By Bill Gates: Caterpillar Inc:
Caterpillar is the fourth-largest holding in Bill Gates’ Foundation portfolio. This company is a manufacturer of heavy equipment used for mining, agriculture, and energy. Caterpillar has a market value of more than $1.42 billion, with which the Foundation holds over 11.2 million shares. Being ranked the 62nd in the world on the 2020 Fortune 500 list, Caterpillar can boast of a market cap of $77.52 billion.
5. Companies Owned By Bill Gates: Walmart Inc:
The fifth-largest holding on our list in the Foundation’s portfolio is Walmart. Walmart is a retailing giant and stores, which operates worldwide. They operate supercentres, discount stores, and supermarkets. The company came to dominate the retailing industry, by keeping a laser-like focus on reducing costs everywhere, especially in supply chain and distribution. Walmart’s total revenue of $135 billion rose 5.2% over the year.
6. Companies Owned By Bill Gates: Crown Castle International:
This is a company that operates as a real estate investment trust. Crown Castle International, owns cell phone towers with small cells where larger towers are not feasible, and fibre connections for data transmission. The management of this company expects growth of their company, in terms of revenue from $375 million to $405 million, which is classified differently. In rent, the company is expected to jump from $90 million to $100 million. Despite it having a weak competitive advantage over others, Crown Castle’s scale is something its competitors do not have.
7. Companies Owned By Bill Gates: Ecolab:
Ecolab was founded by Merritt J. Osborn, who was by then the inventor of a new cleaning product called the Absorbent. However, Ecolab which means Economic Laboratory is a great industry leader which generates roughly $15 billion annually. Ecolab is one of the best when it comes to business. They are consistent in everything. Bill Gates has a percentage portfolio of 3.9% in Ecolab.
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8. Companies Owned By Bill Gates: FedEx:
FedEx Corporation is a shipping and transportation company, which provides a variety of services including e-commerce, transportation, and business services. FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, and FedEx Services are segments under FedEx Corporation. This company provides domestic and international shipping and delivery services. With 3.5% per cent going to Gates portfolio, the Foundation is earning a lot from here.
9. Companies Owned By Bill Gates: United Parcel Service
This is a logistic and package delivery company that offers services to the public including transportation, distribution, ground freight, ocean freight, insurance and financing. Operations of this company are split into three segments; U.S. Domestic Package, International Package, and Supply Chain & Freight. Bill Gates’ Foundation holds a percentage portfolio of 3.4% in this company.
10. Companies Owned By Bill Gates: Coca-Cola FEMSA SAB
Coca-Cola FEMSA is responsible for the production, marketing and distribution of Coca-Cola beverages. Their products are all over places including countries like Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Philippines, Costa Rica, and Panama among others. This company is in a strong financial position, with low levels of debt. With 1.1% per cent, Bill Gates’s portfolio looks awesome.
11. Companies Owned By Bill Gates: Schrödinger Inc
Coca-Cola FEMSA is a health care technology company that operates intending to accelerate drug delivery internally and externally. Through its software, Schrödinger has generated strong growth over the past years. Their total revenue increased by 29%. It also grows at an annual rate of 24%. The Foundation of Bill Gates has a percentage of 1.1% in this company.
12. Companies Owned By Bill Gates: Apple, Inc
Among the list of companies owned by Bill Gates is Apple Technology, the manufacturers, designers and sellers of products ranging from smartphones, computers, and portable digital music players. Apple also has other business services that sell music, apps, and subscriptions. This company is responsible for the best-selling smartphone in the world; the iPhone. Over the year, Apple has generated a revenue of $274.5 billion, representing a percentage of 5.5 increase as compared to other years. Apple also generates a lot from their business units such as iCloud, iTunes, Apple Music, App Store etc.
With all these investments and earnings, this man will always be making millions every day. But then, do you know this is not all of his companies where he earns from? Oh yes, he still has more, but these are some major ones where his dividend per annum is very high. Thank you for reading this article. Do well to send us your feedback, corrections or suggestion. Those are the companies owned by Bill Gates.