In a dramatic move, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust reduced its Microsoft (MSFT) position by nearly 65%, selling approximately 17 million shares in the third quarter of 2025, according to its latest 13F filing.
The sale generated roughly $8.7–$8.8 billion, based on an average share price of about $510 during the quarter. After the sale, the foundation now holds around 9.2 million Microsoft shares, valuing its remaining stake at about $4.8 billion.
What Changed in the Foundation’s Portfolio
- Microsoft’s Importance Declined: The tech giant’s weight in the foundation’s portfolio dropped from over 27% to about 13%.
- Strategic Rebalancing: The reduction is being viewed by analysts not as a loss of faith in Microsoft, but rather as a deliberate rebalancing to lock in gains accrued over Microsoft’s recent surge — especially driven by its cloud and AI businesses.
- Other Significant Moves: Alongside the Microsoft sell-off, the foundation fully exited its positions in Crown Castle and UPS, and also trimmed its Berkshire Hathaway holdings.
Why It’s a Big Deal
This represents one of the largest Microsoft-related portfolio adjustments for the Gates Foundation in its history. While Microsoft remains a major holding, the scale of this sale underlines a shift toward more diversified, mission-aligned investments.
The move also frees up billions in cash, potentially to support the foundation’s ambitious philanthropic agenda — including global health, development, and climate initiatives.
