Health Philanthropist Bill Gates Sr., Father Of Microsoft Founder, Dies At 94
As co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he helped direct billions in grants for projects that included children’s vaccines; clean water in developing countries; bed netting to reduce mosquito-borne malaria; the promotion of contraceptives and single-use syringes; and more. Upon his death, the family announced that Gates Sr. had suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.
The New York Times:
Bill Gates Sr., Who Guided Billionaire Son’s Philanthropy, Dies At 94
[Bill Gates Sr.'s] principal focus after 1994 was the Gates foundation. During his tenure, he directed grants that created children’s vaccines; provided sanitation and clean water to impoverished rural areas in developing countries; distributed bed netting to reduce mosquito-borne malaria; supported the education of girls; and promoted contraceptive use, nutritional supplements and single-use syringes. In an age of income inequality, Mr. Gates Sr. argued that the purpose of wealth was not to pass it on to loved ones. (McFadden, 9/15)
The Wall Street Journal:
Bill Gates Sr., Father Of Microsoft Founder, Dies At Age 94
Searching for a new mission after his wife died of cancer in 1994, [William H. Gates II] volunteered to help his son deal with increasingly frequent requests for donations. He later became co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has spent $53.8 billion over the past 20 years on its humanitarian missions, including the eradication of malaria and the provision of vaccines to children in poor countries. (Hagerty, 9/15)
The Washington Post:
William Gates Sr., A Guiding Hand Of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dies At 94
William H. Gates Sr., a Seattle law firm founder and civic leader who helped his son, tech billionaire Bill Gates, establish what became the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest private philanthropies in the world, died Sept. 14 at his home on Hood Canal, near Seattle. He was 94. He had Alzheimer’s disease, his family said in a statement announcing the death. (Bernstein, 9/15)
In related news —
The Hill:
Bill Gates Urges Congress To Spend $4B For COVID-19 Vaccines In Poor Countries
Microsoft founder Bill Gates is urging Congress to vote on spending at least $4 billion for COVID-19 vaccines in poorer countries. According to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's 2020 Goalkeeper report, Gates said there had not been so many countries in a recession simultaneously since 1870, he told The New York Times. He cited the period between 1990 and 2020, where the global poverty rate — which is defined as living on less than $2 a day — fell to less than 7 percent from 37 percent. (Deese, 9/15)
