Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Melinda French Gates Alters How She Will Give Away Billions To Charities
The Wall Street Journal: Melinda French Gates No Longer Pledges Bulk Of Her Wealth To Gates Foundation
Melinda French Gates is no longer pledging to give the bulk of her wealth to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and instead plans to spread it among philanthropic endeavors, according to people familiar with the matter. The billionaire made the change official in late 2021 following her divorce from Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates, the people said, when she published her first individual Giving Pledge letter. ... Bill Gates, in his most recent letter, reiterated that most of his wealth will go toward philanthropy, specifying that it will be through the Gates Foundation. “The foundation is my top philanthropic priority, even as my giving in other areas has grown over the years—primarily in mitigation of climate change and tackling Alzheimer’s disease,” he wrote. (Glazer, 2/2)
Barrons: Where Melinda Gates Might Give Her Money Now
Melinda French Gates will likely focus on issues related to gender and equality, while remaining committed to global health and global development causes, after she withdrew her pledge to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, experts say. ... Gates has an estimated net worth of US$6 billion, according to Forbes. (Block, 2/2)
In case you missed it —
The New York Times: Who Is On The New Gates Foundation Board?
For the first time ever, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will be governed by a board that includes people who are not named Gates or Buffett. The question is whether they will have the power to change anything, or even want to. The foundation on Wednesday named the head of the London School of Economics, a fellow billionaire philanthropist and a founder of a nonprofit management consulting firm to join Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates on a newly created governing board that will oversee the charity. (Kulish, 1/26)
Reuters: Gates, Wellcome Pledge $150 Mln Each To Pandemic Preparedness Group
Global health charities the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust each pledged $150 million to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to fund its COVID-19 pandemic response and help put it on better footing for future major health crises. (1/18)
