Why Bill Gates is giving away his money faster

Enlarge this image Bill Gates speaks during an event in New Delhi, India in March. Arun Sankar/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Arun Sankar/AFP via Getty Images Bill Gates speaks during an event in New Delhi, India in March. Arun Sankar/AFP via Getty Images Last week, the Gates Foundation announced it would spend more than $200 billion over the next 20 years — including nearly all the personal wealth of chair Bill Gates — and sunset operations in 2045. The Foundation says its goals are combating maternal and infant mortality, treating infectious diseases and lifting millions out of poverty. (The Gates Foundation is also a financial supporter of NPR, though we cover it like any other organization.) The announcement comes at a time when the U.S. is drastically reducing foreign aid commitments under the Trump administration, and other wealthy nations are also cutting global health funding. Sponsor Message But in an interview with NPR about his decision, Gates said he remains optimistic that new scientific advances create opportunities to save lives. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at [email protected]. This episode was produced by Alejandra Marquez Hanse and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Simon-Laslo Janssen. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.