ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation invested in Apple, Amazon, and Google last quarter

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust invested in Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Alibaba, and Twitter last quarter.

Jeff Bezos Bill Gates Tennis
  • The investment arm of the world's largest private foundation revealed the new tech bets, valued north of $450 million in total, in a recent financial filing .
  • The trust also trimmed its biggest holding, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, likely to finance the foundation's efforts to combat coronavirus.
  • The coronavirus sell-off fueled a 19% drop in the value of its portfolio to about $17.4 billion.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust placed big bets on technology titans in the first quarter, according to a recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing .

The trust, which manages the assets of the world's largest private foundation, revealed new positions in Apple, Amazon, Google-parent Alphabet, Alibaba, and Twitter. Its stakes in the first four were valued between $100 million and $130 million each on March 31, while its Twitter holdings were worth about $7 million.

The trust also revealed a $301 million stake in Schrodinger following the drug-discovery software group's public debut in February. The only other change to its portfolio was the sale of five million Berkshire Hathaway shares, representing 10% of its stake in Warren Buffett's conglomerate.

ADVERTISEMENT

The cut to its biggest holding is no surprise: Buffett is a close friend of Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda, and gifts shares to their foundation each year to help finance its philanthropy.

Read More: Jefferies breaks down the top 22 stocks it thinks you should buy right now including 6 fast-risers that just captured its attention The trust's flurry of purchases did little to soften the blow from the coronavirus sell-off. Its portfolio shrunk in value by 19% to about $17.4 billion, as FedEx, UPS, Liberty Global, Walmart, and other holdings suffered share-price declines. Gates has emerged as a leading commentator on the COVID-19 outbreak due to his deep experience in fighting diseases and vaccinating populations, and his warning of a pandemic back in 2015 . The philanthropist recently said his foundation is giving " total attention " to the pandemic, and expects to spend billions constructing vaccine factories. Read More: The world's biggest investors are notoriously skeptical of the stock market's bet for a quick economic recovery and warning that the 'fantasy' rally will soon come crashing down NOW WATCH: Tax Day is now July 15 this is what it's like to do your own taxes for the very first time See Also: WeWork could falter as costs spiral and social distancing hits offices, the boss of a rival real-estate group said RBC handpicks 8 tech stocks that could continue to grow revenues during the crisis and are built like 'rocket ships' for the next boom 10 big-money investors each share the single market risk they think traders are overlooking right now

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng

Recommended articles

7 do's and don’ts of the Holy month of Ramadan

7 do's and don’ts of the Holy month of Ramadan

Top 5 sweetest celebrity mother-child relationships that stand out for us

Top 5 sweetest celebrity mother-child relationships that stand out for us

International Women's Day: 5 Nigerian female celebrities championing women’s rights

International Women's Day: 5 Nigerian female celebrities championing women’s rights

Top 5 female directors in Nollywood

Top 5 female directors in Nollywood

6 things that will break a Muslim's fast during Ramadan

6 things that will break a Muslim's fast during Ramadan

5 benefits of fasting during Ramadan

5 benefits of fasting during Ramadan

Dos and don’ts of supporting Muslims during Ramadan

Dos and don’ts of supporting Muslims during Ramadan

5 young women who embody Y2K and alte fashion

5 young women who embody Y2K and alte fashion

How March became women's history month

How March became women's history month

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT