TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto revealed that the founder of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, has granted funds to Indonesia amounting to US$ 159 million since 2009, which is approximately Rp2.6 trillion (assuming the exchange rate at Rp16,552 per US dollar). The funding has been largely used for research and testing of vaccines, including tuberculosis (TB), polio, and malaria.
"In health, US$119 million, agriculture US$5 million, technology US$5 million, and other cross-sector social assistance totalling more than US$28 million," said Prabowo at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. So, what is the profile of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation?
Profile of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
According to its official website, the philanthropic foundation of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation began as a foundation established by Bill Gates' father in 1994, William Henry Gates II or Bill Gates Sr. The William H. Gates Foundation was launched to support scientific research, global health, and local philanthropic efforts.
In 1997, Bill Gates and his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, introduced the Gates Library Foundation to assist all public libraries in the United States in providing free internet access. Subsequently, the Gates Library Foundation was renamed the Gates Learning Foundation.
In 1999, the Gates Millennium Scholarship program was established with the aim of increasing college graduates from minority backgrounds in the fields of science and other disciplines. Then, Bill and Melinda Gates launched Sound Families in 2000 to address homelessness issues in the Puget Sound area.
In the same year, Bill and Melinda officially launched the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is a combination of the William H. Gates Foundation and Gates Learning Foundation. However, the foundation's name was changed back to Gates Foundation after Melinda Gates decided to step down from her position as Vice Chair in June 2024.
Bill Gates is now the sole Chair of the Gates Foundation, while his former wife is reportedly planning to establish a new foundation. "It's time for me to move to the next phase. Based on the agreement with Bill, if I leave the foundation, I will receive an additional US$12.5 billion to commit to women and families," said Melinda in X (Twitter), last May.
Has Granted Funds of Rp 1.284 Trillion
Gates Foundation is currently led by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Suzman, under the guidance of Bill Gates. The number of employees at the foundation's headquarters in Seattle, Washington, USA, has reached 2,026 people.
Since its establishment until the end of 2023, Gates Foundation claims to have disbursed grants amounting to US$77.6 billion, or approximately Rp1.284 trillion. Meanwhile, the total charitable support in 2023 amounted to US$7.7 billion.
Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates have also personally donated funds to the foundation as of 2023, amounting to US$59.5 billion. Former Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffet has also donated US$39.3 billion to the foundation. The Gates Foundation's endowment fund as of December 31, 2023 amounted to US$75.2 billion.
As of 2023, Gates Foundation has funded grant recipients in 48 states in the United States and the District of Columbia. At the international level, the philanthropic foundation has funded various projects in 135 countries.
Dewi Rina Cahyani contributed to the writing of this article.
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