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Bill Gates made a name for himself -- and established his vast fortune -- as the co-founder and CEO of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT). The company is best known for developing its ubiquitous Windows operating system (OS), Internet Explorer, and Office suite of productivity software.

More recently, Microsoft has expanded its portfolio to include Azure cloud, the Teams workplace platform, Surface laptop and notebook computers, and Xbox gaming consoles, among others.

The AI connection

As the former CEO, it isn't surprising that so much of Gates' fortune is still tied up in Microsoft stock. It's easy to see why, aside from it being his former company. Gates has been vocal about the vast potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to change how we live and interact with technology. Microsoft is at the cutting edge of generative AI, developing a suite of Copilots to help streamline tasks and increase worker productivity.

A survey of early users found that 70% of respondents said Copilot made them more productive, and 77% said they didn't want to stop using it. Furthermore, AI is boosting Microsoft Azure, which has been the fastest-growing cloud infrastructure provider in the calendar fourth quarter, with revenue up 30% year over year. The company said six percentage points of that growth was thanks to AI.

Show me the money

In recent years, Gates has turned his attention to philanthropic endeavors, having pledged to eventually donate "virtually all" of his wealth to charity. To accomplish that goal, he set up the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, which holds a large chunk of his vast fortune.

Gates is estimated to be worth roughly $127 billion, according to Forbes. Regulatory filings reveal that nearly $46 billion of that total is held by the Trust. This includes more than 38 million shares of Microsoft stock, valued at more than $15 billion.

Investors could take a lesson from Gates. If he's willing to risk $15 billion on Microsoft stock, it might be worth a look.

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Danny Vena has positions in Microsoft. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Microsoft. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.