Why has Bill Gates fallen out of America’s richest 10 after three decades?

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who dominated the ranks of America’s wealthiest for nearly 25 years, has dropped to No. 14 on Forbes’ 2025 list. His estimated fortune now stands at $107 billion, placing him just behind Bloomberg LP co-founder Mike Bloomberg and ahead of Walmart heiress Alice Walton, the country’s richest woman.

Gates consistently held the No. 1 or No. 2 spot on the Forbes 400 from 1991 until 2021. This year marks the first time in 34 years he is outside the top 10. His decline accelerated after his 2021 divorce from Melinda French Gates, who received $12.5 billion for her philanthropy and assets currently valued at $29 billion.

Unlike many billionaires, Gates has deliberately reduced his wealth. In May 2025, he announced plans to donate 99% of his remaining fortune to the Gates Foundation over the next two decades, aiming to support global health, preventable deaths, and disease eradication. Since last year, he has already contributed $7 billion to the foundation.

Gates became a billionaire in 1987 at age 31, and from 1995 to 2017, he topped Forbes’ list 18 times. He also co-launched the Giving Pledge with Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett in 2010, encouraging the world’s richest to donate at least half of their wealth.

While Gates’ fortune declines, other billionaires grow richer. Elon Musk remains the world’s wealthiest since May 2024, followed by Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and others. Nine of the top ten richest people globally are Americans, with the exception of France’s Bernard Arnault.

Gates, who turns 70 in October, remains focused on his philanthropic mission. Forbes estimates that had he retained all his Microsoft shares, his net worth could reach $1.2 trillion—nearly three times that of Elon Musk—demonstrating his deliberate choice to prioritize global impact over personal wealth.