The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has started informing its employees about upcoming layoffs, reports the Wall Street Journal. According to the publication, the Foundation has sent a memo to its staff informing them to cut up to 500 jobs, or roughly 20% of its workforce.
For those unaware, Gates has previously announced plans to formally wind down the Foundation by 2045. The WSJ claims to have seen the memo the Foundation sent to its staff. According to it, Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman said in the memo “This is a challenging time for our organization in many ways, but it also highlights the critical importance of taking the tough actions now”.As part of the restructuring, the Foundation plans to reduce its current staff of around 2,375 employees.
In the first phase, about 200 positions are expected to be cut by the end of 2027. Over a longer period, the organization could reduce up to 500 roles by 2030 as it works toward meeting its new expense targets.
Gates Foundation sets record spending in 2026
Earlier this year in January, the Foundation announced that it will spend a record $9 billion in 2026, its highest annual budget so far. The $9 billion budget for 2026 includes increases for programmes focused on women’s health, vaccines, polio, AI tools, and education.
Gates recently wrote that global health indicators slipped last year, noting that child deaths increased for the first time in two decades.“The next five years will be difficult as we try to get back on track and work to scale up new lifesaving tools,” Gates wrote. Still, he said he remains optimistic about long-term progress.The foundation plans to accelerate spending in three key areas:• maternal and child health• infectious disease prevention• poverty reduction
Gates Foundation looks to cut expenses
The WSJ report says that Gates Foundation is planning to reduce its operating expenses as part of a broader cost-control effort, according to an internal memo. The foundation, as mentioned above, has a 2026 budget of about $9 billion. It aims to cap its operating expenses at $1.25 billion.
