Microsoft is a publicly traded company with no controlling owner. Satya Nadella has served as CEO since 2014, but the more interesting ownership story right now involves the company’s co-founder: in early 2026, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust sold its remaining 7.7 million Microsoft shares, worth roughly $3.2 billion, fully exiting a position that traces back to the company’s founding.
That means Bill Gates, in any practical sense, is done as a Microsoft shareholder through the foundation. Former CEO Steve Ballmer, by contrast, has held onto his stake and remains the largest individual shareholder by a wide margin.
Quick Facts
| Company | Microsoft Corporation |
|---|---|
| Ownership Type | Publicly traded (NASDAQ: MSFT), no controlling owner |
| CEO | Satya Nadella (since 2014) |
| Largest Individual Shareholder | Steve Ballmer (~4.4%) |
| Bill Gates Foundation Trust Stake | Fully exited as of early 2026 |
| Largest Institutional Shareholders | Vanguard (~9.6%), BlackRock (~8.1%) |
| Founded | 1975 |
Ownership History
| Year | Development |
|---|---|
| 1975 | Bill Gates and Paul Allen found Microsoft |
| 1986 | Microsoft goes public |
| 2000 | Steve Ballmer becomes CEO, succeeding Bill Gates |
| 2014 | Satya Nadella becomes CEO, succeeding Ballmer |
| 2000s-2020s | Bill Gates gradually sells down his direct Microsoft stake over two decades to fund the Gates Foundation’s philanthropic work |
| Early 2026 | The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust sells its remaining 7.7 million Microsoft shares for approximately $3.2 billion, fully exiting the position |
Key Ownership Highlights
- Steve Ballmer, not Bill Gates, is now Microsoft’s largest individual shareholder at roughly 4.4%, a position built over decades and never significantly sold down the way Gates’s stake was.
- The Gates Foundation Trust’s full 2026 exit closes out a decades-long process of Gates converting his Microsoft equity into philanthropic funding rather than passing it down as a family holding.
- Satya Nadella himself holds a comparatively modest personal stake (around 900,000 shares) despite running the company since 2014, reflecting how little founder-era concentration remains at Microsoft today.
- Institutional index funds, led by Vanguard and BlackRock, together hold the vast majority of shares, accounting for over 70% of shares outstanding.
Related Reading
See also our profile of fellow enterprise tech giant Oracle.
See also our profile of fellow internet infrastructure company Cloudflare.
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FAQ
Does Bill Gates still own Microsoft?
Effectively no. The Gates Foundation Trust sold its remaining shares in early 2026, and Gates personally has also sold the vast majority of shares he once held.
Who is Microsoft’s largest individual shareholder now?
Former CEO Steve Ballmer, holding roughly 4.4% of the company.