Editing Bill Gates (section)

=== Business ventures and investments ===
Gates has a multi-billion dollar investment portfolio with stakes in companies in multiple sectors and has participated in several entrepreneurial ventures beyond Microsoft, including:

* [[AutoNation]], an automotive retailer which trades on the [[NYSE]] and in which Gates has a 16% stake.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.barrons.com/articles/bill-gates-cuts-stake-in-autonation-stock-51633732894|title= Bill Gates Cuts His Stake in AutoNation Stock|work= [[Barron's (newspaper)|Barron's]]|date= October 9, 2021|access-date= January 14, 2023|archive-date= January 14, 2023|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230114162407/https://www.barrons.com/articles/bill-gates-cuts-stake-in-autonation-stock-51633732894|url-status= live}}</ref>
* [[bgC3]] LLC, a think-tank and research company founded by Gates.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | url=http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2008/10/22/22readwriteweb-bill_gates_new_company.html | title=Bill Gates Has Started a New Company, bgC3 | author=Marshall Kirpatric | date=October 22, 2008 | access-date=February 25, 2022 | archive-date=October 28, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081028031415/http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2008/10/22/22readwriteweb-bill_gates_new_company.html | url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Canadian National Railway|Canadian National Railway (CN)]], a Canadian [[Class I railroad|Class I freight railway]]. As of 2019, Gates is the single largest shareholder of the company.<ref name="CBC">{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/bill-gates-now-biggest-cn-shareholder-1.1036661|title=Bill Gates now biggest CN shareholder (CA;CNR)|date=April 25, 2011|work=[[CBC News]]|access-date=November 17, 2019|archive-date=April 27, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427083311/http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2011/04/25/gates-cn-railway-shareholder.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Cascade Investment]] LLC, a private investment and holding company incorporated in the United States, founded and controlled by Gates and headquartered in [[Kirkland, Washington]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.swfinstitute.org/profile/598cdaa50124e9fd2d05ab95 | title=Cascade Investment (Bill and Melinda Gates Investments (BMGI)) – Family Office, United States – SWFI | access-date=September 19, 2022 | archive-date=June 29, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629054039/https://www.swfinstitute.org/profile/598cdaa50124e9fd2d05ab95 | url-status=live }}</ref>
**Gates is the largest private owner of farmland in the United States with his landholdings owned through Cascade Investment totalling 242,000 acres across 19 states.<ref name=bglr>{{Cite web|date=January 11, 2021|title=Bill Gates: America's Top Farmland Owner {{!}} The Land Report|url=https://landreport.com/2021/01/bill-gates-americas-top-farmland-owner/|access-date=February 11, 2021|website=landreport.com|language=en-US|archive-date=January 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111201357/https://landreport.com/2021/01/bill-gates-americas-top-farmland-owner/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=nebg>{{Cite web|date=April 5, 2021|title=Bill Gates is the biggest private owner of farmland in the United States. Why? {{!}} Nick Estes|url=http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/apr/05/bill-gates-climate-crisis-farmland|access-date=April 5, 2021|website=The Guardian|language=en|archive-date=April 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210405125147/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/apr/05/bill-gates-climate-crisis-farmland|url-status=live}}</ref> He is the 49th largest private owner of land in the US.<ref name=hwbg>{{Cite web|last=Weinberger|first=Hannah|title=Bill Gates is investing big in American farmland {{!}} Crosscut|url=https://crosscut.com/environment/2021/02/bill-gates-investing-big-american-farmland|access-date=February 11, 2021|website=crosscut.com|language=en|archive-date=February 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210133716/https://crosscut.com/environment/2021/02/bill-gates-investing-big-american-farmland|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Carbon Engineering]], a for-profit venture founded by [[David Keith (scientist)|David Keith]], which Gates helped fund.<ref name=thts>{{cite news|last1=Hamilton|first1=Tyler|title=Snatching CO2 back from the air|url=https://www.thestar.com/business/2015/10/08/snatching-co2-back-from-the-air.html|newspaper=The Toronto Star|date=October 8, 2015|publisher=Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd.|access-date=November 6, 2015|archive-date=October 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029053918/http://www.thestar.com/business/2015/10/08/snatching-co2-back-from-the-air.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=aenyt>{{cite news|last1=Eisenberg|first1=Anne|title=Pulling Carbon Dioxide Out of Thin Air|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/06/business/pilot-plant-in-the-works-for-carbon-dioxide-cleansing.html|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=December 3, 2015|date=January 4, 2013|archive-date=January 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130108103821/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/06/business/pilot-plant-in-the-works-for-carbon-dioxide-cleansing.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="guntherguardian">{{cite magazine|last1=Gunther|first1=Marc|title=The business of cooling the planet|url=http://fortune.com/2011/10/07/the-business-of-cooling-the-planet/|magazine=Fortune|access-date=April 18, 2021|archive-date=September 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928070805/https://fortune.com/2011/10/07/the-business-of-cooling-the-planet/|url-status=live}}</ref> It is also supported by [[Chevron Corporation]] and [[Occidental Petroleum]].<ref name="kbcnbc">{{cite news |last1=Brigham |first1=Katie |title=Bill Gates and Big Oil back this company that's trying to solve climate change by sucking CO2 out of the air |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/21/carbon-engineering-co2-capture-backed-by-bill-gates-oil-companies.html |publisher=CNBC LLC |date=June 22, 2019 |access-date=April 18, 2021 |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922203716/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/21/carbon-engineering-co2-capture-backed-by-bill-gates-oil-companies.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
** [[SCoPEx]], Keith's academic venture in "sun-dimming" [[geoengineering]], which Gates provided most of the $12 million for.<ref name="tollefson18">{{cite journal |doi=10.1038/d41586-018-07533-4|title=doi|year=2018|pmid=30479388|doi-access=free|last1=Tollefson|first1=J.|journal=Nature|volume=563|issue=7733|pages=613–615}}</ref>
* [[Branded Entertainment Network|Corbis]] (originally named Interactive Home Systems and now known as Branded Entertainment Network), a digital image licensing and rights services company founded and chaired by Gates.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Corbis Images Sold by Bill Gates to Visual China Group {{!}} PetaPixel|url=https://petapixel.com/2016/01/22/corbis-images-sold-by-bill-gates-to-china-visual-group/|access-date=June 6, 2021|website=petapixel.com|date=January 22, 2016|archive-date=January 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160124040524/https://petapixel.com/2016/01/22/corbis-images-sold-by-bill-gates-to-china-visual-group/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[EarthNow]], a Seattle-based startup company aiming to blanket the Earth with live satellite video coverage. Gates is a large financial backer.<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 18, 2018|title=Bill Gates, Airbus and SoftBank invest in satellite video startup that wants to help us 'see and understand the Earth live and unfiltered'|url=https://www.geekwire.com/2018/earthnow-satellite-video-bill-gates/|access-date=May 25, 2021|website=GeekWire|language=en-US|archive-date=April 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422105722/https://www.geekwire.com/2018/earthnow-satellite-video-bill-gates/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Eclipse Aviation]], a defunct manufacturer of [[very light jet]]s. Gates was a major stake-holder early on in the project.<ref name="Aviation.com15Jan08">{{cite web|url=http://www.aviation.com/business/080115-eclipse-aviation-investment.html |title=Eclipse Aviation Gets Foreign Investment |access-date=January 21, 2023 |last=Clark |first=Heather |date=January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517201528/http://www.aviation.com/business/080115-eclipse-aviation-investment.html |archive-date=May 17, 2008 }}</ref>
* [[Impossible Foods]], a company that develops [[Meat analogue|plant-based substitutes]] for meat products. Some of the $396 million [[Patrick O. Brown]] collected for his business came from Gates around 2014 to 2017.<ref name="kgcnbc">{{cite news |last1=Gilchrist |first1=Karen |title=How Impossible Burger's 'simple' vision won hundreds of millions in funding — and backing from Bill Gates |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/08/bill-gates-backed-impossible-burger-ceo-patrick-brown-on-fighting-meat.html |publisher=CNBC LLC |date=March 7, 2019 |access-date=April 18, 2021 |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922203716/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/08/bill-gates-backed-impossible-burger-ceo-patrick-brown-on-fighting-meat.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ssnyt">{{cite news |last1=Strom |first1=Stephanie |title=Impossible Burger's 'Secret Sauce' Highlights Challenges of Food Tech |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/08/business/impossible-burger-food-meat.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808105847/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/08/business/impossible-burger-food-meat.html |archive-date=August 8, 2017 |url-access=limited |work=The New York Times |date=August 8, 2017}}</ref><ref name="bmbh">{{cite news |title=Beyond the Headlines: A Clarification Regarding Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods |url=https://www.beyondmeat.com/whats-new/beyond-the-headlines-a-clarification-regarding-beyond-meat-and-impossible-foods/ |publisher=Beyond Meat |date=August 15, 2017 |access-date=April 18, 2021 |archive-date=December 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207192716/https://www.beyondmeat.com/whats-new/beyond-the-headlines-a-clarification-regarding-beyond-meat-and-impossible-foods/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Ecolab]], a global provider of water, hygiene and energy technologies and services to the food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets. Combined with the shares owned by the Foundation, Gates owns 11.6% of the company. A shareholder agreement in 2012 allowed him to own up to 25% of the company, but this agreement was removed.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tribune|first=Patrick Kennedy Star|title=Bill Gates' investment firm increases its ownership in Ecolab|url=https://www.startribune.com/bill-gates-investment-firm-ups-its-ownership-in-ecolab/476699613/|access-date=October 5, 2021|website=Star Tribune|archive-date=March 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313202924/https://www.startribune.com/bill-gates-investment-firm-ups-its-ownership-in-ecolab/476699613/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[ResearchGate]], a social networking site for scientists. Gates participated in a $35&nbsp;million round of financing along with other investors.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-04/bill-gates-joins-35-million-investment-in-startup-researchgate.html |title=Bill Gates Joins $35 Million Funding in Startup ResearchGate |publisher=Bloomberg |last=Levy |first=Jared Ari |date=June 4, 2013 |access-date=January 28, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109223625/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-04/bill-gates-joins-35-million-investment-in-startup-researchgate.html |archive-date=January 9, 2015 }}</ref>
* [[TerraPower]], a nuclear reactor design company co-founded and chaired by Gates, which is developing next generation [[Traveling wave reactor|traveling-wave reactor]] [[nuclear power plant]]s in an effort to tackle [[climate change]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bill Gates Talks About the Potential of Nuclear Innovation on '60 Minutes'|url=https://www.nei.org/news/2021/bill-gates-nuclear-innovation-60-minutes|access-date=April 21, 2021|website=Nuclear Energy Institute|date=February 17, 2021|archive-date=February 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217234537/https://www.nei.org/news/2021/bill-gates-nuclear-innovation-60-minutes|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Clifford|first=Catherine|date=April 8, 2021|title=How Bill Gates' company TerraPower is building next-generation nuclear power|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/08/bill-gates-terrapower-is-building-next-generation-nuclear-power.html|access-date=April 20, 2021|website=CNBC|language=en|archive-date=April 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210408173250/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/08/bill-gates-terrapower-is-building-next-generation-nuclear-power.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Carpenter|first=Scott|title=Bill Gates' Nuclear Startup Unveils Mini-Reactor Design Including Molten Salt Energy Storage|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottcarpenter/2020/08/31/bill-gates-nuclear-firm-says-new-reactor-can-backstop-grid-with-molten-salt-storage/|access-date=April 20, 2021|website=Forbes|language=en|archive-date=September 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901150204/https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottcarpenter/2020/08/31/bill-gates-nuclear-firm-says-new-reactor-can-backstop-grid-with-molten-salt-storage/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Mufson|first=Steven|title=Bill Gates comes to Washington — selling the promise of nuclear energy|language=en-US|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/bill-gates-comes-to-washington--selling-the-promise-of-nuclear-energy/2019/01/25/4bd9c030-1445-11e9-b6ad-9cfd62dbb0a8_story.html|access-date=April 22, 2021|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=February 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221182744/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/bill-gates-comes-to-washington--selling-the-promise-of-nuclear-energy/2019/01/25/4bd9c030-1445-11e9-b6ad-9cfd62dbb0a8_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Gardner|first=Timothy|date=August 28, 2020|title=Bill Gates' nuclear venture plans reactor to complement solar, wind power boom|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-nuclearpower-terrapower-idUSKBN25N2U8|access-date=April 22, 2021|archive-date=April 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422212144/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-nuclearpower-terrapower-idUSKBN25N2U8|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Breakthrough Energy Ventures]], a closed fund for wealthy individuals who seek [[Return on investment|ROI]] on a 20-year horizon (see [[#Climate change and energy|next section]]), which "is funding green start-ups and a host of other low-carbon entrepreneurial projects, including everything from advanced [[nuclear technology]] to synthetic [[breast milk]]." It was founded by Gates in 2015.<ref name="katnr">{{cite news |last1=Aronoff |first1=Kate |title=The Dark Side of Bill Gates's Climate Techno-Optimism |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/161533/bill-gates-climate-vaccines |publisher=The New Republic |date=March 3, 2021 |access-date=April 20, 2021 |archive-date=April 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420171012/https://newrepublic.com/article/161533/bill-gates-climate-vaccines |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Ginkgo Bioworks]], a [[Biotechnology|biotech]] startup that received $350 million in venture funding in 2019, in part from Gates's investment firm Cascade Investment.<ref name="Reuters 2019-10-09">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ginkgobio-fundraising-idUSKBN1WO1U9 |title=Ginkgo Bioworks raises $350 million fund for biotech spinouts |work=Reuters |date=October 9, 2019 |access-date=April 27, 2021 |archive-date=April 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427133901/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ginkgobio-fundraising-idUSKBN1WO1U9 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Luminous Computing, a company that develops [[neuromorphic]] [[photonic integrated circuits]] for [[AI]] acceleration.
* Mologic, a British diagnostic technology company that Gates purchased, along with the [[Soros Economic Development Fund]], "which has developed 10-minute Covid [[lateral flow test]]s that it aims to make for as little as $1".<ref name="mfdt">{{cite news |last1=Field |first1=Matthew |title=Bill Gates and George Soros join buyout of UK Covid testing company |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/07/18/bill-gates-soros-join-buyout-uk-covid-testing-company/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/07/18/bill-gates-soros-join-buyout-uk-covid-testing-company/ |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The Telegraph|date=July 18, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>