These 3 Billionaires Won’t Leave Their Fortunes to Their Children—and Here’s Why

Some of the world’s wealthiest people, including Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and investment legend Warren Buffett, have expressed their intention not to pass their fortunes on to their children and grandchildren. Each has given their own reasons:

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Meta, and his wife, Chan Zuckerberg, who have three children, have said that they want to direct their wealth toward society, medical research and education. They have said society needs to make progress now in order to make the world a better and more prosperous place.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has also said: “My children have received an excellent education from me and from school, but when it comes to the wealth they will receive, it will be less than 1% of my total fortune.” More recently, he made a firm pledge to donate all of his wealth—about $200 billion—to charitable funds that actively help people in need, over the next 20-plus years at most.

Meanwhile, investment legend Warren Buffett, owner of Berkshire Hathaway, has said that his children are building and shaping their own lives. His children—Howard, Susan and Peter—have never wanted or expected to inherit their father’s wealth. They have said plainly that if their father asked whether they would rather take $50 million to spend for fun over a year or donate $50 million to charity, they would clearly choose to donate the $50 million their father gave them.

According to Forbes, as of May 26, 2025, Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth was $216.7 billion, Bill Gates’ was $115 billion, and Warren Buffett’s was $156.9 billion.