Steve Ballmer is $65 Billion Richer than Bill Gates. Here’s Why.

Steve Ballmer is $65 Billion Richer than Bill Gates. Here’s Why. Steve Ballmer is $65 Billion Richer than Bill Gates.

Here’s Why. Crispus Nyaga Mon, August 31, 2026 at 3:30 PM GMT+2 4 min read MSFT Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Steve Ballmer , the former Microsoft CEO, has added more than $10 billion to his net worth this year as the stock rebounded to $513 after falling as low as $348 earlier in the year.

That has pushed his net worth to $179 billion, making him the ninth-richest person in the world. Notably, he has now overtaken Bill Gates , whose fortune has dropped $2. 7 billion this year to $114 billion, meaning Ballmer is $65 billion richer than the man who founded the company.

Don't Miss: A single bad hire can set a startup back years. Here are the 5 hires founders most often misjudge — and why Still Learning the Market? These 50 Must-Know Terms Can Help You Catch Up Fast MSFT stock Microsoft stock has rebounded after falling to $348 | Source: TradingView Ballmer's wealth has made him Microsoft's biggest individual shareholder.

According to Bloomberg, he owns a 4% stake in Microsoft, a company valued at $3. 81 trillion. In addition to this, Ballmer's wealth is tied to his stake in the Los Angeles Clippers, which he bought in a $2 billion deal.

Today, the team is valued at $7. 5 billion, and this growth will likely continue growing as team valuations surge. Trending: Avoid the #1 Investing Mistake: How Your 'Safe' Holdings Could Be Costing You Big Time Bill Gates Has Given More Money to Charity The main reason why Steve Ballmer is richer than Bill Gates is that the latter has dedicated his life to philanthropy.

He is now focused on giving away his fortune, mostly through the Gates Foundation. As a result, he has given away nearly $100 billion in his lifetime and owns less than 1% of Microsoft. Additionally, Bill Gates wealth was affected by his Divorce in 2021.

According to the New York Times , his foundation made a $7. 9 billion payout to the private foundation of Melinda French Gates. Gates has said that he will shut his foundation in 2045, when he has completed giving away all his wealth.

See Also: Skip the Regrets: The Essential Retirement Tips Experts Wish Everyone Knew Earlier. To be sure. Ballmer is also a philanthropic person through the Ballmer Group, which he founded with his wife in 2015.

According to its website, the organization gave away $1. 48 billion in grants in 2025. Forbes notes that he has already given away to organizations in areas like behavioral health, criminal justice, housing, and public safety.

Microsoft has rebounded in the past few months, a trend that accelerated after the last earnings report. This report showed that its revenue and profitability continued rising in the last quarter, with management hiking the forward guidance. Also, its investments in Anthropic and OpenAI have boosted its performance.

Story Continues The main issue, however, is that its spending on AI is accelerating. Benzinga data shows that the average estimate among analysts is $557, slightly higher than where it is today. Image: Shutterstock Read Next: Think you're saving enough for your kids?

You might be dangerously off — see why Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That's why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts.

By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn't tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry. Arrived Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100 .

This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly. Qnetic As electricity demand rises alongside AI, data centers, and renewable energy, long-duration energy storage is becoming increasingly important. Qnetic is developing a kinetic energy storage system designed to provide long-lasting, chemical-free electricity storage , offering investors exposure to the infrastructure supporting a more resilient and reliable power grid.

EquityMultiple   For accredited investors looking beyond stocks and bonds, EquityMultiple provides access to vetted commercial real estate deals starting at $5,000 , with only ~5% of opportunities passing their due diligence process.   FarmTogether Farmland has historically held its value through market volatility and delivered returns uncorrelated to stocks and bonds. For accredited investors, FarmTogether offers direct access to high-quality U.

S. farmland starting at $15,000 — fully managed, with no landlord headaches. Fundrise Private real estate and private credit can add income and stability to a stock-heavy portfolio.

Fundrise offers access to diversified private real estate and credit strategies through an easy-to-use platform, with professionally managed portfolios designed to generate passive income and long-term growth. © 2026 Benzinga. com.

Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.