Many people often daydream about what they would do if they were handed a huge sum of money.
Most can't even fathom being rich on the scale of say Bill Gates, who is currently the sixth richest man in the world.
According to Forbes, the founder of Microsoft has only beaten out to the top spot by the likes of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Amazon chairman Jeff Bezos and Louis Vuitton magnate Bernard Arnault.
But what will happen to Gates' fortune when he passes away?
Advert
Can his loved ones expect a giant inheritance that would make the rest of us green with envy?
Not quite.
The philanthropist has made clear in the past that his wealth will not all be going to his three kids.
Boasting a net worth of around $117.9 billion, Gates has said previously that he expects to give away most of his money to charity.
Advert
Along with investor Warren Buffett – the fifth richest man in the world – Gates had previously pledged to donate at least half of his fortune to charity before or on his death.
Since making this promise in 2010, however, his net worth has more than doubled so there ought to be plenty of more money to donate.
Happy days for charities around the world, right?
However, it might mean there will be more money for his children when he's gone, as Gates had also promised to leave behind a safety net for his family to make sure they are still financially secure.
Advert
Gates has three children with ex-wife Melinda – Jennifer, Rory and Phoebe – and the billionaire had previously confirmed 'they are never going to be poorly off' but stressed that they'd have to find careers of their own rather than rely on his inheritance.
The plan is for Gates to give most of his money to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the charitable organisation that the pair had set up.
Since it was launched in 2000, the foundation has worked to enhance healthcare and reduce poverty around the world, whilst expanding educational opportunities in the US.
Gates is only 67-years-old so hopefully he has many more years left yet and will only get richer in that time.
What he almost definitely won't do is splash his cash on cryptocurrency and NFTs, after he'd previously denounced them as relying on the 'bigger fool' theory that they always need someone dumber to come along and buy them off you.
Topics: Bill Gates, Money
Ben Thompson