Interesting discovery about how the super-rich think about inheritance. Bill Gates recently revealed in a podcast interview that his children will inherit less than 1% of his total wealth. Considering that Bill Gates' net worth is around 128 billion dollars, we're talking about just over 1 billion for each — an amount that would be astronomical for most of us, but for Gates, it’s a conscious and philosophical choice.

What struck me is the motivation behind this decision. Gates doesn’t want his children to live in the shadow of his extraordinary wealth. He clearly stated that one thing is providing them with excellent education and support, another is leaving them a fortune that could paralyze them. His three children — Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe — have already graduated from prestigious universities, and Gates wants them to build their own path to success. He doesn’t ask them to manage Microsoft; in fact, he prefers they find their own income independently. This approach reflects a deep belief: too much inherited wealth is not a gift, but a potential handicap.

Previously, Gates and his ex-wife Melinda had already communicated this philosophy, setting an inheritance cap of 10 million dollars per child. An amount that for them represents a balance: enough to live well, but not so much as to never have to work. What fascinated me is how Bill Gates’ wealth, while among the largest in the world, is not seen by Gates as something to be passed down intact to descendants.

In comparison, his longtime friend Warren Buffett has a slightly different but complementary approach. In 2024, Buffett converted a significant portion of his Berkshire shares — about 1.143 billion dollars — transferring them to foundations managed by his three children. Buffett has always maintained that wealthy parents should leave enough for their children to do anything, but not so much that they do nothing. The difference is that Buffett channels much of his wealth into charitable foundations, allowing his children to have influence in managing them rather than direct massive inheritances.

What emerges from both cases is an evolution in thinking about wealth. It’s no longer just about accumulating assets, but about how to transmit them responsibly. Bill Gates’ wealth and Buffett’s represent a new generation of billionaires who see inheritance not as an automatic right, but as a thoughtful ethical decision.

In his latest letter to shareholders, Buffett even advised every parent to have their will read to family members while still alive. He has seen too many families torn apart by confusing wills or uncommunicated expectations. Gates and Buffett seem to agree on one point: transparency and clarity of intentions are more important than simply transferring money.

This perspective is particularly interesting for those observing how large capitals move in the world. While many seek to accumulate wealth, these two giants of finance and technology are redefining what it means to leave it behind. It’s not greed, as some might think, but a form of financial and human wisdom.