Bill Gates is best known as the co-founder and former CEO of Microsoft and now serves as Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world’s largest funders of global health and development. Through the foundation, he has committed tens of billions of dollars to cancer-relevant interventions, including HPV vaccination scale-up, hepatitis B control, and strengthening diagnostics and treatment capacity in low- and middle-income countries.
Gates has consistently argued that real progress in cancer care requires not only scientific breakthroughs but also system-level innovation to ensure those advances reach patients everywhere. Through sustained investment, global partnerships, and a data-driven focus on impact, Bill Gates has helped position cancer control as a central component of global health equity, with prevention and access at the core of improving outcomes worldwide.
After co-founding Microsoft and leading it to global prominence, Gates transitioned in 2008 to focus full-time on philanthropy. Through the Gates Foundation
With long-term funding of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and partnerships with the WHO and manufacturers, Gates has helped build platforms that now support cancer-prevention and oncology-related services worldwide. He is a recipient of the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom and the French Legion of Honour, and has pledged to donate nearly all of his wealth to philanthropy.
The 100 Most Influential People in Oncology in 2025 recognizes the changemakers in cancer care who have helped shape current practice in oncology and continue to drive innovation and research towards better outcomes, advocacy, philanthropy, leadership and education. For the many deserving individuals not mentioned in this list, we will continue to acknowledge, honor and elevate your voices in our daily publications from across the world.
See the full list of The 100 Influential People in Oncology in 2025 and stay tuned for the results of special category nominations to be announced.
