does bill gates own moderna stock?

Does Bill Gates own Moderna stock?

Early answer and what you'll gain: does bill gates own moderna stock — no definitive public record shows Bill Gates personally or the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust holding a controlling or major disclosed equity stake in Moderna. This article explains why that claim circulates, how ownership is verified through public filings, what documented Gates–Moderna collaborations actually entailed, and step‑by‑step checks you can perform yourself using SEC and institutional filings. Read on to learn the authoritative sources and the practical steps to verify current ownership.

Background — Moderna, Inc. (MRNA)

Moderna, Inc. (ticker MRNA) is a publicly traded biotechnology company focused on messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines. Founded in the 2010s, Moderna rose to global prominence with its mRNA COVID‑19 vaccine and remains active across vaccine and therapeutic pipelines. As a public company, Moderna has many institutional and individual shareholders; major holdings are disclosed in filings to regulators and in investor relations materials.

Public companies in the United States report ownership and large holdings through a combination of sources: company proxy statements, annual reports (Form 10‑K), current reports (Form 8‑K), and filings required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). For institutional investors, 13F filings and 13G/13D schedules provide quarterly snapshots of holdings by many large managers and trusts. Because Moderna is publicly traded, ownership by large investors or trusts is discoverable in these public records.

This article repeatedly answers the central search query — does bill gates own moderna stock — using public records, fact‑checks and official filings so you can understand what is verified versus what is rumor.

Who/what represents “Bill Gates” in investment records

When investigating "does bill gates own moderna stock" you must distinguish among three separate entities that appear in public records:

• Bill Gates the individual: personal accounts and investments reported under his name are separate from foundation assets. High‑net‑worth individuals sometimes hold assets privately or through family offices, but large holdings by individuals over reporting thresholds should appear in filings where required.

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (the charitable foundation): the foundation itself primarily holds charitable assets and engages in grants and program partnerships. The foundation does not typically operate like a public investment manager and its funding relationships with companies are often grants, contracts or program collaborations rather than equity investments.

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust (the Trust): this is the investment vehicle that manages the endowment assets backing the Gates Foundation. The Trust is the entity that files institutional disclosures with the SEC (for example, Form 13F) when required. When checking institutional holdings, the Gates Foundation Trust is the correct filing name to search for.

Claims that "Bill Gates owns" a company can refer to any of the above and thus must be checked against the specific records for each entity. For the question does bill gates own moderna stock, the most reliable records to consult are the Gates Foundation Trust 13F filings (for institutional holdings) and any filings under Bill Gates’ or his family office’s names (for personal holdings).

Public filings and shareholder records — what they show

Major shareholders of Moderna are identified through a combination of resources: Moderna’s own investor relations materials and proxy statements list insiders and significant early investors; the SEC’s EDGAR database contains 13F, 13G, 13D and other schedules that disclose institutional holdings; and financial data platforms and the Nasdaq institutional ownership pages aggregate these filings for easier reading.

As of the latest available public filings reviewed for this article, the prominent named shareholders of Moderna historically include company insiders and early scientific and institutional backers such as the company’s CEO and founders, early venture organizations tied to biotechnology entrepreneurship, and broad institutional managers. Public records and Moderna’s filings have identified early investors and affiliated organizations such as its founders and research partners, as well as venture‑style organizations and scientific founders — not Bill Gates personally.

For example, founder and executive ownership, early investor groups associated with biotechnology incubators, and venture organizations tied to the company’s scientific base are regularly listed in Moderna’s proxy statements and filings. These filings are the primary way to confirm whether an individual or institution is a large shareholder.

Relevant public‑data sources to consult

Authoritative sources to verify ownership include:

• SEC EDGAR filings (Form 10‑K, proxy statements, 8‑K, Forms 13F/13D/13G).
• Institutional 13F filings for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust.
• Moderna investor relations pages and annual proxy statements for named insiders and significant holders.
• Nasdaq institutional ownership summaries for ticker MRNA.
• Reputable fact‑check reporting and investigative journalism that cross‑references those filings.

These sources collectively show how major holders are named and when holdings change. When a claim about ownership is made, cross‑checking these items is the standard verification approach.

Gates Foundation’s funding and collaborations with Moderna

A frequent cause of the "does bill gates own moderna stock" confusion is the existence of documented funding, collaboration and grant relationships between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Moderna that are not the same as equity ownership.

Reported, documented interactions include program collaborations and grants aimed at advancing mRNA technology for global health applications. For example, as widely reported in trade press and foundation statements, the Gates Foundation entered into a program framework with Moderna around mid‑2010s to explore mRNA platforms for infectious disease vaccines, and the foundation provided grant funding to accelerate certain mRNA research efforts. These activities are recorded as grants, partnerships or program collaborations — not stock purchases disclosed as equity holdings by the foundation.

Specific reporting has noted grant sums and collaborative scopes in the 2015–2017 timeframe. For instance, early reporting from industry news outlets in 2016 described foundation grants to support mRNA work and partnership frameworks to explore vaccine research. These programmatic funding activities are common in global health philanthropy and reflect the foundation’s mission to accelerate vaccine platforms, especially for diseases that have less commercial incentive for private investment.

To be clear: grants and program collaborations do not equate to equity ownership. A foundation can fund research, deploy grants, sponsor partnerships and still have no disclosed large shareholding in a target company.

Fact‑checks and debunked claims

Reputable fact‑checkers investigated social posts that claimed the Gateses "own" Moderna. For example, as of Dec 30, 2020, USA TODAY published a fact‑check addressing viral claims that connected Bill and Melinda Gates to ownership of Moderna and other alleged conspiracies; the fact‑check concluded that the claim tying Bill Gates to ownership of Moderna was false and had merged foundation funding and public health activity with ownership allegations. (Reported: USA TODAY fact‑check, Dec 30, 2020.)

Independent fact‑checks emphasize the distinction between program funding or public‑health collaboration and actual equity ownership. They also cross‑checked corporate filings and public shareholder lists to find no evidence that Bill Gates personally or the Gates Foundation Trust was a controlling or major disclosed owner of Moderna shares at the time of their reviews.

This article’s review follows the same verification approach: check the Gates Foundation Trust 13F filings, Moderna’s proxy and SEC filings, and public statements. Those records do not show a large, controlling stake by Bill Gates or by the Foundation Trust in Moderna.

Why the confusion arises

Several factors create and amplify the misconception behind the question does bill gates own moderna stock:

• Philanthropic funding vs. equity: The Gates Foundation’s active funding of vaccine research and its public health programs are highly visible; some observers conflate philanthropic grants or program partnerships with ownership stakes.

• Visibility and narrative shortcuts: Bill Gates is a well‑known public figure associated with global health initiatives. Viral posts often use name recognition to make simple causal narratives (funding → ownership) that are easier to share than nuanced distinctions.

• Secondary reporting and social media: Posts and articles sometimes misread or misinterpret documents, combining separate facts (e.g., foundation grant + Moderna roadmap) into a single unfounded claim about stock ownership.

• Indirect or pooled exposures: Large charitable trusts and investment managers may have exposure to a company through pooled funds, ETFs or other vehicles that are different from direct, disclosed stakes. This nuance is often lost in simplified claims.

All these elements help explain why the question does bill gates own moderna stock appears so frequently in searches and social feeds despite the lack of corroborating public ownership records.

How to verify current ownership yourself (step‑by‑step)

If you want to verify up‑to‑date ownership for the claim does bill gates own moderna stock, follow these practical steps:

1. Search the SEC EDGAR database for Moderna (ticker MRNA): review the Form 10‑K (annual report), recent proxy statements and Form 8‑K filings. Proxy statements list named executive officers, directors and major beneficial owners when required.

2. Search SEC EDGAR for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust (and for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) specifically: look for Form 13F filings filed by the Trust and any 13G/13D disclosures that might indicate significant holdings. A 13F lists many institutional managers’ holdings each quarter; 13D/13G filings report significant ownership by others.

3. Check the Nasdaq institutional ownership page for MRNA and Moderna’s investor relations “Major Holders” or “Ownership” sections: these aggregate filings and often display the most recent list of top institutional and insider holders.

4. Consult reputable financial data platforms or aggregator summaries that compile SEC filing data for MRNA. Compare multiple sources if available.

5. Cross‑reference dates: ensure the filings you consult are the most recent. Institutional holdings can change quarterly and proxies update annually. Always note the filing date in the record you consult.

6. For indirect exposure: if you see the Gates Trust listed as owning shares via mutual funds or pooled investments, remember that indirect exposure via a fund is not the same as direct ownership by the Gates Trust itself; the fund’s manager, prospectus and filings should be reviewed to clarify direct vs. indirect holdings.

7. Interpret thresholds: understand reporting thresholds. For instance, certain filings are only triggered above regulatory thresholds (e.g., 5% ownership for some 13D triggers). Small or private holdings below reporting thresholds may not appear in public filings immediately.

Using these steps allows you to answer the question does bill gates own moderna stock with up‑to‑date, verifiable sources.

Limitations and caveats

While public filings are authoritative, there are practical limitations to bear in mind when answering does bill gates own moderna stock:

• Reporting thresholds and timing: some filings only trigger at ownership levels that exceed regulatory thresholds. Very small holdings may not be required to be reported immediately or may be aggregated in pooled funds.

• Indirect holdings: investments through mutual funds, ETFs or other pooled vehicles can give indirect exposure to a company without direct ownership being reflected under the individual or trust name.

• Private transactions: stock purchased through private transactions or over‑the‑counter arrangements might not show up in instantaneous public databases until reporting deadlines.

• Changes over time: holdings change. A snapshot in time may not reflect future purchases or sales. Always check the most recent filings and note filing dates.

Because of these caveats, public records are the best source for confirming large or controlling holdings, while absolute absence of any small or private positions cannot be proven by a single snapshot. That said, the large, public holdings that would substantiate a claim of ownership by Bill Gates or the Gates Foundation Trust in Moderna would appear in filings and have not been shown in authoritative reviews.

Short conclusion

Available public records, investor filings and reputable fact‑checks show no evidence that Bill Gates personally or the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust is a major disclosed equity owner of Moderna. The Gates Foundation has provided grants and entered collaborative frameworks with Moderna on mRNA research and global health programs — activities that are distinct from being an equity investor or controlling shareholder. For anyone asking "does bill gates own moderna stock," the verified answer is that funding and partnership relationships exist, but no public filings substantiate a claim of Gates ownership as a major Moderna shareholder.

Further reading and next steps: if you want to verify holdings yourself, follow the SEC/13F steps above. If you trade or explore digital assets tied to biotech equities, consider using reputable platforms for execution. Learn more about trading and secure custody with Bitget and Bitget Wallet for a streamlined experience.

References and sources

• As of Jan 22, 2026, according to USA TODAY fact‑check reporting (Dec 30, 2020), social claims tying Bill and Melinda Gates directly to ownership of Moderna were debunked; the fact‑check explained the distinction between foundation funding and equity ownership. (Source: USA TODAY fact‑check, Dec 30, 2020.)

• Moderna corporate materials and investor relations pages identify strategic collaborators and document program partnerships; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been referenced as a program partner or collaborator on mRNA vaccine research in Moderna materials and press reporting. Check Moderna’s investor relations and strategic collaborators pages for details.

• Industry reporting from 2016 (reported in trade outlets such as Drug Discovery News, March 2016) noted grant funding and collaboration frameworks between Moderna and philanthropic organizations, including the Gates Foundation, to support early mRNA platform development. These reports described grant‑style funding rather than equity purchases.

• SEC EDGAR filings and Forms 13F are the authoritative public sources for institutional holdings; for the Gates interests, search for filings under the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust name to see institutional 13F snapshots. For company ownership, review Moderna’s proxy statements and Form 10‑K filings on EDGAR.

• Nasdaq institutional ownership summaries and Moderna’s proxy/investor materials list named insiders and major institutional holders tracked publicly for MRNA.

Notes on dates and verification: when verifying the claim does bill gates own moderna stock, always note the filing date and cross‑check multiple public sources. The fact‑checks and reporting cited above provide context and indicate the difference between documented program funding and claimed equity ownership.