Bill Gates and wife Melinda’s secret dinner with Aussie billionaires to discuss philanthropy

EXCLUSIVE: The world’s richest man has met with some of Australia’s most powerful billionaires at a secret dinner to discuss philanthropy.

Bill Gates and his wife Melinda are in Sydney. It is understood they had a dinner with a number of billionaires. Picture: Supplied

The world’s richest man has met with some of Australia’s most powerful billionaires at a secret dinner to discuss philanthropy.

Bill Gates and his wife Melinda are understood to have dined with mining magnates Gina Rinehart and Andrew Forrest along with packaging kings Anthony Pratt and Raphael Geminder.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal that the billionaires attended dinner in a private home in Sydney on Tuesday night where they are understood to have discussed philanthropy and giving to charity.

Bill Gates and his wife Melinda are in Sydney. It is understood they had a dinner with a number of billionaires. Picture: Supplied

Collectively the Australian billionaires are worth around $20.96 billion, a tidy sum for many. However Mr Gates, the world’s wealthiest person for 17 of the past 22 years, is worth more than five times their total riches, with $111.18 billion.

He made his money as the co-founder of Microsoft where he was the chief executive until 2000 and then chairman until 2014.

Mr Gates now spends a majority of his time running the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with his wife Melinda.

How much each billionaire is worth and where they are ranked.

The power couple are understood to have been in Australia for the past week and are meant to be flying out today.

They were snapped walking through Circular Quay on Tuesday with 10 undercover security guards as escorts.

Executive chairman of Visy, Anthony Pratt was one of those understood to be at the dinner. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian

Australia’s richest woman, Gina Rinehart was present as well. Picture: Alf Sorbello

Their foundation is the largest private foundation in the world which aims to globally reduce poverty, enhance healthcare and improve education standards.

In 2010 Mr Gates pledged to donate more than half of his wealth to charity and has been encouraging other billionaires to do so ever since.

Some famous billionaires he has already committed to the Giving Pledge include Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Star Wars creator George Lucas and Berkshire Hathaway chairman and CEO Warren Buffett.

Dinner attendant Andrew Forrest, the chairman of iron ore producer Fortescue Metals worth $3.33 billion, agreed to the pledge in 2013.

His charity the Minderoo Foundation is dedicated to fighting modern slavery, ending indigenous disadvantage and several other notable causes.

Mr Forrest, the 2017 West Australian of the Year, is understood to be good mates with the Gates family and meets up with them once or twice a year.

Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Raphael Geminder.

Gina Rinehart, Australia’s wealthiest woman worth $6.06 billion, is the chairman of iron ore producer Hancock Prospecting.

She is also known for her philanthropy through her various foundations, including the Georgina Hope Foundation and the Roy Hill Community Foundation.

Packaging king Anthony Pratt is the executive chairman of cardboard box and recycling giant Visy Australia and Pratt Industries in the US.

His family, worth $10.35 billion, is known for its generosity through the Pratt Foundation, which has funded a variety of philanthropic projects since 1978.

Mr Pratt’s sister Fiona is one of the trustees of the Foundation. She is married to Ralph Geminder, worth $1.22 billion, the chairman of Pact Group, Australia’s largest plastic packaging manufacturer.

A source close to one of the dinner attendants suggested Mr Gates and Mr Forrest may have encouraged Mrs Rinehart, Mr Pratt and Mr Geminder to sign up for the Giving Pledge.

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