<p>Warren Buffett on Wednesday resigned as trustee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world's largest private charitable organizations, as he delivered another $4.1 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock to philanthropy.</p>.<p>Buffett has been making annual contributions to five charitable foundations since 2006 as part of a plan to distribute about 99 per cent of his net worth to philanthropy.</p>.<p>"With today's $4.1 billion distribution, I'm halfway there," Buffett said in a statement. He did not clearly state why he was leaving the Gates Foundation board at this time, and expressed his support for the foundation's current CEO and its direction.</p>.<p>Bill Gates and his wife Melinda, co-founders of the foundation, filed for divorce in May after 27 years of marriage but have pledged to continue their philanthropic work together.</p>.<p>The 21-year-old foundation has become one of the most powerful and influential forces in global public health, spending more than $50 billion over the past two decades to bring a business approach to combating poverty and disease.</p>.<p>Last year, Buffett reported donating more than $2 billion worth of his Berkshire stock, to the Gates Foundation as part of previously announced plans to give away his entire fortune before his death.</p>.<p>"For years I have been a trustee – an inactive trustee at that – of only one recipient of my funds, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. I am now resigning from that post, just as I have done at all corporate boards other than Berkshire's," Buffett said.</p>.<p>Gates and Buffett pioneered "The Giving Pledge" campaign over a decade ago, urging dozens of US billionaires to give at least half their fortunes to charity.</p>.<p>Many billionaires have since then been active in philanthropy in everything from genetic and cancer research to education, gun control and libraries and the arts.</p>.<p>MacKenzie Scott, ex-wife of Amazon.com Inc billionaire founder Jeff Bezos, has donated over $4 billion towards food banks and emergency relief funds in previous months.</p>
<p>Warren Buffett on Wednesday resigned as trustee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world's largest private charitable organizations, as he delivered another $4.1 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock to philanthropy.</p>.<p>Buffett has been making annual contributions to five charitable foundations since 2006 as part of a plan to distribute about 99 per cent of his net worth to philanthropy.</p>.<p>"With today's $4.1 billion distribution, I'm halfway there," Buffett said in a statement. He did not clearly state why he was leaving the Gates Foundation board at this time, and expressed his support for the foundation's current CEO and its direction.</p>.<p>Bill Gates and his wife Melinda, co-founders of the foundation, filed for divorce in May after 27 years of marriage but have pledged to continue their philanthropic work together.</p>.<p>The 21-year-old foundation has become one of the most powerful and influential forces in global public health, spending more than $50 billion over the past two decades to bring a business approach to combating poverty and disease.</p>.<p>Last year, Buffett reported donating more than $2 billion worth of his Berkshire stock, to the Gates Foundation as part of previously announced plans to give away his entire fortune before his death.</p>.<p>"For years I have been a trustee – an inactive trustee at that – of only one recipient of my funds, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. I am now resigning from that post, just as I have done at all corporate boards other than Berkshire's," Buffett said.</p>.<p>Gates and Buffett pioneered "The Giving Pledge" campaign over a decade ago, urging dozens of US billionaires to give at least half their fortunes to charity.</p>.<p>Many billionaires have since then been active in philanthropy in everything from genetic and cancer research to education, gun control and libraries and the arts.</p>.<p>MacKenzie Scott, ex-wife of Amazon.com Inc billionaire founder Jeff Bezos, has donated over $4 billion towards food banks and emergency relief funds in previous months.</p>