  bill & melinda gates foundation (bmgf or the gates foundation) is one of the largest private foundations in the world, founded by bill and melinda gates. it was launched in 2000 and is said to be the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world. it is "driven by the interests and passions of the gates family". the primary aims of the foundation are, globally, to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty, and in america, to expand educational opportunities and access to information technology. the foundation, based in seattle, washington, is controlled by its three trustees: bill gates, melinda gates and warren buffett. other principal officers include co-chair william h. gates,&nbsp;sr. and chief executive officer susan desmond-hellmann. it had an endowment of us$42.3 billion .{{cite web|last=bill & melinda gates foundation|titl
Bill_&_Melinda_Gates_Foundation Bill_Gates Biomedical_research_foundations Foundations_based_in_the_United_States International_development Medical_and_health_foundations NBBJ_buildings Non-profit_organizations_based_in_Seattle,_Washington Organizations_established_in_2000 Recipients_of_the_Indira_Gandhi_Peace_Prize Research_institutes_in_Seattle,_Washington Rockefeller_Foundation