The Gates Foundation was founded in 1994 by Bill and Melinda Gates to help people worldwide lead healthy, productive lives and reduce extreme poverty. It is the largest private foundation in the world, having committed over $13 billion from 1994-2009 to causes like HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and nutrition. Bill Gates hopes the foundation will continue its work for over 50 years after his death to develop vaccines and treatments for diseases that afflict the poor.