Billionaire Bill Gates Was Asked What's Left On His Bucket List – He Reveals There's Only One Thing: 'Don't Die'

What's left on the bucket list of a billionaire who has seemingly done it all? For Bill Gates, the answer is unexpectedly simple: "Don't die."

The quip came during a 2013 Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything), where Gates, then the cochair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, fielded questions about everything from eradicating polio to his favorite books. Known for his sharp mind and dry humor, Gates didn't miss a beat when asked about his personal bucket list, delivering the kind of witty, understated response he could pull off.

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At the time of the AMA, Gates was still the richest man in the world – a title he'd held for years. With his Microsoft days behind him, his full focus was on philanthropy, tackling some of the world's biggest challenges like global health, education and poverty. So, it's fair to ask: what does someone who can visit Antarctica for fun, tour the Large Hadron Collider with his kids or fund groundbreaking vaccine research want to accomplish next?

Of course, Gates wasn't just thinking about longevity. Throughout the AMA, he offered thoughtful reflections on his work, values and legacy.

For instance, he explained why he and Melinda decided not to leave their children massive inheritances. "I definitely think leaving kids massive amounts of money is not a favor to them," Gates wrote. Inspired by Warren Buffett's perspective, he shared how this philosophy shaped his own approach to wealth and giving. "Some people disagree with this, but Melinda and I feel good about it."

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When asked how he measures success at his foundation, Gates pointed to one of his core goals: reducing the number of children under five who die from preventable causes. "Amazingly, as health improves, families choose to have fewer kids," he said, noting the surprising ways improving health impacts broader global issues.

And while he's no longer the code-writing tech visionary who built Microsoft, Gates still enjoys dabbling in programming. "Not as much as I would like to," he admitted when asked if he still codes. "I write some C, C# and some Basic. I am surprised new languages have not made more progress in simplifying programming."

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Despite his accomplishments, Gates's answers often revealed a grounded, curious side. He spoke of his love for tennis, bridge and "touring interesting things" with his kids – whether it's a garbage dump or a missile silo. He confessed his favorite book at the time, Steven Pinker's Better Angels of Our Nature and waxed optimistic about the future of energy, education and even robotics.

As one of the wealthiest and most influential people on the planet, Gates could probably write a bucket list that would put everyone else's to shame. But his AMA response distilled a truth that even billionaires can't escape: at the end of the day, the ultimate goal is just to keep going.

"Don't die" – equal parts humor and reality – might be the most relatable thing Gates has ever said.

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