Bill Gates owns a significant portion of Ecolab through his investment firm Cascade Investment LLC and through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, making him one of the largest shareholders. As of recent SEC filings in 2023 to 2024, Cascade Investment owns approximately 25 to 26 percent of Ecolab's outstanding shares, which is over 70 million shares, worth several billion dollars. Bill Gates became a major shareholder in Ecolab starting in 2010s, gradually increasing his stake. Ecolab is a water, hygiene, and infection prevention company based in Minnesota, and Gates has stated he invests in it due to its sustainability focus on water conservation. The Gates Foundation also holds some shares separately. Cascade is Bill Gates's private investment vehicle, so this stake represents his personal wealth, not Microsoft. With about 25 percent ownership, Bill Gates is the largest individual shareholder and has influence but not majority control, as Ecolab is publicly traded on NYSE under ticker ECL with market cap over 60 billion dollars. His ownership percentage fluctuates slightly as he buys or sells, but he has been largest shareholder for several years, often around 25 percent.
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