Bill Gates / FICER / Breakthrough Energy
Funding / InvestmentActiveBill Gates has personally funded geoengineering research with $8.5M+ since 2007 through FICER (Fund for Innovative Climate and Energy Research), managed by David Keith and Ken Caldeira. Gates also founded Breakthrough Energy, which employs Ken Caldeira as Senior Scientist. Gates funds the research ecosystem that the for-profit geoengineering startups build on.
Key Facts
- Gates has personally funded geoengineering research with $8.5M+ since 2007 through FICER
- FICER is managed by David Keith (world's leading SRM researcher) and Ken Caldeira — both top geoengineering scientists
- FICER is explicitly 'not a Gates Foundation project' — it's personal money, harder to track
- Gates founded Breakthrough Energy in 2015, assembling 28 billionaires including Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Ma
- Breakthrough Energy employs Ken Caldeira as Senior Scientist — the same person who co-manages FICER
- Gates is a donor to Harvard Solar Geoengineering Research Program (SGRP) — the central academic hub for SRM research
- David Keith ran Harvard SGRP, then moved to UChicago to lead the Climate Systems Engineering initiative (CSEi)
- Gates also co-founded CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) at Davos 2017 — one of few people who fund across both vaccine and geoengineering domains
- Cited in sworn Congressional testimony (Sept 2025) as a key geoengineering funder
Who's Behind It
Bill Gates
(American)Funder
American. Microsoft co-founder. Net worth ~$100B+. Personal geoengineering funding through FICER since 2007. Founded Breakthrough Energy (2015). Co-founded CEPI at Davos 2017. The single most influential individual funder of geoengineering research.
David Keith
(Canadian)FICER Co-Manager / Leading SRM Researcher
Canadian. World's leading solar geoengineering researcher. Ran Harvard Solar Geoengineering Research Program. Now founding director of UChicago Climate Systems Engineering initiative (CSEi). Co-managed Gates' FICER fund. Advised governments in US and Canada.
Ken Caldeira
(American)FICER Co-Manager / Breakthrough Energy Senior Scientist
American. Former Edward Teller Fellow at Lawrence Livermore National Lab (DOE weapons lab), 1991-2005. Now Senior Scientist at Gates' Breakthrough Energy. Co-manages FICER. Stanford courtesy professor. One of the most cited geoengineering scientists.
• Co-manages FICER (Gates' personal geoengineering fund)
• Senior Scientist at Breakthrough Energy (Gates' climate investment vehicle)
• Former Edward Teller Fellow at Lawrence Livermore (DOE weapons lab)
Connections
Harvard Solar Geoengineering Research Program
Gates is a donor. David Keith (FICER co-manager) ran the program. This is the central academic hub that produces research saying SAI 'could work.'
[Harvard SGRP funding page]UChicago Climate Systems Engineering Initiative
David Keith (FICER co-manager) left Harvard to found CSEi at UChicago. Quadrature Climate Foundation gave $5M grant.
[UChicago CSEi]Chris Sacca also donates to Harvard SGRP. Gates funds the research; Sacca funds the research AND invests in the companies. They feed the same pipeline from opposite ends.
[Harvard SGRP funding page]No direct Gates investment in Stardust. But Gates funds the research (Harvard SGRP, FICER) that produces the scientific basis Stardust's business model depends on. Stardust's lead investor (Sacca) also funds Harvard SGRP.
[E&E News: Funding network]Breakthrough Energy Coalition
Gates assembled 28 billionaires in 2015: Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, Michael Bloomberg, Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Ma, Masayoshi Son, among others. Ken Caldeira is Senior Scientist.
[Breakthrough Energy website]SilverLining
SilverLining lobbies Congress for SRM research funding. Gates funds the research that SilverLining advocates for. Kelly Wanser (SilverLining ED) has connections to government agencies.
[SilverLining public disclosures]