Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is putting his financial heft behind his belief that guns shouldn’t be sold to just anyone.
He and his wife Melinda Gates donated $1 million last week to The Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility. The group stands behind ballot initiative 594, which would require criminal background checks on gun sales online and at gun shows. (There are exceptions for antiques and sales to family members.)
As SeattlePI reports, Bill and Melinda Gates had previously donated $25,000 each to the group. However, $1 million seems to say that they now consider it a serious issue.
Gates isn’t the only techie pulling out his wallet for the initiative in recent months. Fellow co-founder Paul Allen has donated $500,000. Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie Ballmer have given a combined $580,000, and early Amazon investor Nick Hanhauer has contributed nearly $1.5 million.