humanitarian relief effort in cyclone-hit Myanmar. Speaking at a conference in the Indonesian capital, Gates said his philanthropic foundation would channel the funds through independent aid groups such as Care International and World Vision.
"It's a terrible thing and a great example of how the world needs to cooperate," he said of Cyclone Nargis, which killed tens of thousands of people after slamming into Myanmar's southern coast on Saturday.
The international aid community has said millions of people were affected by the storm and has warned many more may die unless the country's secretive military regime drops its resistance to outside help.
Microsoft founder Gates is estimated to be the world's third richest man with some US$58 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
