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Bill Gates reveals his father is battling Alzheimer’s

For Bill Gates, the battle against Alzheimer's is personal.
Credit: Getty Images
Bill Gates

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Bill Gates revealed in an interview on the TODAY show that his father, 92-year-old Bill Gates Sr., is battling Alzheimer’s.

“I have a father who is affected deeply by it,” Gates told the TODAY show. “Only by solving problems like this can we take these medical costs and the human tragedy and really get those under control.”

The Microsoft co-founder announced in November he was personally donating $100 million to fight the disease, $50 million of which will go to the Dementia Discovery Fund, which is working on new approaches to treating dementia.

The disease affects 5.5 million Americans and their families, but Gates told the TODAY show he is optimistic about new, unconventional research and finding a cure.

"I really believe that if we orchestrate the right resources, it's solvable,” Gates said.

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