I would not be surprised if Gates provided financial support to various causes and campaigns. That said, I can understand why he is not as prominently involved

I would not be surprised if Gates provided financial support to various causes and campaigns. That said, I can understand why he is not as prominently involved in politics. Politics is full of people making seemingly irrational decisions, and there is no guarantee that money spent on campaigns will actually result in meaningful change. The Gates Foundation can fund programs with achievable and measurable outcomes without having to worry about voters, lobbyists, and all the other craziness. That level of control speaks to me as an engineer. I imagine it appeals to Bill Gates, to some extent, as well.