Gates Foundation sells 36,056 Berkshire shares

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's trust has sold 36,056 of its Class B shares of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. so far in 2009 to comply with tax laws.

The foundation revealed the sales in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday.

After the sales, the foundation still held more than 1.3 million Berkshire shares on Thursday.

Berkshire Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett plans to give 10 million B shares to the Gates Foundation in a series of annual gifts.

The Seattle-based foundation is the world's largest with an endowment of $29.1 billion as of Jan. 1.

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On the Net:

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: http://www.gatesfoundation.org

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.: http://www.berkshirehathaway.com