Bill Gates

Bill Gates
Born	William Henry Gates III 28 10, 1955
Birthplace	Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Businessman, philanthropist, investor, author
Known for	Co-founding Microsoft, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Giving Pledge
Education	Harvard University (dropped out)
Children	3
Awards	Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016)
Website	[https://www.gatesnotes.com/ Official site]

William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955), known professionally as Bill Gates, is an American businessman, investor, philanthropist, and author who co-founded the software company Microsoft in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen. A central figure of the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, Gates led Microsoft as its chief executive officer for 25 years and helped transform it into one of the most valuable corporations in the world. Following Microsoft's initial public offering in 1986, Gates became the world's youngest self-made billionaire in 1987 at the age of 31, and Forbes magazine ranked him as the world's wealthiest person for 18 out of 24 years between 1995 and 2017, including a consecutive 13-year stretch from 1995 to 2007. In 1999, his net worth briefly exceeded US$100 billion, making him the first centibillionaire in history. Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Gates attended the private Lakeside School before enrolling at Harvard University in 1973, which he left two years later to pursue his work with Microsoft. Beyond his career in technology, Gates became one of the most prominent philanthropists in modern history through his leadership of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — the world's largest private charitable organization — and through co-founding the Giving Pledge with fellow billionaire Warren Buffett in 2010. He was named one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century by Time magazine in 1999 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

Early Life

William Henry Gates III was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington, to William Henry Gates II, a prominent attorney, and Mary Maxwell Gates, a businesswoman and civic leader who served on the board of directors for several organizations, including First Interstate BancSystem and the United Way of America. He grew up in an upper-middle-class family alongside two sisters, Kristianne and Libby. His father was a partner at a Seattle law firm, and his mother's civic involvement exposed the young Gates to business and community affairs from an early age.

Gates attended Lakeside School, an exclusive private preparatory school in Seattle, where his interest in computing first developed. Lakeside had acquired a teletype terminal connected to a General Electric mainframe computer, and Gates — then in the eighth grade — became fascinated with programming. At Lakeside, he met Paul Allen, a student two years his senior, and the two developed a shared enthusiasm for computers that would eventually lead to the founding of Microsoft.

Gates and Allen, along with other Lakeside students, spent considerable time on the school's computer terminals. The pair exploited bugs in the operating system of a Computer Center Corporation (CCC) PDP-10 computer to gain extra computer time, which led to them being banned from the system for a period during the summer. Undeterred, Gates continued to develop his programming skills throughout his time at Lakeside. He and Allen formed an early venture called Traf-O-Data, which used a computer to analyze traffic data from roadway counters. These early projects honed Gates's technical abilities and entrepreneurial instincts. Gates was recognized as a National Merit Scholar during his time at Lakeside.

Education

In the fall of 1973, Gates enrolled at Harvard University. While at Harvard, he pursued studies in mathematics and computer science, enrolling in courses that included Math 55, a notoriously challenging freshman mathematics course, as well as graduate-level computer science classes. At Harvard, Gates reconnected with Paul Allen, who had moved to the Boston area. The two continued to discuss business ideas and the emerging potential of personal computing.

In 1975, after seeing a cover story in Popular Electronics about the Altair 8800 microcomputer produced by MITS (Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems), Gates and Allen contacted the company and offered to write a BASIC interpreter for the machine. The success of this venture convinced Gates that the personal computer industry offered enormous commercial potential. He left Harvard during his sophomore year — a decision he later described as a leave of absence rather than a formal withdrawal — to co-found Microsoft with Allen. Gates did not complete his undergraduate degree, though Harvard later awarded him an honorary degree.

Career

Founding and Early Growth of Microsoft

Gates and Allen formally established Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1975, initially operating under the name "Micro-Soft" (a portmanteau of "microcomputer" and "software"). Their first product was a version of the BASIC programming language interpreter for the Altair 8800. The success of this product established Microsoft as a provider of programming language software for personal computers, and the company soon developed versions of BASIC and other languages for a range of microcomputer platforms.

The pivotal moment in Microsoft's trajectory came in 1980, when IBM approached the company to provide an operating system for its upcoming personal computer, the IBM PC. Gates and Allen acquired an operating system called QDOS (Quick and Dirty Operating System), adapted it, and licensed it to IBM as MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System). Crucially, the licensing agreement allowed Microsoft to retain the rights to license MS-DOS to other hardware manufacturers, a decision that proved enormously consequential as IBM-compatible PCs proliferated throughout the 1980s.

When Microsoft was incorporated in 1981, Gates became its president and chairman of the board, in addition to serving as chief executive officer. Under his leadership, Microsoft expanded its software offerings to include word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation applications. The company's development of the Windows operating system, which provided a graphical user interface layer on top of MS-DOS, began in the mid-1980s. Windows eventually became the dominant operating system for personal computers worldwide.

Microsoft's Rise to Dominance

Microsoft went public on March 13, 1986, with an initial public offering that valued the company at approximately $520 million. The subsequent rise in the stock price made Gates a billionaire by 1987, at age 31, making him the youngest self-made billionaire in history at the time.

Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, Gates oversaw Microsoft's expansion into numerous areas of the software industry. The release of Windows 3.0 in 1990 brought widespread commercial success to the graphical user interface, and subsequent versions — including Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT — consolidated Microsoft's position as the dominant provider of operating systems for personal computers. The company's Office suite of productivity applications, which bundled programs such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, became a standard in business and educational settings.

Gates's leadership style during this period was characterized by his technical acumen and competitive intensity. He was known for conducting detailed product reviews and challenging his engineers and executives. Under his direction, Microsoft also entered the internet market with its Internet Explorer web browser, leading to a period of intense competition with Netscape Communications — an episode that became known as the "browser wars."

Microsoft's market dominance attracted the attention of antitrust regulators. The United States Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft in 1998, alleging that the company had engaged in monopolistic practices, particularly in bundling Internet Explorer with the Windows operating system. The case went to trial, and Gates provided a videotaped deposition that drew significant media coverage. In 2001, Microsoft reached a settlement with the Department of Justice, though the case had lasting implications for the company's business practices and public image.

Transition From CEO

In January 2000, Gates stepped down as chief executive officer of Microsoft, handing the role to Steve Ballmer, a college friend from Harvard who had joined the company in 1980. Gates assumed the newly created position of chief software architect, which allowed him to focus on the company's product strategy and technology development while gradually reducing his day-to-day management responsibilities.

Gates served as chief software architect until June 2008, when he transitioned to a part-time role at Microsoft to devote more of his time to his philanthropic work. He stepped down as chairman of the board on February 4, 2014, and was named technology adviser to CEO Satya Nadella. In March 2020, Gates resigned from the Microsoft board of directors entirely, though he continued in his advisory capacity.

A notable element of Gates's relationship with Microsoft in recent years involves the company's investment in artificial intelligence. According to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Gates initially expressed skepticism about Microsoft's billion-dollar investment in OpenAI, reportedly telling Nadella, "Yeah, you're going to burn this billion dollars." Despite this initial doubt, the investment proceeded and has since become a central part of Microsoft's strategy.

Other Business Ventures

Beyond Microsoft, Gates has been involved in a number of other business and investment ventures. He is the founder and chairman of Cascade Investment, a holding company through which he manages a diversified portfolio of investments. He is also the founder of TerraPower, a nuclear energy company focused on developing advanced reactor technology. In 2026, TerraPower's efforts drew attention for plans to build an advanced nuclear reactor — described as an "artificial sun" — at the site of a former coal plant in the United States, with the aim of providing clean energy as a replacement for fossil fuels.

Gates is also the founder of Breakthrough Energy, an organization that invests in and supports companies developing clean energy technologies. Additionally, he chairs BEN (Branded Entertainment Network) and Gates Ventures, a private office through which he pursues various initiatives in global health, education, and energy innovation.

Philanthropy

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Gates's philanthropic career has been one of the defining aspects of his public life. In 2000, he and his then-wife Melinda French Gates established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which grew to become the world's largest private charitable organization. The foundation has focused on several key areas, including global health, education, and poverty alleviation.

In the field of global health, the foundation has committed billions of dollars to combating transmissible diseases, with particular emphasis on tuberculosis, malaria, and polio. The foundation has funded vaccination programs, supported research into new treatments and prevention methods, and worked with governments and international organizations to strengthen health systems in developing countries. Gates's efforts in this area have drawn both praise for their scale and impact, as well as scrutiny regarding the influence of private philanthropic organizations on public health policy.

The foundation's education initiatives have included investments in K-12 education reform in the United States, including support for charter schools and the development of new curriculum standards. Internationally, the foundation has funded programs aimed at improving access to education in developing countries.

Following the divorce of Gates and French Gates, which was finalized in 2021, Melinda French Gates resigned as co-chair of the foundation in 2024. The organization was subsequently renamed the Gates Foundation, with Gates serving as its sole chair.

The Giving Pledge

In 2010, Gates and fellow billionaire Warren Buffett launched the Giving Pledge, an initiative that invites the world's wealthiest individuals and families to commit to giving more than half of their wealth to philanthropic causes, either during their lifetimes or in their wills. The pledge has attracted signatories from numerous countries and has become one of the most prominent philanthropic initiatives in history.

Personal Life

Gates married Melinda French on January 1, 1994, in Lanai, Hawaii. The couple had three children together, including their youngest daughter, Phoebe Gates, who in 2026 was reported to be leading an artificial intelligence startup called Phia, which she described as an endeavor she sought to build independently from her family's prominence.

In May 2021, Bill and Melinda Gates announced their divorce after 27 years of marriage. The divorce was finalized later that year. The dissolution of their marriage attracted significant media attention, particularly in relation to reports about Gates's prior association with financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Gates has maintained his primary residence at a large estate known as "Xanadu 2.0" in Medina, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. In February 2026, a neighboring four-bedroom home adjacent to the estate was listed at $4.8 million and went under contract within six days, though the buyer's identity was not disclosed.

Gates has spoken publicly about limiting his own children's use of technology. He is among a group of technology industry figures who have imposed strict screen-time limits on their children, even as their businesses profit from the widespread use of digital products.

Recognition

Gates has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century in 1999, and he has appeared on the magazine's list of the most influential people of the year on multiple occasions.

In 2016, Gates and Melinda French Gates were jointly awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in recognition of their philanthropic contributions, particularly in the fields of global health and education.

Forbes magazine has consistently ranked Gates among the wealthiest individuals in the world. He held the top position on the Forbes list of the world's wealthiest people for 18 out of 24 years between 1995 and 2017. As of February 2026, his net worth was estimated at approximately US$107.7 billion, placing him as the 18th-wealthiest individual globally.

Gates has been the subject of several documentary films, including the Netflix docuseries Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates (2019), which examined his philanthropic work and problem-solving approach. In 2025, he published Source Code: My Beginnings, the first volume of a planned three-part memoir series.

Legacy

Gates's influence on the technology industry and on global philanthropy has been substantial. As co-founder of Microsoft, he played a central role in establishing the personal computer as a ubiquitous tool in business, education, and daily life. Microsoft's Windows operating system and Office suite of productivity applications became integral to computing worldwide, and the company's business model — licensing software to hardware manufacturers rather than building its own hardware — established a paradigm that shaped the software industry for decades.

His transition from technology executive to philanthropist marked a significant shift in the expectations surrounding extreme wealth. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's large-scale investments in global health — particularly in vaccination programs and the fight against diseases such as malaria and polio — have influenced how philanthropic organizations approach public health challenges in the developing world. The Giving Pledge, co-founded with Warren Buffett, has helped normalize the concept of major wealth transfer to charitable causes among the ultra-wealthy.

Gates has also been a prominent voice on issues related to climate change and clean energy, investing in nuclear energy through TerraPower and in a range of clean energy technologies through Breakthrough Energy. His advocacy for preparedness against global pandemics, expressed in a widely viewed 2015 TED Talk and in subsequent public statements, drew renewed attention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The assessment of Gates's legacy remains a subject of ongoing discussion. His contributions to technology and philanthropy have been widely recognized, while his business practices at Microsoft — particularly during the antitrust disputes of the late 1990s — and aspects of his personal life have also drawn scrutiny. As of 2026, Gates continues to be active in both his philanthropic and business endeavors, maintaining his role as technology adviser at Microsoft and as chair of the Gates Foundation.