bill gates general biography

Entrepreneur Bill Gates founded the world's largest software business, Microsoft, with Paul Allen, and subsequently became one of the richest men in the world.

Who Is Bill Gates?

Gates was born William Henry Gates III on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington. Gates grew up in an upper-middle-class family with his older sister, Kristianne, and younger sister, Libby. Their father, William H. Gates Sr., was a promising, if somewhat shy, law student when he met his future wife, Mary Maxwell. She was an athletic, outgoing student at the University of Washington, actively involved in student affairs and leadership.

The Gates family atmosphere was warm and close, and all three children were encouraged to be competitive and strive for excellence. Gates showed early signs of competitiveness when he coordinated family athletic games at their summer house on Puget Sound. He also relished in playing board games (Risk was his favorite) and excelled at Monopoly.

Gates had a very close relationship with his mother, Mary, who after a brief career as a teacher devoted her time to helping raise the children and working on civic affairs and with charities. She also served on several corporate boards, including those of the First Interstate Bank in Seattle (founded by her grandfather), the United Way and International Business Machines (IBM). She would often take Gates along when she volunteered in schools and at community organizations.

Gates was a voracious reader as a child, spending many hours poring over reference books such as the encyclopedia. Around the age of 11 or 12, Gates's parents began to have concerns about his behavior. He was doing well in school, but he seemed bored and withdrawn at times, and his parents worried he might become a loner.

Though they were strong believers in public education, when Gates turned 13, his parents enrolled him at Seattle's exclusive preparatory Lakeside School. He blossomed in nearly all his subjects, excelling in math and science, but also doing very well in drama and English.

While at Lakeside School, a Seattle computer company offered to provide computer time for the students. The Mother's Club used proceeds from the school's rummage sale to purchase a teletype terminal for students to use. Gates became entranced with what a computer could do and spent much of his free time working on the terminal. He wrote a tic-tac-toe program in BASIC computer language that allowed users to play against the computer.

Gates graduated from Lakeside in 1973. He scored 1590 out of 1600 on the college SAT test, a feat of intellectual achievement that he boasted about for several years when introducing himself to new people.

READ MORE: 5 Things You May Not Know About Bill Gates

Harvard Dropout

Gates enrolled at Harvard University in the fall of 1973, originally thinking of a career in law. Much to his parents' dismay, Gates dropped out of college in 1975 to pursue his business, Microsoft, with partner Allen.

Gates spent more of his time in the computer lab than in class. He did not really have a study regimen; he got by on a few hours of sleep, crammed for a test, and passed with a reasonable grade.

Meeting and Partnering With Paul Allen

Gates met Allen, who was two years his senior, in high school at Lakeside School. The pair became fast friends, bonding over their common enthusiasm for computers, even though they were very different people. Allen was more reserved and shy. Gates was feisty and at times combative.

Regardless of their differences, Allen and Gates spent much of their free time together working on programs. Occasionally, the two disagreed and would clash over who was right or who should run the computer lab. On one occasion, their argument escalated to the point where Allen banned Gates from the computer lab.

At one point, Gates and Allen had their school computer privileges revoked for taking advantage of software glitches to obtain free computer time from the company that provided the computers. After their probation, they were allowed back in the computer lab when they offered to debug the program. During this time, Gates developed a payroll program for the computer company the boys had hacked into and a scheduling program for the school.

In 1970, at the age of 15, Gates and Allen went into business together, developing "Traf-o-Data," a computer program that monitored traffic patterns in Seattle. They netted $20,000 for their efforts. Gates and Allen wanted to start their own company, but Gates' parents wanted him to finish school and go on to college, where they hoped he would work to become a lawyer.

Allen went to Washington State University, while Gates went to Harvard, though the pair stayed in touch. After attending college for two years, Allen dropped out and moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to work for Honeywell. Around this time, he showed Gates an edition of Popular Electronics magazine featuring an article on the Altair 8800 mini-computer kit. Both young men were fascinated with the possibilities of what this computer could create in the world of personal computing.

The Altair was made by a small company in Albuquerque, New Mexico, called Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS). Gates and Allen contacted the company, proclaiming that they were working on a BASIC software program that would run the Altair computer. In reality, they didn't have an Altair to work with or the code to run it, but they wanted to know if MITS was interested in someone developing such software.

MITS was, and its president, Ed Roberts, asked the boys for a demonstration. Gates and Allen scrambled, spending the next two months writing the BASIC software at Harvard's computer lab. Allen traveled to Albuquerque for a test run at MITS, never having tried it out on an Altair computer. It worked perfectly. Allen was hired at MITS, and Gates soon left Harvard to work with him. Together they founded Microsoft.

Allen remained with Microsoft until 1983, when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. Though his cancer went into remission a year later with intensive treatment, Allen resigned from the company. Rumors abound as to why Allen left Microsoft. Some say Gates pushed him out, but many say it was a life-changing experience for Allen and he saw there were other opportunities that he could invest his time in.

Founding Microsoft

In 1975, Gates and Allen formed Micro-Soft, a blend of "micro-computer" and "software" (they dropped the hyphen within a year). The company's first product was BASIC software that ran on the Altair computer.

At first, all was not smooth sailing. Although Microsoft’s BASIC software program for the Altair computer netted the company a fee and royalties, it wasn't meeting their overhead. According to Gates' later account, only about 10 percent of the people using BASIC in the Altair computer had actually paid for it.

Microsoft's BASIC software was popular with computer hobbyists, who obtained pre-market copies and were reproducing and distributing them for free. At this time, many personal computer enthusiasts were not in it for the money. They felt the ease of reproduction and distribution allowed them to share software with friends and fellow computer enthusiasts. Gates thought differently. He saw the free distribution of software as stealing, especially when it involved software that was created to be sold.

In February 1976, Gates wrote an open letter to computer hobbyists, saying that continued distribution and use of software without paying for it would "prevent good software from being written." In essence, pirating software would discourage developers from investing time and money into creating quality software. The letter was unpopular with computer enthusiasts, but Gates stuck to his beliefs and would use the threat of innovation as a defense when faced with charges of unfair business practices.

Gates had an acrimonious relationship with MITS president Ed Roberts, often resulting in shouting matches. The combative Gates clashed with Roberts on software development and the direction of the business. Roberts considered Gates spoiled and obnoxious.

In 1977, Roberts sold MITS to another computer company and went back to Georgia to enter medical school and become a doctor.

Gates and Allen were on their own. The pair had to sue the new owner of MITS to retain the software rights they had developed for Altair. Microsoft wrote software in different formats for other computer companies, and, at the beginning of 1979, Gates moved the company's operations to Bellevue, Washington, just east of Seattle.

Gates was glad to be home again in the Pacific Northwest and threw himself into his work. All 25 employees of the young company had broad responsibilities for all aspects of the operation, product development, business development and marketing.

Although the company started out on shaky footing, by 1979 Microsoft was grossing approximately $2.5 million. At the age of 23, Gates placed himself as the head of the company. With his acumen for software development and a keen business sense, he led the company and worked as its spokesperson. Gates personally reviewed every line of code the company shipped, often rewriting code himself when he saw it necessary.

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Microsoft’s Software for IBM PCs

As the computer industry grew, with companies like Apple, Intel and IBM developing hardware and components, Gates was continuously on the road touting the merits of Microsoft software applications. He often took his mother with him. Mary was highly respected and well connected with her membership on several corporate boards, including IBM's. It was through Mary that Gates met the CEO of IBM.

In November 1980, IBM was looking for software that would operate their upcoming personal computer (PC) and approached Microsoft. Legend has it that at the first meeting with Gates someone at IBM mistook him for an office assistant and asked him to serve coffee.

Gates did look very young, but he quickly impressed IBM, convincing them that he and his company could meet their needs. The only problem was that Microsoft had not developed the basic operating system that would run IBM's new computers.

Not to be stopped, Gates bought an operating system that was developed to run on computers similar to IBM's PC. He made a deal with the software's developer, making Microsoft the exclusive licensing agent and later full owner of the software but not telling them of the IBM deal.

The company later sued Microsoft and Gates for withholding important information. Microsoft settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, but neither Gates nor Microsoft admitted to any wrongdoing.

Gates had to adapt the newly purchased software to work for the IBM PC. He delivered it for a $50,000 fee, the same price he had paid for the software in its original form. IBM wanted to buy the source code, which would have given them the information to the operating system.

Gates refused, instead proposing that IBM pay a licensing fee for copies of the software sold with their computers. Doing this allowed Microsoft to license the software they called MS-DOS to any other PC manufacturer, should other computer companies clone the IBM PC, which they soon did. Microsoft also released software called Softcard, which allowed Microsoft BASIC to operate on Apple II machines.

Following the development of software for IBM, between 1979 and 1981 Microsoft's growth exploded. Staff increased from 25 to 128, and revenue shot up from $2.5 million to $16 million. In mid-1981, Gates and Allen incorporated Microsoft, and Gates was appointed president and chairman of the board. Allen was named executive vice president.

By 1983, Microsoft was going global with offices in Great Britain and Japan. An estimated 30 percent of the world's computers ran on its software.

Rivalry With Steve Jobs

Though their rivalry is legend, Microsoft and Apple shared many of their early innovations. In 1981, Apple, at the time led by Steve Jobs , invited Microsoft to help develop software for Macintosh computers. Some developers were involved in both Microsoft development and the development of Microsoft applications for Macintosh. The collaboration could be seen in some shared names between the Microsoft and Macintosh systems.

It was through this knowledge sharing that Microsoft developed Windows, a system that used a mouse to drive a graphic interface, displaying text and images on the screen. This differed greatly from the text-and-keyboard driven MS-DOS system where all text formatting showed on the screen as code and not what actually would be printed.

Gates quickly recognized the threat this kind of software might pose for MS-DOS and Microsoft overall. For the unsophisticated user—which was most of the buying public—the graphic imagery of the competing VisiCorp software used in a Macintosh system would be so much easier to use.

Gates announced in an advertising campaign that a new Microsoft operating system was about to be developed that would use a graphic interface. It was to be called "Windows," and would be compatible with all PC software products developed on the MS-DOS system. The announcement was a bluff, in that Microsoft had no such program under development.

As a marketing tactic, it was sheer genius. Nearly 30 percent of the computer market was using the MS-DOS system and would wait for Windows software rather than change to a new system. Without people willing to change formats, software developers were unwilling to write programs for the VisiCorp system and it lost momentum by early 1985.

In November 1985, nearly two years after his announcement, Gates and Microsoft launched Windows. Visually the Windows system looked very similar to the Macintosh system Apple Computer Corporation had introduced nearly two years earlier.

Apple had previously given Microsoft full access to their technology while it was working on making Microsoft products compatible for Apple computers. Gates had advised Apple to license their software but they ignored the advice, being more interested in selling computers.

Once again, Gates took full advantage of the situation and created a software format that was strikingly similar to the Macintosh. Apple threatened to sue, and Microsoft retaliated, saying it would delay shipment of its Microsoft-compatible software for Macintosh users.

In the end, Microsoft prevailed in the courts. It could prove that while there were similarities in how the two software systems operated, each individual function was distinctly different.

A Competitive Reputation

Despite the success of Microsoft, Gates never felt totally secure. Always checking on the competition over his shoulder, Gates developed a white-hot drive and competitive spirit. Gates' assistant reported coming to work early to find someone sleeping under a desk. She considered calling security or the police until she discovered it was Gates.

Gates' intelligence allowed him to see all sides of the software industry, from product development to corporate strategy. When analyzing any corporate move, he developed a profile of all the possible cases and run through them, asking questions about anything that could possibly happen.

He expected everyone in the company to have the same dedication. His confrontational management style became legend, as he would challenge employees and their ideas to keep the creative process going. An unprepared presenter could hear, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" from Gates.

This was as much a test of the rigor of the employee as it was Gates' passion for his company. He was constantly checking to see if the people around him were really convinced of their ideas.

Microsoft Office and Anti-Competition Lawsuits

Outside the company, Gates was gaining a reputation as a ruthless competitor. Several tech companies, led by IBM, began to develop their own operating system, called OS/2, to replace MS-DOS. Rather than give in to the pressure, Gates pushed ahead with the Windows software, improving its operation and expanding its uses.

In 1989, Microsoft introduced Microsoft Office, which bundled office productivity applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel into one system that was compatible with all Microsoft products.

The applications were not as easily compatible with OS/2. Microsoft's new version of Windows sold 100,000 copies in just two weeks, and OS/2 soon faded away. This left Microsoft with a virtual monopoly on operating systems for PCs. Soon the Federal Trade Commission began to investigate Microsoft for unfair marketing practices.

Throughout the 1990s, Microsoft faced a string of Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department investigations. Some related allegations that Microsoft made unfair deals with computer manufacturers who installed the Windows operating system on their computers. Other charges involved Microsoft forcing computer manufacturers to sell Microsoft's Internet Explorer as a condition for selling the Windows operating system with their computers.

At one point, Microsoft faced a possible breakup of its two divisions — operating systems and software development. Microsoft defended itself, harking back to Gates' earlier battles with software piracy and proclaiming that such restrictions were a threat to innovation. Eventually, Microsoft was able to find a settlement with the federal government to avoid a breakup.

Through it all, Gates found inventive ways to deflect the pressure with lighthearted commercials and public appearances at computer trade shows during which he posed as Star Trek 's Mr. Spock. Gates continued to run the company and weather the federal investigations through the 1990s.

Leaving Microsoft

In 2000, Gates stepped down from the day-to-day operations of Microsoft, turning over the job of CEO to college friend Steve Ballmer, who had been with Microsoft since 1980. Gates positioned himself as chief software architect so he could concentrate on what was for him the more passionate side of the business, though he remained chairman of the board.

In 2006, Gates announced he was transitioning himself from full-time work at Microsoft to devote more quality time to the foundation. His last full day at Microsoft was June 27, 2008.

In February 2014, Gates stepped down as chairman of Microsoft in order to move into a new position as technology adviser. Longtime Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was replaced by 46-year-old Satya Nadella.

Personal Life

In 1987, a 23-year-old Microsoft product manager named Melinda French caught the eye of Gates, then 32. The very bright and organized Melinda was a perfect match for Gates. In time, their relationship grew as they discovered an intimate and intellectual connection. On January 1, 1994, Melinda and Gates were married in Hawaii.

Following the devastating death of his mother to breast cancer just a few months after their wedding, they took some time off in 1995 to travel and get a new perspective on life and the world. In 1996, their first daughter, Jennifer, was born. Their son, Rory, was born in 1999, and a second daughter, Phoebe, arrived in 2002.

The pair announced the end of their marriage in May 2021.

Personal Wealth

In March 1986, Gates took Microsoft public with an initial public offering (IPO) of $21 per share, making him an instant millionaire at age 31. Gates held 45 percent of the company's 24.7 million shares, making his stake at that time $234 million of Microsoft's $520 million.

Over time, the company's stock increased in value and split numerous times. In 1987, Gates became a billionaire when the stock hit $90.75 a share. Since then, Gates has been at the top, or at least near the top, of Forbes' annual list of the top 400 wealthiest people in America. In 1999, with stock prices at an all-time high and the stock splitting eight-fold since its IPO, Gates' wealth briefly topped $101 billion.

In 1997, Gates and his family moved into a 55,000-square-foot house on the shore of Lake Washington. Though the house serves as a business center, it is said to be very cozy for the couple and their three children.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

In 1994, Bill and Melinda established the William H. Gates Foundation, which was dedicated to supporting education, world health and investment in low-income communities around the world. The organization also tackles domestic issues, such as helping students in the United States become college-ready.

With Melinda's influence, Bill had taken an interest in becoming a civic leader in the footsteps of his mother, studying the philanthropic work of American industrial titans Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller . He realized that he had an obligation to give more of his wealth to charity.

In 2000, the couple combined several family foundations and made a $28 billion contribution to form the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Over the next few years, Bill’s involvement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation occupied much of his time and even more of his interest.

Since stepping down from Microsoft, Gates devotes much of his time and energy to the work of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2015, Gates spoke out in favor of national Common Core standards in grades K through 12 and charter schools. Gates also proved to be a groundbreaking employer when, around this time, the foundation announced that it would give its employees a year's paid leave after the birth or adoption of a child.

In 2017, the foundation launched the first of what was to become its annual "Goalkeepers" report, an examination of progress made in several important areas related to public health, including child mortality, malnutrition and HIV. At the time, Gates identified infectious and chronic disease as the two biggest public health concerns that needed to be addressed over the coming decade.

In April 2018, Gates announced that he was teaming with Google co-founder Larry Page to provide $12 million in funding for a universal flu vaccine. He said the funds would be awarded in grants of up to $2 million for individual efforts that are "bold and innovative," aiming to begin clinical trials by 2021. Although some questioned whether $12 million would be enough to spark any real medical breakthrough, others praised the intentions behind the investment, while Gates indicated that there could be more to come.

Alzheimer's Research

Gates revealed in November 2017 that he was investing $50 million of his own money into the Dementia Discovery Fund. He would follow with another $50 million toward start-up ventures working in Alzheimer’s research. It was said to be a personal matter for Gates, who has seen the devastating effects of the disease on his own family members.

"Any type of treatment would be a huge advance from where we are today," he told CNN, adding, "the long-term goal has got to be cure."

Building a 'Smart City' in Arizona

In 2017, it was revealed that one of Gates's firms had invested $80 million into the development of a "smart city" near Phoenix, Arizona. The proposed city, named Belmont, will "create a forward-thinking community with a communication and infrastructure spine that embraces cutting-edge technology, designed around high-speed digital networks, data centers, new manufacturing technologies and distribution models, autonomous vehicles and autonomous logistics hubs," according to the Belmont Partners real estate investment group.

Of the nearly 25,000 acres of land designated for the site; it was reported that 3,800 acres will go toward office, commercial and retail space. Another 470 acres will be used for public schools, leaving room for 80,000 residential units.

Coronavirus

After years of warning that the world was not ready for the next pandemic, Gates saw his ominous words come true with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in 2020. In March, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation teamed with the Wellcome Trust and Mastercard to pledge $125 million toward efforts to curb the outbreak, and Gates subsequently revealed that his foundation was prepared to invest billions of dollars into building factories earmarked for the development of a vaccine.

Gates has received numerous awards for philanthropic work. Time magazine named Gates one of the most influential people of the 20th century. The magazine also named Gates and his wife Melinda, along with rock band U2's lead singer, Bono , as the 2005 Persons of the Year.

Gates holds several honorary doctorates from universities throughout the world. He was knighted as an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005.

In 2006, Gates and his wife were awarded the Order of the Aztec Eagle by the Mexican government for their philanthropic work throughout the world in the areas of health and education.

In 2016, the couple were again recognized for their philanthropic work when they were named recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama .

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Bill Gates
• Birth Year: 1955
• Birth date: October 28, 1955
• Birth State: Washington
• Birth City: Seattle
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Entrepreneur Bill Gates founded the world's largest software business, Microsoft, with Paul Allen, and subsequently became one of the richest men in the world.
• Internet/Computing
• Education and Academia
• Astrological Sign: Scorpio
• Lakeside School
• Harvard College
• Interesting Facts
• Bill Gates is one of the richest men alive.
• Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard to create Microsoft with friend Paul Allen.
• In 2014, Gates stepped down as Microsoft's chairman to focus on charitable work at his foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Bill Gates Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/business-leaders/bill-gates
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: May 3, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 3, 2014
• Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose.
• Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
• Bill is basically unimaginative and has never invented anything, which I think is why he's more comfortable now in philanthropy than technology. He just shamelessly ripped off other people's ideas.
• We are all created equal in the virtual world, and we can use this equality to help address some of the sociological problems that society has yet to solve in the physical world.
• I'm a big believer that as much as possible, and there's obviously political limitations, freedom of migration is a good thing.
• If you show people the problems and you show people the solutions they will be moved to act.
• Like almost everyone who uses e-mail, I receive a ton of spam every day. Much of it offers to help me get out of debt or get rich quick. It would be funny if it weren't so irritating.
• I believe that computers are the most incredible tool we can use to feed our curiosity and inventiveness—to help us solve problems that even the smartest people couldn't solve on their own.
• I've always been an optimist and I suppose that is rooted in my belief that the power of creativity and intelligence can make the world a better place.
• If being a geek means you're willing to take a 400-page book on vaccines and where they work and where they don't, and you go off and study that and you use that to challenge people to learn more, then absolutely. I'm a geek.
• It's a nice reader, but there's nothing on the iPad I look at and say, 'Oh, I wish Microsoft had done it.'
• The technology business has a lot of twists and turns. Probably the reason it's such a fun business is that no business gets to rest on its laurels.

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This is our 10th Annual Letter, and we’re marking the occasion by answering 10 tough questions that people ask us.

1955— Born Seattle, WA.

1973 entered harvard university., 1967 enrolled at lakeside school. first used computer., 1968 began programming with paul allen in the computer center..

This is the story of my life in four sentences:

I grew up in Seattle, Washington, with an amazing and supportive family. I dropped out of college to start a business with a childhood friend. I married Melinda and we started a family of our own. Now we’re working together to give our wealth back to society.

If you want to know more than that, the next few pages go into more detail. As you can tell from my picture here, there have been a few surprises along the way.

Bill Gates is a technologist, business leader, and philanthropist. He grew up in Seattle, Washington, with an amazing and supportive family who encouraged his interest in computers at an early age. He dropped out of college to start Microsoft with his childhood friend Paul Allen. He married Melinda French in 1994 and they have three children. Today, Bill and Melinda Gates co-chair the charitable foundation bearing their names and are working together to give their wealth back to society.

Bill grew up in Seattle with his two sisters. His dad, William H. Gates II, is a Seattle attorney and one of the co-chairs of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. His late mother, Mary Gates, was a schoolteacher, University of Washington regent, and chairwoman of United Way International.

Bill Gates is a technologist, business leader, and philanthropist. He grew up in Seattle, Washington, with an amazing and supportive family who encouraged his interest in computers at an early age. He dropped out of college to start Microsoft with his childhood friend Paul Allen. Today, Bill co-chairs the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with Melinda French Gates, where he works to give his wealth back to society.

Bill grew up in Seattle with his two sisters. His late father, William H. Gates Sr., was a Seattle attorney and one of the co-chairs of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. His late mother, Mary Gates, was a schoolteacher, University of Washington regent, and chairwoman of United Way International. Bill has three children.

1976 Changed company name to Microsoft.

1975–.

My time at Microsoft was amazing. When Paul Allen and I started the business, the idea of a personal computer was new and strange. We accomplished some things that people said could never be done, and we got to be part of a revolution in the way people live.

I’m passionate about Microsoft’s work and will always be involved with the company, including my role as a member of the board.

When Bill and Paul Allen started Microsoft, their vision of “a computer on every desktop and in every home” seemed farfetched to most people. Today, thanks to Microsoft and many other companies, that vision is a reality in many parts of the world, and personal technology is an integral part of society.

Bill is passionate about Microsoft’s work and will always be involved with the company, including his present role as a member of the board and technology advisor.

1975 Started Micro-Soft with Paul Allen in Albuquerque, NM.

1979 microsoft moved to washington state., 1980 sold dos for ibm pc and retained the copyright., 1985 windows 1.0 launched., 1994 married melinda french., 1995 windows 95 launched., 2000 assumed role of chief software architect, as steve ballmer assumed role of microsoft ceo., 2001 the original xbox released., 2008 left his daily job at microsoft., 2014 stepped down as chairman. remained on the board and began serving as technology advisor., 2000 bill and melinda officially established the foundation. they also announced the first round of gates millennium scholars, part of a $1 billion effort to help 20,000 young people afford college over the next two decades., 2002 the foundation completed efforts to help install 47,000 computers in 11,000 libraries in all 50 states. ninety-five percent of libraries have computers with internet access, up from 27 percent in 1996., 2006 warren buffett pledged the bulk of his wealth to the foundation., 2010 bill and melinda challenged the global health community to declare this the decade of vaccines. they pledged $10 billion over the next 10 years to help research, develop, and deliver vaccines for the world’s poorest countries., 2009 ted talk bill gates: mosquitos, malaria and education, 2013 bill helped launch a $5.5 billion effort to eradicate polio by 2018. india was certified polio-free by the world health organization, leaving only three countries that have never been free of the disease., 2015 bill announced the formation of the child health and mortality prevention surveillance network (champs), a network of disease surveillance sites in developing countries, to help prevent childhood deaths., 2017 the bill & melinda gates foundation committed $300 million to helping farmers in africa and asia cope with climate change., 2018 bill shared the stage with a beaker of poop at the reinvented toilet expo in beijing. his “co-star” helped draw attention to a serious problem that kills more than 500,000 people every year: poor sanitation., bill & melinda gates foundation, 2000–.

These days I’m focused full-time on the work Melinda and I are doing through our foundation. People are often surprised to hear me say that this work has a lot in common with my work at Microsoft. In both cases, I get to bring together smart people and collaborate with them to solve big, tough problems.

It’s quite gratifying to know that the foundation and its many partners are helping people all over the world live healthier, more productive lives.

These days Bill focuses most of his time on the work he and Melinda are doing through their foundation. People are often surprised to hear him say that this work has a lot in common with his work at Microsoft. In both cases, he gets to bring together smart people and collaborate with them to solve big, tough problems.

Bill is gratified to know that the foundation and its many partners are helping people all over the world live healthier, more productive lives.

These days Bill focuses most of his time on the work he is doing through his foundation. People are often surprised to hear him say that this work has a lot in common with his work at Microsoft. In both cases, he gets to bring together smart people and collaborate with them to solve big, tough problems.

Other Interests

“ ...once you’ve found a solution that works, catalytic philanthropy can harness political and market forces to get those innovations to the people who need them most.”.

In addition to the foundation’s work, Bill has separately taken on some projects to address issues that interest him personally, such as delivering clean energy to everyone who needs it.

In all his work—with the foundation and otherwise—he’s focused on what he calls catalytic philanthropy: investments in innovations that will improve life for the poorest. They’re solutions to problems where markets and governments underinvest.

2006 Bill helped launch TerraPower, a company that aims to provide the world with a more affordable, secure, and environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy.

2010 melinda, warren buffett, and bill launched the giving pledge, a commitment by the world’s wealthiest people to dedicate most of their wealth to philanthropy., 2011 children in kenya, nicaragua, and other countries get the first vaccine designed to prevent pneumonia in poor countries—thanks to a partnership of governments, pharmaceutical companies, and other key players. pneumonia is the biggest killer of children in the world., 2014 bill tried his hand at making a viral video with jimmy fallon. this has nothing to do with catalytic philanthropy–he just thought you might enjoy it..

2015 Bill spearheaded the formation of the Breakthrough Energy Coalition to fund clean energy initiatives, avoid a climate disaster, and make sure that everyone on the planet can enjoy a good standard of living.

2017 bill teamed up with roger federer in the fourth annual match for africa, a charity tennis match that raises money for the roger federer foundation., 2018 bill joined forces with a group of philanthropists to create the diagnostics accelerator, a program aimed at finding a way to diagnose alzheimer’s earlier., 2019 bill joined long-time friend warren buffett to serve customers at dairy queen. it did not go well., 2019 the netflix documentary inside bill’s brain: decoding bill gates was released. the three-part series told the story of bill’s life from childhood through microsoft through his work today., 2020 bill and melinda committed about $1.75 billion to support the global response to covid-19., 2020 bill and rashida jones co-hosted a new podcast, “bill gates and rashida jones ask big questions.”, 2021 bill published his book how to avoid a climate disaster , proposing a plan to prevent the worst effects of climate change., a message from bill.

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Bill Gates — Complete Biography, History and Inventions

• by history tools
• November 8, 2023

Bill Gates is one of the most iconic business leaders and influential technology pioneers of the modern digital era. As the co-founder of Microsoft, he helped bring the power of personal computing to millions of people worldwide and made computers an indispensable part of everyday life. This article explores Gates‘ upbringing, the growth of Microsoft, his philanthropic endeavors, and his lasting impact on technology and society.

Early Life: Shaping One of the Great Minds in Tech

Born on October 28, 1955 in Seattle, Washington, Gates‘ showed an early interest in computers. His parents William H. Gates Sr. and Mary Maxwell Gates created a competitive, encouraging environment. His father was a prominent lawyer while his mother served on various corporate boards. She helped choose the lakeside school Gates attended, which had access to computers in 1968, still a rarity at the time.

During 8th grade in lakeside, the Mothers Club donated $3,000 to purchase computer time for students. Gates and his fellow students, including Paul Allen who became Microsoft‘s co-founder, got hooked to programming. At 13, Gates even created a software program for scheduling classes and testing schedules for students.

Growing up among Seattle‘s blossoming tech scene, dominated by companies like Boeing, shaped Gates‘ ambition. He gained a reputation as the math and science whiz kid. Outside of computers, he also enjoyed sports like water skiing.

Gates‘ parents supported his interests, like his mother helping him get computer time from local companies. This early exposure instilled in Gates a belief that computers could change the world.

Dropping Out Of College To Pursue His Vision

In 1973, Gates enrolled at Harvard University, originally thinking he would follow his lawyer father‘s footsteps. But he remained more drawn to computing and skipped classes to spend time at the computer lab.

Then in late 1974, Popular Electronics magazine featured the MITS Altair 8800, considered the first personal computer that hobbyists could build at home. Gates immediately knew he and Allen could develop software for it. He called MITS and claimed he was working on a BASIC software program, convincing them to give him a chance. Gates and Allen then vigorously developed the interpreter in a few weeks, created a company called Micro-Soft, and licensed their software to run on MITS‘ hardware.

This success convinced Gates to leave Harvard in 1975 and join Allen in New Mexico where MITS was based. They relocated Micro-Soft to Bellevue, Washington the same year. Their first office had only three employees including Gates doing both software development and business management.

Gates oversaw the completion of software programming languages for various systems while handling Microsoft‘s business details. He proved to be a tough negotiator in licensing Microsoft‘s products even at this early stage.

By 1979, Microsoft had grossed over $2.5 million. But Gates still had even bigger ambitions.

Deal With IBM And Rise Of Microsoft

In 1980, IBM approached Microsoft since they needed an operating system for their upcoming personal computer, the IBM PC. Microsoft didn‘t have one but negotiated a deal to license them an operating system called 86-DOS owned by Seattle Computer Products. Microsoft adapted 86-DOS to create PC-DOS and later MS-DOS, designing it for any hardware so non-IBM computers could also use it.

This flexible licensing model was the opposite of IBM‘s restrictive approach and the key to Microsoft‘s future dominance. It paved the way for Gates to license MS-DOS to any computer manufacturer, enabling incredible growth for Microsoft. By 1987, one third of the world‘s computers were running Microsoft software.

Capitalizing on increasing user-friendliness of graphical interfaces, Gates spearheaded the development of the Windows operating system. Though initially just an add-on to DOS, Windows paired the GUI with multitasking capabilities. The first Windows release came in 1985 but it was the 1990s release of Windows 95 that truly propelled Microsoft into a household name.

Leveraging the success of Windows, Microsoft also created applications like Word, Excel and PowerPoint as part of the Office productivity suite. By the early 1990s, Microsoft controlled 90% of the operating systems market and over 50% of the office suite applications market. Annual revenues soared from around $1 million in Microsoft‘s early days to $8 billion by 1994.

Leadership And Management Of Tech Juggernaut

Gates exhibited a driven, competitive spirit and intense work ethic as he built Microsoft. He became President in 1983 and CEO in 1986, remaining in that role until 2000.

Known for his sharp, intensely focused mind, Gates was respected and feared within Microsoft. He could be confrontational and blunt, grilling employees in meetings to force out original ideas. Gates looked for self-directed workers who shared his competitiveness. He was deeply involved in technical elements of product development, reviewing every line of code.

But he could also adapt based on feedback, like when colleagues convinced him to take a less combative approach to working with external partners. Under Gates‘ leadership, Microsoft captured 95% of the operating systems market share. But it drew scrutiny for monopolistic practices that Gates fiercely defended.

Gates mentored and elevated talented leaders including Steve Ballmer who eventually succeeded him as CEO in 2000, while Gates took the role of Chief Software Architect. He officially stepped down as Chairman in 2014, but remained a board member and technology advisor focused on product development until 2020.

Wealth Beyond Imagination And Turn To Philanthropy

Microsoft‘s astronomical success made Gates a billionaire by age 31. At one point in the late 1990s, his net worth exceeded $100 billion. He topped the Forbes richest people list for over a decade.

But he grew interested in how software could tackle inequity. After reading about rotavirus killing children in developing countries in 1997, Gates channeled more energy into philanthropy. In 2000, he stepped down from his day-to-day role at Microsoft and co-founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation alongside his wife, ex-Microsoft executive Melinda French.

The foundation quickly became the world‘s largest transparent private foundation. With Melinda, Gates pioneered a new hands-on model for philanthropic engagement, strategically investing their wealth in global health, poverty reduction, education and other causes.

Some highlight initiatives include:

• Donating over $1.75 billion towards COVID-19 relief
• Committing $300 million to develop new tuberculosis diagnostics and treatments
• Pledging $2 billion towards developing renewable energy solutions for developing nations
• Granting over $1 billion to improve high school education in the U.S.
• Distributing over 100,000 computers to 11,000 libraries across the U.S. and Canada

To date, Gates has donated $45.5 billion to the foundation. He also joined The Giving Pledge, vowing to give away most of his fortune.

Accolades And Continued Impact

Among other honors, Gates received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 and an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 2005.

He has authored two books focusing on technology‘s role in business and society – The Road Ahead (1995) and Business @ The Speed Of Thought (1999). More recently in 2021, he published How To Avoid A Climate Disaster, supporting policies to eliminate greenhouse gases and investing $1 billion into climate change solutions through his foundation.

After retiring from day-to-day Microsoft involvement, Gates continues to shape technology and philanthropy. Though Bill and Melinda announced their divorce in 2021, they plan to co-lead the foundation. Gates also regularly participates in ask-me-anything forums on Reddit where users pose wide-ranging questions for him to answer.

Through his visionary leadership and generosity, Bill Gates embodies both the amazing potential and responsibilities of technology pioneers to change the world.

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Biography of Bill Gates, Co-Founder of Microsoft

He helped create the world’s largest PC software company

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Starting Microsoft

Finding success, perils of success, marriage and family, philanthropy.

Bill Gates (born Oct. 28, 1955) is the principal co-founder of Microsoft Corp., the world’s largest personal-computer software company and one of the largest and most influential technology companies in the world. Since he stepped down as chairman of Microsoft Corp., he has focused on and contributed billions of dollars to several charities, especially the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest private charitable foundation.

Fast Facts: Bill Gates

• Known For : Co-founder of Microsoft
• Also Known As : William Henry Gates III
• Born : Oct. 28, 1955 in Seattle, Washington
• Parents : William H. Gates Sr., Mary Maxwell
• Published Software : MS-DOS
• Spouse : Melinda French Gates
• Children : Jennifer, Rory, Phoebe
• Notable Quote : "I think it's fair to say that personal computers have become the most empowering tool we've ever created. They're tools of communication, they're tools of creativity, and they can be shaped by their user."

Bill Gates (full name: William Henry Gates III) was born on Oct. 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington, the son of William H. Gates Sr., an attorney, and Mary Maxwell, a businesswoman and bank executive who served on the University of Washington Board of Regents from 1975 to 1993. He has two sisters.

Gates wrote his first software program at 13 and in high school was part of a group, which also included childhood friend Paul Allen, that computerized their school’s payroll system and developed Traf-O-Data, a traffic-counting system that they sold to local governments. Gates and Allen wanted to start their own company immediately, but Gates' parents wanted him to finish high school and go on to college, hoping he eventually would become a lawyer.

In 1975 Gates, then a sophomore at  Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, joined Allen, who was working as a programmer for Honeywell near Boston, to write software for the first microcomputers, later called PCs. They started by adapting  BASIC , a popular programming language for large computers.

With the success of this project, Gates left Harvard during his junior year and, with Allen, moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, planning to develop software for the newly emerging personal computer market. In 1975 they started what Allen named Micro-Soft by combining "micro" from "microcomputers" and "soft" from "software." The hyphen later was dropped. In 1979, they moved the company to Bellevue, Washington, just east of Seattle.

Microsoft became famous for its computer operating systems and killer business deals. In 1980, Gates and Allen licensed an operating system called MS-DOS to IBM, at the time the world's largest computer maker, for its first microcomputer, the IBM PC. They were smart enough to retain the right to license the operating system to other companies, which eventually made them a fortune.

By 1983, the year Allen left the company for health reasons, Microsoft's reach had become global with offices in Great Britain and Japan and 30% of the world's computers running on its software.

A few years earlier, Gates had developed a partnership with Apple to work on some shared projects. Gates soon realized that Apple's graphics interface, which displayed text and images on the screen and was driven by a mouse, appealed to the average user more than Microsoft's text-and-keyboard-driven MS-DOS system.

He launched an ad campaign claiming that Microsoft was developing an operating system that would use a graphic interface similar to Apple's products. Called "Windows," it would be compatible with all MS-DOS system software. The announcement was a bluff—Microsoft had no such program under development—but it was sheer genius as a marketing tactic: It would encourage people using MS-DOS to wait for new Windows software releases instead of changing to another system, such as Apple's Macintosh.

In November 1985, nearly two years after his announcement, Gates and Microsoft launched Windows. Then, in 1989, Microsoft launched Microsoft Office, which bundled office applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel into one system.

All the while, Gates was defending Microsoft against lawsuits and Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice investigations of claims charging unfair dealings with computer manufacturers. Yet the innovation continued. Windows 95 was launched in 1995 and in 2001 Microsoft debuted the original Xbox gaming system. Microsoft appeared untouchable.

In 2000, Gates stepped down as Microsoft CEO and was succeeded by Harvard friend and longtime Microsoft executive Steve Ballmer. Gates assumed the new role of chief software architect. In 2008 Gates left his "daily" job at Microsoft but retained his position as board chairman until 2014, when he stepped down as chairman but retained a board seat and began serving as technology adviser.

On Jan. 1, 1994, Gates married Melinda French, who has an MBA and a bachelor's degree in computer science and met him while she was working at Microsoft. They have three children—Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe—and live in Xanadu 2.0, a 66,000-square-foot mansion overlooking Lake Washington in Medina, Washington.

Gates and his wife founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with the mission of improving the quality of life for people around the world, primarily in the areas of global health and learning. Their initiatives have ranged from funding tuition for 20,000 college students to installing 47,000 computers in 11,000 libraries in all 50 states. In 2005, Bill and Melinda Gates and rock star Bono were named Time magazine persons of the year for their charitable work.

According to the foundation's website, in 2019, the foundation had made nearly $65 million in grants by mid-April to recipients around the world. The foundation is led by CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

Back when Bill Gates and Paul Allen announced their intention to put a computer in every home and on every desktop, most people scoffed. Until then, only the government and large corporations could afford computers. But within only a few decades, Gates and Microsoft had indeed brought computer power to the people.

Gates also has had an impact on millions of people throughout the world with his charitable efforts, especially with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and he has made large personal donations to a number of educational institutions.

• " About Bill ." Gatesnotes.com.
• " Bill Gates: American Computer Programmer, Businessman, and Philanthropist ." Encyclopedia Britannica.
• " Bill Gates Biography: Entrepreneur, Philanthropist ." Biography.com.
• " Awarded Grants ." Gatesfoundation.org.
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Bill Gates Biography The digital demagogue earned billions by anticipating the market's needs. Now, his philanthropic foundation is helping countless others across the globe.

Bill Gates is perhaps the most well-known computer businessman in history. Not only did he start the most popular computing company of all time, Microsoft , but he also changed the way computers were made and marketed forever.

His entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen are worth studying. So let's take a closer look at Bill Gates , his history, how he started his famous company and his current philanthropic endeavors.

Who is Bill Gates?

William Henry Gates III is best known as the founder and leader of Microsoft . He created the company in 1975 with his business partner Paul Allen. Though Paul Allen left the company some years later, William H. Gates remained with Microsoft for decades, heading it as the CEO until he left the position in 2000.

Gates remained with Microsoft until 2008, then retired to take a position on the board of advisors. Since then, he has primarily acted as a business investor and charity leader, driving positive developments worldwide as the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and his involvement in other organizations.

Related: The 5-Hour Rule Used by Bill Gates , Jack Ma and Elon Musk

How did Bill Gates start Microsoft ?

Although many don't know it, Bill Gates didn't start Microsoft alone. His pursuit began when he attended Lakeside High School in Seattle. There, he met a fellow student named Paul Allen; together, they worked in the school's computer room for hours on end.

By the time the duo was 16, Bill Gates and Paul Allen went into business together, securing investment funds to develop the "Traf-O-Data" software program to measure traffic flow throughout the Seattle Metro area. This was the first business partnership that the two collaborated on, but it wouldn't be the last.

Harvard and the Altair 8800

Though Bill Gates attended Harvard University , he didn't focus much on his studies. After reading a magazine article in December 1974 about the world's first microcomputer, the Altair 8800, Gates and Allen decided to pursue a business opportunity only they could see.

They contacted the manufacturer of the Altair 880, MITS, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

They told the president they had written a version of the computer language BASIC specifically for the microcomputer. Though this was a fabrication, the pair wanted to see if there was any interest in their "design."

To the pair's surprise, the president of MITS said that he'd like to see the language. Scrambling, Gates and Allen started working 24/7 to create the promised language.

They simulated the Altair 8800's capabilities on other computers since they had no microcomputer to work on or test.

Still, Gates knew the opportunity was too good to pass up. When the pair showed the language to MITS, it was a resounding success. Inspired, Gates took a leave of absence from Harvard in November 1975, taking a job offer to work at MITS full-time.

The formation of Microsoft

More importantly, Bill Gates and Paul Allen entered an official business partnership named "Micro-Soft." The two got the name for the company by combining the words microcomputer and software .

However, by November 26, 1976, they'd changed the name to the more commonly recognized "Microsoft" version. Microsoft's first product was the Altair BASIC language, but Gates and Paul Allen continued to work on new products. Gates never returned to Harvard University, as his business was already massively successful.

In the years to come, MITS would collapse, but Microsoft endured. July 1980 saw IBM approach Microsoft to write software for the upcoming personal computer, the IBM PC.

Although Microsoft was initially contracted to write a BASIC interpreter for the IBM PC, the company was instead eventually hired to write the operating system for the upcoming computer when negotiations with Digital Research, another company, fell through.

Pivot to operating systems and corporate dominance

This was the start of Microsoft's long-term success as a software company. Microsoft invented the MS-DOS operating system, which was eventually used for many other PCs created by different manufacturers.

The company's growth skyrocketed ; Microsoft expanded into developing applications software, eventually building a GUI-based operating system called Microsoft Windows to compete with the newly released Macintosh Apple Computer.

Windows was a huge success, and each successive operating system version was based on its original version (MS-DOS) until Windows XP.

By 1986, Microsoft went public to create more capital for expansion. It was a huge success; the company took in $61 million, and Bill Gates became one of the wealthiest people in the United States in a single night.

Related: Bill Gates ' Solution to Income Inequality

What did Bill Gates invent?

Technically, Bill Gates didn't invent anything genuinely new. Instead, he and Paul Allen created two high-quality products that computer companies could use: the BASIC programming language for the Altair 8800 and the MS-DOS operating system for the IBM PC.

Bill Gates "invented" these things because he physically wrote the code for many of them. As the years progressed and Microsoft became more popular and successful, however, Gates transitioned from more of a front-line role into an executive role.

That's where he is today, heading Microsoft from afar rather than writing code as he did in his youth. In this sense, Bill Gates is less of an inventor and more of a savvy businessman .

He was especially successful because he showed enough innovation and tenacity in the early computer market to dominate competitors as they grew alongside his company.

How old is Bill Gates ?

As of 2023, Bill Gates is 67 years old . He was born on October 28, 1955. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, he often spoke about the benefits of masks for older individuals.

What is Bill Gates ' net worth ?

At the time of this writing in spring of 2023,, Bill Gates' net worth is $107.9 billion . This combines his assets, stock options, portfolio values and estates.

He is currently the fourth richest person in the world, behind Bernard Arnault, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

Related: Bill Gates : Bitcoin is 'Better Than Currency'

What are Bill Gates ' primary investments?

Many entrepreneurs and future business owners may wish to grow their wealth by copying some of the primary stock investments Bill Gates has made over the years. Though he is no longer the CEO of Microsoft, Gates has continued to grow much of his wealth through savvy stock market movements.

Bill Gates' current primary stock market investments include:

• Microsoft Corporation (MSFT). Bill Gates maintains a sizable ownership percentage of the company he helped to found. He owns about 1.3% of the company, reflecting that he isn't nearly as hands-on as in previous decades.
• Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. (BRK.A, BRK.B). This is the holding company of Bill Gates' friend and fellow billionaire, Warren Buffett. It's the second-largest stockholding used by the Gates Foundation Trust. Microsoft and Berkshire make up about 47% of the Trust's portfolio, and there's no doubt that Gates himself also maintains a sizable holding.
• Canadian National Railway Co. (CNI). This is the stock for the fourth-largest North American railroad overall. Gates, the Gates Foundation and Cascade collectively hold over 64 million shares of CNI stock, worth approximately $7.5 billion.
• Deere & Co. (DE). As the world's largest producer of farm equipment, Deere is a surefire stock purchase for many, including Bill Gates. Over the years, he gifted over 3 million shares of Deere to the Foundation. In conjunction with Cascade and his Foundation, he still holds 23,700,000 shares of Deere stock, worth more than $10 billion, as of July 2022.
• Waste Management, Inc. (WM). Waste Management offers waste management and environmental services to various customers and locations. The Gates Foundation invested heavily in this company in the third quarter of 2002, which was wise, as the stock has generated returns of almost 1000% since that year. Currently, the Gates Foundation holds nearly 5.2 million WM stock shares worth approximately $5.52 billion.
• Republic Services, Inc. (RSG). This is another waste disposal services company and one of the most significant Gates holdings. As of February 2022, Cascade revealed that Bill Gates had added over 360,000 shares to his stake. This brings up Cascade's total holdings of RSG to approximately 109 million shares, collectively worth $14 billion.
• Ecolab, Inc. (ECL). ECL offers energy, hygiene and water technologies end-services for many markets, like the hospitality and healthcare industries. Gates has purchased millions of shares in this organization over the years. Today, the Gates Foundation holds 5.2 million shares of this stock, collectively worth nearly $760 million.
• EarthNow. EarthNow is a Seattle-based startup company. Its mission is to cover the planet with live satellite video, and Gates is a substantial financial backer.

As you can see, Bill Gates has built up his portfolio of investments by focusing on technology companies and clean energy firms. These are smart investments, as they are likely only to increase in value soon as these companies become more valuable.

Related: Why What Bill Gates Said About the Internet in 1996 is Truer Than Ever Today

Where did Bill Gates receive his education?

Although Bill Gates has been massively successful and attended Harvard, he doesn't have the most extensive or robust educational record.

Gates' real educational history begins at 13 when he was enrolled in a private Lakeside prep school. That's where he wrote the first software program and developed his interest in computer science.

By the eighth grade, he purchased blocks of computer time using a General Electric computer reserved for students. His first computer program was a version of tic-tac-toe that let students play the game against the machine.

Gates later attended Lakeside High School, where he met his longtime friend, Paul Allen. Then he enrolled in Harvard University after being inspired by his father, William Henry Gates II.

He dropped out of Harvard to focus on Microsoft full-time and never completed his bachelor's degree. Nevertheless, Harvard later awarded Gates an honorary doctorate.

Related: How Bill Gates Become a Leadership Legend

Who is in Bill Gates ' family?

Bill Gates has a large family that he is still in contact with. He has two sisters, one of which is older than him (Kristianne) and one of which is younger (Libby). Gates' father was a lawyer, and his mother was a successful American entrepreneur.

The most crucial member of Gates' family is his former wife, Melinda French Gates . The couple met in 1987 when Melinda first started working at Microsoft. The marriage lasted for 27 years, producing three children: Jennifer, Rory and Phoebe.

Although the couple managed to do a lot of good with their combined wealth and philanthropic spirit, they divorced in August 2021.

What kind of donations, charity and philanthropic efforts has Bill Gates pursued?

Bill Gates is well known for founding Microsoft and being a shrewd, relentless businessman. But he's also known for his philanthropic efforts.

The most well-known is undoubtedly the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , a charitable organization created in 2000 by combining three previously existing family foundations and donated stock. The new Foundation started with assets of over $84.6 billion.

Over the years, the Foundation has donated billions of dollars to charity, relief and human development resources and organizations. By 2007, Bill and Melinda Gates were the second most generous philanthropists in the United States, having donated over $28 billion. Both have gone on record stating that they plan to donate 95% of their wealth to charity.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is currently organized into five primary program areas:

• Global development division.
• Global health division.
• United States division.
• Global policy division.
• Advocacy division.

Many of these divisions fund or spearhead projects such as Alzheimer's research, breakthrough energy tech to avoid a climate disaster and means to reduce carbon emissions. With Microsoft co-founder and friend Paul Allen and fellow billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Gates continues to make a difference with non-profits and the next generation.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supports many programs and efforts, particularly public health projects. Over the years, it has provided financial and other aid to fight transmissible diseases like AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. It has also contributed to vaccine distribution programs to eliminate polio worldwide.

Furthermore, the Foundation's agricultural division supports the International Rice Research Institute in developing Golden Rice, a new genetically modified rice species that can help combat vitamin A deficiency. The Foundation also focuses on providing over 120 million women and girls with high-quality contraceptive services, resources and education.

Other charitable organizations and efforts

Aside from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, both titular founders have made substantial personal donations for other philanthropic effects. For example, Bill Gates provided personal donations to many educational institutions over the years, including his old Lakeside school. In 1999, he donated $20 million to MIT and $50 million to the Dementia Discovery Fund in November 2017.

In June 2018, Bill Gates offered various free e-books to new graduates of US universities and colleges and free e-books to all college and university students worldwide. Bill Gates has previously cited the philanthropic efforts of David Rockefeller as one of his significant inspirations.

In terms of wealth inheritance, Bill and Melinda Gates stated that they intend to leave each of their children only $10 million each. By the time of their deaths, they will have donated approximately 99.96% of their wealth to charity.

Related: Bill Gates Says Unhappy Customers Are Good for Your Business. Here's Why

Is Bill Gates a robber baron?

A robber baron is a businessman who becomes rich using business practices broadly perceived as ruthless, exploitative or manipulative. Because Bill Gates rose to such massive success so quickly, many have likened him to a modern-day robber baron .

However, it's essential to know that Gates never did anything illegal. Though, as Microsoft rose in the computer science industry, he engaged in ruthless business practices.

For example, he would purchase up-and-coming companies, then dissolve them thoroughly to prevent them from competing with Microsoft in any way. But this isn't illegal; it's a business practice that constantly occurs across every industry.

Whether or not Bill Gates is a robber baron is largely up to the individual. Although Microsoft may have ruined the business dreams of other entrepreneurs, it was only ever through those individuals' choices.

Furthermore, Bill Gates has contributed much of his money to charity and needful organizations throughout his career, even signing the Giving Pledge in 2010. It's easy to imagine that these positive contributions far outweigh any minor damage he may have done while accumulating his wealth.

Related: 'Will All Americans Become Vegetarians?' Bill Gates Weighs in on Method for Fighting Climate Change

What are the best Bill Gates quotes?

Bill Gates is one of the richest people in the world — not solely due to his net worth but also because of his insights and wisdom. Here are a few of Gates' most impactful quotes:

• "We all need people who will give us feedback. That's how we improve."
• "Everyone needs a coach. It doesn't matter whether you're a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast or a bridge player."
• "Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning."
• "It's fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure."
• "Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one."
• "Don't compare yourself with anyone in this world. If you do so, you are insulting yourself."

What can you learn from Bill Gates ' story?

Bill Gates isn't the only successful tech businessman. Still, he's one of the most successful overall. Everyone can gain something by learning about the history and investments of the Microsoft founder.

Check out Entrepreneur's other articles for more information about business leaders and other financial topics.

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Bill Gates   Biography

William Henry Gates III , known in the world as Bill Gates, is a computer scientist, philanthropist and American businessman, known for being the creator of Microsoft with Paul Allen. He was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington, and is the son of William Henry Gates II and Mary Gates. He studied at the private Lakeside elite school in Seattle, where he began to show interest in computer science.

On April 4, 1975, while being a student at Harvard University, he founded the Microsoft Software Company along with his friend Paul Allen. A year later, he retired from the University to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico, headquarters of ITS (Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems), to agree with that company the session of 50% of the language for Basic computers.

In 1979, Microsoft began to grow, and Bill Gates decided to move his company to Seattle. Around 1980, he met with the representatives of IBM, where he managed to sell them the MS-DOS operating system; as he still did not have it he bought it from a young programmer, IBM needed that operating system to be able to compete with Apple.

After a while, Microsoft bought the copyright of QDOS from Tim Paterson, who worked for Seattle Computer Products. Aware of the importance of the graphics environment that Apple had shown, Bill Gates , visited them to offer his help to improve their spreadsheets and other programs, obtaining an Apple-Microsoft alliance.

Under the management of Bill Gates , Microsoft legally got the technology of the graphic and mouse environment, brought to the market for Microsoft Windows, as a direct competitor of the Macintosh.

In 1992, President Bush recognized the importance of the work of Bill Gates by awarding him the National Medal of Technology.

Around 1983, Bill Gates revolutionized personal computing again with the introduction of the “mouse” and a new graphical interface called to replace DOS (Windows). That same year, his friend Paul Allen left Microsoft, due to health problems. During this time, the company focused on the promotion of multimedia supports, especially in the educational field. Gates’ talent had been revealed in multiple computer programs, whose use was spread throughout the world as basic languages ​​of personal computers; but also in the success of a flexible and competitive company, managed with heterodox criteria.

The constant innovations of Bill Gates began to contribute to the rapid diffusion of the use of personal computing, producing a transcendental technical evolution in the ways of producing, transmitting and consuming information.

In 1994, he acquired a manuscript of Leonardo Da Vinci for twenty-five million dollars and married Melinda French.

On June 16, 2006, Bill Gates made public his intention to abandon his daily duties at the head of Microsoft to dedicate himself completely to the foundation; and on June 27, 2008, he retired from his work in front of Microsoft, transferring control of the company to Steve Ballmer. Bill Gates devotes 70% of his time to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the other 30% to the company.

BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION

Besides being a computer expert, Bill Gates and his wife created the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, located in the city of Seattle, which was created in January 2000 when the Gates Foundation for Learning and the William Foundation joined H. Gates. The foundation is directed by Bill Gates’ father, William H. Gates and Patty Stonesifer.

In May 2006, the Bill Gates Foundation was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation. For the year 2004, the foundation developed a $ 200 million campaign to promote AIDS prevention in India; the largest grant program in a single country. The effort had promotional help from Hollywood stars. Microsoft, a company led by Bill Gates, employs many Indian engineers in the United States and has 1,000 employees in India.

Bill Gates is “Vegan” since 2008, the year he stopped directing Microsoft, he has participated in some projects to spread this lifestyle. In this sense, together with Peter Thiel (co-founder of the Paypal company), he has supported the creation of artificial eggs made from easy to grow plants.

SOME AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

• Indira Gandhi a la Paz Award received on July 25, 2009, in recognition of its contribution to the fight against AIDS granted to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Lasker Award, on September 9, 2013, in Washington, United States, Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates were honored with one of the prestigious Lasker Awards, known as the Nobel Prizes of the United States, which annually reward advances in medicine.
• Bill Gates and his wife Melinda were awarded the Public Service Award for having initiated a “historical transformation in the way of perceiving the most worrisome health problems in the world and for having improved the lives of millions of people who are among the most vulnerable” This award was given to others in a ceremony on September 20 of the same year in New York, which was endowed with two hundred and fifty dollars.
• Medal of Freedom, on November 22, 2016, President Barack Obama, acknowledgment to Bill and Melinda Gates who with their foundations and initiatives have donated to charity to improve the quality of life and the future of the people.

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Luciano Benetton

Luciano Benetton Biography

Luciano Benetton (May 13, 1935) Born in Ponzano, Treviso, Italy. An Italian businessman and fashion designer, co-founder of the Benetton Group company, one of the most popular and important fashion companies in the world. After working for several years as a clerk in a clothing store, Benetton ventured as an entrepreneur selling the garments her sister made. When he won recognition, he created with his brothers the firm Fratelli Benetton (1965), with which he expanded and ventured into various commercial sectors linked to the world of fashion, such as perfumery. Under his command, the company became famous in the nineties for the publication of a series of controversial advertisements directed by Oliviero Toscani. He entered politics in the 1990s and left the company in charge of his son in 2012.

FAMILY AND BEGINNINGS

Born in an Italian province with an extensive textile tradition, Benetton had as a father a small businessman who died of malaria in 1945, having emigrated to Africa to work as a truck driver. Benetton, who at that time was only nine years old, left school to work and be able to support his mother and three sisters. He got a job as a clerk in a fabric and clothing store, where he stayed for several years. In 1955, a young twenty-year-old Benetton proposed to his sister, who at the time worked weaving clothes for a workshop, who worked together and created their own business, she would cook and sell her work in various stores.

With little money the two of them started their project and understanding that they had to sacrifice their comfort to grow, they sold some of their personal items, such as a bicycle, a guitar and other objects of little value, with which they collected the money to buy their first machine to knit. At that time, his sister Giuliana spent more than 18 hours in front of the machine, creating her first jerseys, which Luciano initially sold at the store she worked on and shortly thereafter began promoting them in other stores, gradually winning a clientele faithful. Determined to grow the business, Benetton created his own sample and presented it to various merchants in the town, in a short time getting his first large order, which consisted of 700 garments.

As the demand progressively increased, the brothers began to expand and hire more artisan employees, making themselves known in the region for their work and quality. Thanks to their hard work and the recompense they had, they founded in 1965 the commercial firm Fratelli Benetton, together with their brothers Gilberto and Carlo. The four brothers continued to work and publicize the brand, which in a short time became one of the best-known clothing companies in the country. By the end of the 1960s, the company opened its first headquarters abroad, establishing a store in Paris.

LUCIANO BENETTON’S PATH

After creating his signature Fratelli Benetton with his three brothers (Giuliana, Gilberto, and Carlo), Benetton took command of the company in 1974, at which time the company was known nationally and internationally. By the mid-1970s, the Benetton group was a multinational that had nine factories, five in its country and four abroad (Scotland, Spain, the United States, and France). Over the years the company continued to grow and to reach more than 1,300 stores abroad by the end of the 1980s. In addition to stores in the United States, Spain, France, and Scotland, they had stores in Bucharest (Romania), Prague (Czech Republic) and Budapest (Hungary). Each year the group sold more than seventy million garments and earned more than 152,000 million pesetas, trading on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt, Tokyo and New York (Wall Street). These gains made him one of the most prominent textile sector entrepreneurs of the time, along with great personalities such as Amancio Ortega and Isak Andic.

Understanding that the business needed to diversify to continue growing, Benetton launched a bathroom line, created a perfume manufactured by Hermés and designed a financial holding company called Edizione, which diversified in infrastructure, beverages, food, real estate, and agriculture. In a short time Edizione bought Nordica, a renowned sporting goods and clothing company for it, with which it was not only established as one of the most relevant companies in Italy, but also as one of the most complete fashion companies in the world (casual clothes, sports clothes and work clothes, etc).

The company’s success was affected in the 1990s, with the publication of a series of controversial commercials directed by photographer Oliviero Toscani. In the ads you could see a newborn baby covered in blood, a nun kissing a priest and a family accompanying a dying young man with AIDS. Although the campaign was designed to make the viewer reflect on the importance of the other, human rights and miscegenation, the message was lost and the viewers were scandalized, criticizing the firm for the proposal. Criticism continued when Benetton appeared naked covering her private parts in a newspaper to announce the Clothing Redistribution Project campaign , a charitable operation that sought to collect used clothing and send it to the Third World.

Although he was harshly criticized for his campaigns and eccentricity, Benetton entered politics in 1992. He obtained a seat in the Senate as a member of the Italian Republican Party, however, his passage through it was overshadowed by the emergence of the investigation against him for the bankruptcy of Fiorucci. Leaving politics and focused on business, Benetton secured a large number of properties in Argentina, becoming one of the most important landowners in the country. By the end of the 1990s, the company had expanded, earning more than 300,000 million pesetas a year. In the new millennium, he included in his business his sons Alessandro and Rocco, who were in charge of the company at his departure in 2012 . The story of this renowned designer and businessman was collected in the Benetton autobiography, the color of success (1991).

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton Biography

Louis Vuitton (August 4, 1821 – February 25, 1892) businessman and fashion designer. Founder of the leather goods brand Louis Vuitton. He was born in Anchay, France. His parents were Xavier Vuitton, a farmer, and his mother Coronne Vuitton, a woman who dedicated herself to making hats. At the age of 16, Louis gets a job as a trunk manufacturer, an occupation that allowed him to move to Paris.

In 1854, he opened a shop in Paris at number 4 on the rue Neuve-des-Capucines that would become one of the reference brands at the end of the 20th century. Subsequently, he served as luggage provider for Empress Eugenie de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III. His biggest goal in his life project was to create a leather bag workshop, he was passionate about the design of these items. So, with his savings, he opened the Atelier in 1859, a workshop of handmade leather bags and suitcases. This place was very symbolic and special for him because his child grew up there: Georges Vuitton, his mother was Clemence-Emilie Parriaux.

His workshop was very successful and popular because of the exclusivity of the designs and the quality of the materials used in his work, Vuitton became a benchmark for luxury leather goods. In 1885, he opened a store in London. At the time, he developed the Tumbler lock that made travel trunks much safer. In 1867, he won the bronze medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris. Empress Eugenia de Montijo remained her best client, her support would be crucial for her commercial development.

Louis Vuitton died on February 5, 1892, while in Asnières-Sur-Seine, France. His son followed in his footsteps but did not continue with the company, which did not end because it was commanded by other people. Its success was such that decades later the company had 225 workers. In 1896, Louis Vuitton company designed the monogram canvas with which it differs from other brands. Georges patented the Louis Vuitton lock, a revolutionary and very effective system that could not be opened even by the great American illusionist Harry Houdini.

Peter Drucker

Peter Drucker biography

Peter Drucker (November 19, 1909 – November 11, 2005) writer, consultant, entrepreneur, and journalist. He was born in Vienna, Austria. He is considered the father of the Management to which he devoted more than 60 years of his professional life. His parents of Jewish origin and then converted to Christianity moved to a small town called Kaasgrabeen. Drucker grew up in an environment in which new ideas and social positions created by intellectuals, senior government officials and scientists were emerging. He studied at the Döbling Gymnasium and in 1927, Drucker moved to the German city of Hamburg, where he worked as an apprentice in a cotton company.

Then he began to train in the world of journalism, writing for the Der Österreichische Volkswirt. Then he got a job in Frankfurt, his job was to write for the Daily Frankfurter General-Anzeiger. Meanwhile, he completed a doctorate in International Law. Drucker began to integrate his two facets and for that, he was a recognized journalist. Drucker worked in this place until the fall of the Weimar Republic. After this period he decided to move to London, where he worked in a bank and was also a student of John Maynard Keynes .

Although he was a disciple of Keynes, he assured, decades later, that Keynesianism failed as an economic thesis where it was applied. Because of the ravages of Nazism and persecution of Jews, he emigrated to the United States, where he served as a professor at Sarah Lawrence College in New York, from 1939 to 1949 and simultaneously was a writer. His first job as a consultant was in 1940. He then returned to teaching at Bennington College in Vermont. Thanks to his popularity he received a position to teach in the faculty of Business Administration of the University of New York.

He was an active contributor for a long period of time to magazines such as The Atlantic Monthly and was a columnist for The Wall Street Journal. The quality and recognition of his writings assured him important contracts both as a writer and as a consultant with large companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Quickly and surprisingly his fortune grew. Drucker served as honorary president of the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management.

In 1971, he obtained the Clarke Chair of Social Sciences and Administration at the Graduate School of Management at the University of Claremont. Now, at present Drucker is considered the most successful of the exponents in matters of administration, his ideas and terminologies have influenced the corporate world since the 40s. Drucker was the first social scientist to use the expression “post-modernity” something that caught the attention of this man is that he does not like receiving compliments. He was simple, visionary, satirical and vital.

Within his studies, he says that his greatest interest is people. His work as a consultant began in the General Motors Multinational Companies, from that moment begins to raise the theory of Management, Management trends, the knowledge society. Thanks to this theory he has published several books, these are consulted often and are fundamental for the career of business administrator. In his works, he deals with the scientific, human, economic, historical, artistic and philosophical stage.

He was founder and director of a business school that bears his name. For Drucker, it was beneficial that many of his ideas have been reformed because of the innovative way of thinking and analyzing business issues. Although approaches such as the knowledge society are the basis of the current company and the future is still maintained. He has published more than thirty books, which include studies of Management, studies of socio-economic policies and essays. Some are Best Sellers. The first book was The end of economic man (1939), The future of industrial man (1942), The concept of Corporation (1946). Later he published The Effective Executive (1985). He focused on personal effectiveness and changes in the direction of the 21st century. In 2002 the society of the future was published.

His first book caused much controversy because he talked about the reasons why fascism initiated and analyzed the failures of established institutions. He urged the need for a new social and economic order. Although he had finished the book in 1933, he had to wait because no editor wanted to accept such horrible visions. Now, Drucker has dealt with such controversial issues as individual freedom, industrial society, big business, the power of managers, automation, monopoly, and totalitarianism.

We must indicate that his analysis of the Administration, is a valuable guide for the leaders of companies that need to study their own performance, diagnose its failures and improve its productivity, as well as that of your company. Several companies have taken their approaches and put them into practice, such as Sears Roebuck & Co., General Motors, Ford, IBM, Chrysler, and American Telephone & Telegraph.

The consultant assured that there are some differences between the figure of the manager and that of the leader. For him, true leaders recognize their shortcomings as mortal beings, but they systematically concentrate on the essentials and work tirelessly to acquire the decisive competences of management. Actually, the contributions of this character in the world of administration and in the economic and social world have been significant. Drucker died on November 11, 2005, leaving a great legacy.

Paul Allen biography

Paul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953) entrepreneur, business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He was born in Seattle, Washington, United States. Allen attended Lakeside School, a private school located in Seattle, and became friends with Bill Gates , who was three years younger and shared a common enthusiasm for computers. His parents encouraged him from childhood to be curious and very dedicated to studying. At the age of 14, he became interested in computer science, scrutinizing computers internally and externally.

When the school was over, Allen went to the Washington State University, although when he had been studying for two years he decided to leave the school with his friend Bill Gates, who was studying at the prestigious Harvard University. Both felt that it was more useful to begin to devise commercial software for the new personal computers. At first, the brand was called Micro-Soft and was installed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The first sale was in 1975, and they started selling a BASIC language interpreter. Allen had an impressive business spirit so he was instrumental in achieving a project that aimed to acquire an operating system called MS-DOS for $ 50,000.

Gates and Allen managed to supply the operating system for the new IBM PCs. As of this moment, the company suffered constant and ascending progress. Maybe young people would not imagine the scope that Microsoft could have. But after several years of work, effort, and progress Allen had to separate from Gates and leave the company because of a serious illness, Hodgkin’s disease, which did not allow him to perform his duties. Allen had to undergo several months of radiotherapy treatment and a bone marrow SDF transplant.

Once recovered, he returned to Microsoft in 1990, but at that time the fate of Bill was already cast: he was the richest person in the world. Although Bill never turned his back on him and placed him in an important management position. He started working on an idea that a few months later became a reality, this is Vulcan Ventures Inc. in Washington: a venture capital fund specialized in cable and broadband services. With this idea Allen has participated in more than 140 companies, the most prominent are Priceline, Dreamworks, GoNet, Oxygen, and Metricom.

The money he earns he invests it in a variety of issues, and one of them is in the Portland Trail Blazers basketball team. As a fan of this sport, he decided to invest more than 70 million dollars for that team in 1988. A short time ago, he invested 200 million dollars for the Seattle Seahawks. In short, he is one of the minority owners of the Major League Soccer team, and of the Seattle Sounders FC. One of his passions is music, specifically Rock and Roll. He also spends many hours playing the guitar in his professional recording studio installed in his house.

Allen has not only invested in sports and personal passions, but he has also funded the Museum Experience Music Project and the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in Seattle. He has done this because of his interest in extraterrestrial life. Like every philanthropist, he has founded several charitable organizations. Allen’s contribution to Microsoft gave him great momentum and it was very significant, he decided to retire in the year 2000. After this Bill Gates published in the official account a moving statement, where he acknowledged the contribution of Allen to the success of the company.

This made him a great strategic advisor. That year, he sold 68 million shares, but still owns 138 million, which makes up the bulk of his wealth. This is proven in the investments he has in more than 50 technology and entertainment companies. For example, Experience Music Project, Entertainment Properties Inc., Charitable Foundations, Vulcan Ventures Inc., First & Goal Inc., and Clear Blue Sky Productions are just some of them. He made a significant investment in young and promising companies in the Internet sector such as Priceline, Click2learn, and Netperceptions.

Unfortunately, he did not manage to invest in one of the most successful and profitable companies in the Internet sector and with a promising future: eBay.com. It is not a secret that Allen puts the eye and the signature, where the best opportunities reside. The experience and success of Allen in recent years, prove him as one of the best investors worldwide. Allen’s investment strategy focuses on companies with future technology. Allen says that the next boom will be in the interactive sector. Paul Allen appears on the Forbes list of the richest people in the world, in 2009 the first was his friend and fellow, Bill Gates , while Allen has something less than 17,500 million dollars.

Nik Powell biography

Nik Powell (November 4, 1950) businessman and co-founder of the Virgin Group. He was born in Great Kingshill, Buckinghamshire, England.  Powell studied at the Longacre School and then left school because his family moved to Little Malvern. Then, he entered a small Catholic high school called St. Richard’s. He always showed a great ability for mathematical questions and for writing. Then he attended high school at Ampleforth College a high school located in North Yorkshire. Upon graduation, he entered the University of Sussex. But a year later he retired and began operating a mail order company, a small record store, and a recording studio.

The intentions to grow were increased, so the partners established Virgin Records in 1972. Little by little, the record began to bear fruit until years later it was recognized as one of the main record labels in the United Kingdom. In the year 1992, it was sold to EMI. During this time, Powell and Stephen Woolley came together to start the project that had as its object the foundation of a production company called Palace Productions. She was responsible for the production of The Company of Wolves (1984), Mona Lisa (1986) and The Crying Game (1992). But, although they achieved great things, the company collapsed in 1992 due to a series of inconclusive contracts and debts.

Without leaving his dreams behind, Powell began working in the film industry this time with Scala Productions, responsible for the production of Fever Pitch, Twenty Four Seven, Last Orders, B. Monkey and Ladies in Lavender. Since then he has been the president of this company. Simultaneously accepted the position of director of the National School of Film and Television in 2003. This decision was very controversial and caused great controversy because there were many people from academia who claimed that Powell was not prepared for the position. For a few years, he received the support of his wife Merrill Tomassi, from whom he divorced.

Later he married the singer Sandie Shaw, Powell was very important in the relaunching of her artistic career. They had two children, Amie and Jack, and they divorced in the 1990s. The distinguished career in the media industry, first in music as a co-founder of Virgin Records and later as a producer of several award-winning films allowed Nik to handle with excellence the School and be welcomed and respected by his students, the above has also gained more popularity to the institution.

Nik has not left his close ties with the leaders of the music and film industry, and also served as a trustee of BAFTA, where he chaired the Film Committee. While chairing the NFTS, Nik has been responsible for a remarkable transformation of the School that has grown in infrastructure and in importance and quality. It has been recognized as one of the best film schools in the world and now he can welcome more students because its academic offer is wider: masters, diploma, certificates and short courses in the film, television and games industries.

In recent years, the school received its accreditation from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Being then an accredited institution of higher education. A few years ago the NFTS was equipped with two buildings and a new digital television studio 4K. The president of the School has extended and made public his thanks to the work of Powell, and to the great achievements that the students of this school have made. They have been winners of several awards, such as four Oscar nominations, seven BAFTA and 10 Cilect Global Student Film awards.

Many NFTS graduate students are working in the best film, television, and gaming industries in the United Kingdom. But, after 14 years under the direction of the school, Powell decided to retire from this position in June 2017. Although he resigned from his position, he affirmed that he will continue supporting everything he can to his beloved institution. Powell appeared on the Queen’s 2018 New Year’s Honors list. Powell received an OBE. His partner Richard Branson has also recognized his work and admires his work. He also works with novelist and screenwriter Deborah Moggach.

After his retirement he realized, against all odds, that if he could get ahead in the role of academic director of such a prestigious institution, he could also found Virgin, enter the world of cinema, among other things. During his time as director, he took great pains to expand scholarships for students who do not have the economic capacity, and also encouraged the entry of women into the institution. And finally, he was very efficient with financing from large film industries. Powell is an inspiring man and was an important figure for the NFTS.

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• Occupation: Entrepreneur, Chairman of Microsoft
• Born: October 28, 1955 in Seattle, Washington
• Best known for: Founder of Microsoft, one of the richest men in the world

• Bill's nickname as a child was "Trey" which was given to him by his grandmother.
• He scored a 1590 out of 1600 on the SAT.
• At first Microsoft had a hyphen in the name "Micro-soft". It was a combination of microcomputer and software.
• When Microsoft first started out, Gates would look at every line of code before a new software product shipped.
• In 2004, Gates predicted that email spam would be gone by 2006. He was wrong on that one!
• He was dubbed an honorary knight by Queen Elizabeth. He does not use the title "Sir" because he is not a citizen of the United Kingdom .
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As Melinda French Gates leaves the Gates Foundation, many hope she’ll double down on gender equity

FILE - Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Melinda French Gates smiles as she leaves the Elysee Palace, June 23, 2023, in Paris. Melinda French Gates will step down as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the nonprofit shone of the largest philanthropic foundations in the world that she helped her ex-husband Bill Gates found more than 20 years ago. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)

FILE - Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, gestures during the unveiling of the logo and website of Alliance for Global Good – Gender Equity and Equality, Feb. 28, 2024, in New Delhi. Melinda French Gates will step down as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the nonprofit shone of the largest philanthropic foundations in the world that she helped her ex-husband Bill Gates found more than 20 years ago. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)

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NEW YORK (AP) — Melinda French Gates is already one of the biggest philanthropic supporters of gender equity in the United States and is now poised to put another $12.5 billion toward intractable problems like closing the gender pay gap and increasing women’s political participation, her grantees hope.

The additional funds come as French Gates announced Monday that she was stepping down as co-chair of the Gates Foundation , which she founded together with her ex-husband Bill Gates more than 20 years ago. Gates will provide the $12.5 billion as part of an agreement made when they divorced in 2021.

Organizations like Paid Leave For All, founded in 2019 to coordinate advocacy around passing federal paid leave legislation , said French Gates’ steady support over years as well as her advocacy to highlight the issue, counterbalance other funders who have been slow to back fights like theirs that challenge sexism in compensation and benefits.

“If you’re only willing to invest in a thing that you think is surely going to win in the short term, then you’re not making much of an impact,” said Dawn Huckelbridge, founding director of Paid Leave For All.

While no one knows exactly what French Gates’ future plans are, Huckelbridge’s organization and other grantees anticipate she will use the funds as part of her focused advocacy and philanthropic support for increasing the power and influence of women.

“This amount of money to be moved into a space, even with just a standard 5% draw, is going to be so significant,” said Teresa Younger, president and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women, which supports the women’s movement and the movement for gender equality in the U.S. The Ms. Foundation’s research has documented the disproportionately small amount of philanthropic dollars that support nonprofits led by women of color or that support Black women and girls , especially.

In her post on Monday announcing her resignation, French Gates said she planned to commit the funds to her work on behalf of women and families, adding, “I’ll be sharing more about what that will look like in the near future.”

French Gates works through her organization, Pivotal Ventures, which is a limited liability company that also manages investments in for profit ventures. As a result, there is little public information about its grantmaking or the assets it manages. A spokesperson for Pivotal Ventures pointed to French Gates’ statement on Monday when asked for comment about her future philanthropic plans.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which will change its name to the Gates Foundation, is one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the world. As of December 2023, its endowment was $75.2 billion, thanks to donations from Gates and the billionaire investor Warren Buffett. While it works across many issues, global health remains its largest area of work, and most of its funding is meant to address issues internationally rather than in the U.S.

Pivotal Ventures has targeted a number of avenues to increasing women’s economic and political participation and power, like closing the wage gap, compensating care work often done by women, and encouraging women to run for political office.

The Associated Press receives financial support for news coverage in Africa from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and for news coverage of women in the workforce and state governments from Pivotal Ventures.

Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, began working with French Gates at least as far back as 2018, she said.

“I have to say, they were one of the most considerate funders, if I can put it that way, in that they provided funding for general support and asked only that we could make ourselves available to give guidance and advice early on,” Walsh said. She also credited French Gates with having a capacity for giving and focus on gender equity that no other single funder or foundation offers.

Walsh declined to say how much Pivotal Ventures has granted to her organization, but said the funding supports their research into multiple areas, including the intersection of race and gender in politics and ways female political donors can use their influence and voice to greater effect. Her center is also able to fund the research of faculty and graduate students at other institutions, which helps communicate to those schools that their research is valued, she said.

“I remember thinking that after 40-plus years of working in this space, it was the thing that in many ways I never thought would happen, which is that there would be somebody who would prioritize gender and gender equity, who had the capacity to make investments that could be transformational,” Walsh said.

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy .

Melinda French Gates resigns from the Gates Foundation

Three years after her divorce from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, she plans to embark on her own philanthropic venture.

Billionaire philanthropist and business executive Melinda French Gates announced Monday that she is resigning from the foundation she co-founded with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, her former husband, to start her own philanthropic venture.

She was serving as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has spent nearly $54 billion since 2000 fighting “poverty, disease, and inequity” around the world, according to its website . Now, three years after the couple’s divorce , French Gates is striking out on her own.

. @MelindaGates has played a crucial role in what we’ve accomplished at the @GatesFoundation . Her vision will leave a lasting legacy, and our foundation remains committed to creating a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy and productive life. pic.twitter.com/cyhTa00hCm — Mark Suzman (@MSuzman) May 13, 2024

“Under the terms of my agreement with Bill, in leaving the foundation, I will have an additional $12.5 billion to commit to my work on behalf of women and families,” she said in a post Monday on LinkedIn. “I’ll be sharing more about what that will look like in the near future.”

Bill Gates will now serve as the sole chair of the foundation, whose name is being shortened to the Gates Foundation, CEO Mark Suzman said Monday in a statement on X. It is the world’s largest private foundation.

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A former product manager at Microsoft, French Gates spearheaded work at the Gates Foundation that focused on women’s issues, including empowerment. She oversaw the foundation along with Bill Gates Sr., traveling the globe to see where the need for philanthropy was greatest and to set the agenda. The work helped turn her into a more prominent public figure: She spoke about malaria at the White House in 2006 and before the U.N. General Assembly in 2010 about reducing poverty and halting the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Still, French Gates has said she felt her husband’s shadow looming over the foundation’s work: In a 2006 interview with the Wall Street Journal, as French Gates began to take a more public role at the foundation, she acknowledged that the public erroneously “thought the foundation was really Bill.”

When the pair announced their separation in 2021, they said they planned to continue joint philanthropic work. The couple had contributed more than $36 billion to the foundation from 1994 to 2018, according to the foundation’s website.

In a post on LinkedIn, Bill Gates said Monday that “Melinda has been instrumental in shaping our strategies and initiatives, significantly impacting global health and gender equality.”

“I am sorry to see her leave, but I am sure she will have a huge impact in her future philanthropic work,” Gates said in the post. “Looking ahead, I remain fully committed to the Foundation’s work across all our strategies, and to realizing the opportunities we have to continue improving the lives of millions around the world.”

In her statement, French Gates said she was “immensely proud of the foundation that Bill and I built together,” and she hinted at future directions for her personal philanthropy.

“This is a critical moment for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world — and those fighting to protect and advance equality are in urgent need of support,” she said.

Pivotal Ventures, which French Gates founded in 2015, offers a window into her priorities, including the need to “accelerate the pace of social progress.” It has invested in companies and partnered with organizations working on her core issues, including advancing paid leave and caregiving innovation; addressing racial inequity as a barrier for women in the United States; and getting more women to run for public office.

A previous version of this article misquoted the Gates Foundation website. The foundation has spent nearly $54 billion since 2000 fighting “poverty, disease and inequity,” not inequality. The article has been corrected.