Bill Gates

Bill Gates
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Name:
Bill Gates
Real name:
William Henry Gates III
Who is:
, Microsoft founder, philanthropist
Birth date:
(69 y.o.)
Place of birth:
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Height:
5'7 ft ()
Weight:
143 lb (65 kg)
Relationship:
single
Birth Sign:
(characteristic)
Chinese zodiac:

Photos: Bill Gates

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Biography of Bill Gates

Bill Gates, born William Henry Gates, is the entrepreneur who founded Microsoft and created the revolutionary operating systems MS-DOS and Windows. He has topped the list of the world's wealthiest individuals 18 times. He dedicates a massive portion of his wealth to philanthropy. Net worth: $133 billion.
Pictured: Bill Gates
Pictured: Bill Gates

Childhood and Family

Bill grew up in an upscale Seattle neighborhood, part of a wealthy and prominent family. His father, William H. Gates, was a prominent lawyer, while his mother Mary taught school and actively participated in charitable work, serving on the board of United Way of America. Bill was the second child, with an elder sister, Kristi, and a younger one, Libby.
Bill Gates in his youth
Bill Gates in his youth
The family lived in the quiet Sand Pond neighborhood in south Seattle. The peaceful area was disrupted by a tornado in September 1962 that damaged eight houses, including the Gates family home. Raising their future billionaire and philanthropist wasn't easy for William and Mary. In his early years, Bill was quite rebellious. One time, when Mary couldn't get him to come to dinner, she shouted in frustration, "What on earth are you doing?" Bill shot back, "I'm thinking. Have you ever tried thinking?" After this outburst, Bill's parents took him to a psychologist who advised them to give him more freedom, saying, "Certain things become an obsession for Bill. Arguing with him about these things is pointless."

Taking this advice to heart, his parents stopped limiting Bill's independence. By age 13, he was allowed to spend nights at the University of Washington, which had a lab with cutting-edge computers (back when personal computers didn't exist), diving deep into his passion.
Bill Gates with his mother
Bill Gates with his mother
Looking back on the psychologist's influence, Bill said, "He convinced me that fighting with my parents wasn't helping anyone. That I wasn't proving anything by doing it. I think by age 14, I'd completely gotten over that phase."

Bill's parents pushed him to try things beyond his comfort zone. He didn't like swimming, football, or music, but he tried them anyway—though he quit the trombone pretty fast. Bill often wondered why his parents made him do things he wasn't good at. They believed that trying new things would develop his mind and teach him that failure is just part of life.

Growing up in a Protestant home, young Gates was raised with strong Biblical values. Mary would often repeat, "To whom much is given, much will be required," stressing their responsibility as a wealthy family to help those less fortunate. The Gates kids were never selfish—they learned early about the importance of charity and giving back to the community.

At school, Bill Gates quickly stood out as one of the brightest students. From elementary school on, teachers noticed his incredible abilities, amazing photographic memory, and exceptionally high IQ. While other kids played outside, Bill buried himself in a 20-volume encyclopedia, carefully reading every single page.

An Introduction to Computers

In 1967, Gates enrolled at the prestigious Lakeside Middle School, where he first discovered the school's teletype. This device, reminiscent of a fusion between a typewriter and a printer, lacked any graphical display. Gates became so obsessed with programming that he spent all his time in the computer lab, often skipping other classes.
Bill Gates and Paul Allen
Bill Gates and Paul Allen
In 1968, the young Gates met Paul Allen, who was two grades his senior and equally passionate about computers. Together, they created their first program that automatically generated school schedules — a revolutionary achievement for its time. The school's principal rewarded their innovation with a $500 prize, showing them that their hobby could actually make money.
Bill Gates and Paul Allen attended the same school
Bill Gates and Paul Allen attended the same school
The two were granted permission to program in the computer lab of the University of Washington, since the school's computers couldn't compete with the university's advanced systems. "Mostly, we were just goofing around: Monopoly strategies, basic programs on punch cards," Gates recalled. However, in 1971, they were barred from the lab for an entire year due to a "breach of trust" — they had shown how easily security passwords could be stolen.
We recognized that microprocessors were the future and were baffled as to why others couldn't see it.
By age 17, Gates, then a high school senior, collaborated with a friend to develop a program analyzing road traffic. This project earned them $20,000, and their subsequent contract — to design an analytical program for a hydroelectric plant — earned them a staggering $30,000.
Bill Gates developed a passion for computers at just 12 years old
Bill Gates developed a passion for computers at just 12 years old

The Genesis of Microsoft

After finishing high school, Gates enrolled at Harvard University, where he continued his passion for programming. In 1974, he came across an article about the inaugural portable computer, the "Altair". Bill and Paul contacted its creators with a proposal to develop software for this new device.

After getting approval, they immediately got to work. Creating these programs often meant working all night, especially since they were exploiting Harvard's computing resources, much to the frustration of the university's administration.
After finishing school, Gates embarked on his academic journey at Harvard University
After finishing school, Gates embarked on his academic journey at Harvard University
Despite the restrictions and threats, they successfully completed their project, selling the software for the "Altair" at a price of three thousand dollars. With this money, Bill and Paul launched their own company, naming it Microsoft.

To his parents' dismay, Gates dropped out of college, dedicating himself completely to his beloved company. Returning to Seattle, the duo secured a modest office in its suburbs. By 1978, the growing company had just eleven employees, with Bill handling contracts and dealing with clients, while Paul led the technical side.

The Birth of a Billionaire

At just 24, Gates signed a game-changing contract with IBM that would eventually launch him to the top of the global wealth and power pyramid. The world's leading computer company needed an operating system for its new project, and Microsoft stepped up to the plate. Behind this huge deal was Gates' mother, who connected her son with IBM's top brass. But that doesn't take away from Gates' own sharp instincts and persuasive skills, which were crucial in landing this high-stakes deal.
At 24, Gates inked a contract with IBM
At 24, Gates inked a contract with IBM
In 1981, the famed text-based operating system MS-DOS (Micro Soft Disk Operation System) was unveiled. It was hailed as the most advanced OS of its time, bringing personal computers to everyday users. What's more, this system wasn't just built for BASIC but worked with most popular programming languages. Here's the thing: Gates didn't build this OS from scratch. He adapted it from the existing 86-DOS OS, buying the rights from Seattle Computer Products for $75,000.
Young Bill Gates
Young Bill Gates
August of that year saw the release of the inaugural IBM computer powered by an Intel processor and MS-DOS. IBM's computers quickly dominated the personal computer market thanks to their relatively affordable price. Meanwhile, Apple's Lisa — which Microsoft actually helped develop for a while — carried a whopping $10,000 price tag, putting it out of reach for most people.
By 40, Bill Gates ascended to the title of the world's richest person
By 40, Bill Gates ascended to the title of the world's richest person
Instead of selling his OS outright to IBM, Gates cut a deal to earn a percentage from every computer the company sold. Thanks to this brilliant strategic move, Gates became a billionaire by age 30, making history as the youngest self-made billionaire. By 40, he was the world's wealthiest individual. Computers had become a mainstream commodity, and Microsoft had carved out a prosperous and sustainable future for itself.

1983 heralded the debut of Microsoft Windows, an OS that was a derivative of MS-DOS but boasted a user-friendly graphical interface. Its key feature, the window frame manager (where clicking a link or button opens a new window, separate from others), might seem ordinary today, but in 1983, it was absolutely revolutionary. It made using computers much easier, eliminating the need to manually type in file directories.

Around this time, Microsoft also launched Word, the text editor that's still a go-to for most PC users today. Of course, today's version is completely different from the original. Similarly, Microsoft Excel, released in 1985, quickly crushed the competition in spreadsheet software.
Bill Gates Success Story
In 1995, the company launched Windows 95, an operating system so far ahead of its competitors that it locked in Microsoft's market dominance for years to come. By 1996, Forbes had recognized Bill Gates as the richest individual on the planet. He retained this title until 2007, reclaimed it in 2009, and held onto it until 2016. But in 2018, Amazon's Jeff Bezos claimed that entrepreneurial crown.

Life After Microsoft

In June 2008, Bill Gates stepped down as the leader of Microsoft to focus on philanthropy and social causes. But this didn't mean he was cutting ties with his brainchild completely. Until 2010, Gates remained the Chairman of the Board, though without executive powers. He also kept a significant 8.7% stake in the company.
In June 2008, Bill Gates stepped down as the head of Microsoft
In June 2008, Bill Gates stepped down as the head of Microsoft
By October 2008, Bill Gates had founded his third company, "bgC3," a small research center focused on scientific and tech services.
Bill Gates dedicated himself to philanthropic and societal efforts
Bill Gates dedicated himself to philanthropic and societal efforts
Following his departure from Microsoft, Gates poured his resources into scientific research, bought art masterpieces, and backed political campaigns. For instance, in 2003, he displayed his collection of Leonardo da Vinci works at the Seattle Art Museum, and in 2004, according to Forbes, he supported George W. Bush's presidential campaign.
Bill Gates was honored with the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Bill Gates was honored with the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
In early 2005, the British Foreign Office honored Bill Gates with the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to British business and his fight against global poverty.
Bill Gates' fortune exceeded $ 90 billion
Gates is one of the world's most generous philanthropists, donating over $30 billion to charitable causes so far.

In 2000, with his wife Melinda, he created a charitable foundation focused on improving healthcare in developing countries.

In 1999, Gates renamed his charitable institution the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, focused on strengthening healthcare in developing countries and education in the US. In 2005, Time magazine named the couple "Persons of the Year".
Bill Gates has donated over $30 billion to charitable causes
Bill Gates has donated over $30 billion to charitable causes
In 2010, in collaboration with Warren Buffet, Gates was among the first to sign the Giving Pledge, a commitment by the world's wealthiest individuals to donate at least half of their wealth to charity during their lifetime. The pledge drew signatories from different industries, including IT (Mark Zuckerberg), trading (Michael Bloomberg), and cinema (George Lucas).

In early 2018, Bill Gates declared his intent to invest around $12 million in flu vaccine research. He also revealed that he declined an offer to be Donald Trump's science advisor.

Bill Gates' Personal Life

From 1994 to 2021, Bill was married to Melinda French (now Gates), a former Microsoft marketing executive. A Duke University graduate, she studied computer science with a focus on economics. Melinda is nine years younger than her now ex-husband. The couple met in 1987 and dated for nearly seven years before getting married.
Bill and Melinda Gates in their younger days
Bill and Melinda Gates in their younger days
Bill and Melinda raised three children: son Rory (born 1999) and daughters Jennifer (born 1996) and Phoebe (born 2002). It's well-known that after Gates' death, all his assets will be donated to charity. Instead of spoiling his children with limitless wealth, Gates invested in their education. All three attended the same Lakeside School in Seattle, which their father once graduated from.
Bill Gates with his wife and children
Bill Gates with his wife and children
In May 2021, Bill and Melinda announced their divorce. After 27 years of marriage, despite their best efforts, the couple couldn't sustain their initial love. The former couple vowed to remain friends, and Melinda continues to be involved in the operations of the Gates charitable foundation.

The Gates family resides in a vast mansion situated along the scenic shores of Lake Washington. This residence can truly be called a house of the future, equipped with cutting-edge technology that allows comprehensive control.

Bill Gates Now

In 2020, Bill Gates' forecasts regarding the most lethal threat to humanity came to pass. For years, he repeatedly warned of a potential pandemic that could claim millions of lives. Ironically, conspiracy theorists accused Gates himself of orchestrating the global coronavirus outbreak, alleging his support for global vaccination demonstrated vested interests in widespread illness.
Bill Gates nowadays
Bill Gates nowadays
Of course, these are just baseless speculations. Meanwhile, Gates carefully studied the coronavirus issue, funded vaccine development, and projected that humanity might only return to normalcy in 1-2 years.
As of 2020, Bill Gates' wealth exceeded $100 billion. Despite this, the billionaire has excluded his children from his will, intending to leave all his money to his charitable foundation
In the fall of 2020, Bill Gates publicly spoke about the second wave of the coronavirus. He emphasized that people worldwide would face worsening circumstances due to the disease and its consequences. According to the businessman, with the onset of colder weather, people would spend more time indoors, inevitably leading to a surge in infections. His predictions proved correct: a second wave began in December, and unfortunately, it wasn't the last.
What Bill Gates hopes we learn from coronavirus
In 2021, Bill Gates ranked fourth in the list of the world's wealthiest individuals, earning $26 billion over the past year. Forbes estimated his wealth at $124 billion. However, following his divorce, he dropped to fifth place, giving $5.7 billion to his ex-wife.

Gates donates billions to medical advancements, buys coronavirus vaccines for poor nations, and genuinely wonders how his fellow billionaires (Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Richard Branson) can spend vast fortunes on space programs while Earth still faces countless unresolved issues.

Bill Gates: latest news and articles

  • Brainy guy. What would we do without Bill Gates? Would sit without computers and Internet??? Horrible...
    2021-05-02 08:22:19
  • It is very impressive that Gates spends most of his income on charity. I think this is correct.
    2021-05-01 08:24:54
  • I think Bill Gates has a very kind face. He is such a sweetheart and cutie :)
    2021-03-26 12:04:15
  • Microsoft is cool. I have been using computers and laptops on the Windows platform for many years and am happy with everything.
    2021-03-25 11:05:19
  • I respect Bill Gates. He did so much for the development of technology in our world.
    2021-02-28 11:59:43
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