Bill Gates

William Henry Gates III was born on October 28, 1955. He is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is best known for co-founding the software company Microsoft in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen.

As a pioneer of the microcomputer revolution during the 1970s and 1980s, Gates helped shape the modern technology world. Following Microsoft's initial public offering in 1986, he became the world's youngest billionaire at age 31 in 1987. For many years, he was ranked among the wealthiest people globally.

Gates was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. He developed an early interest in computing while attending Lakeside School. He later studied at Harvard University but left to focus on building Microsoft into a leading global company. Over the years, he held several top positions at Microsoft, including CEO, president, chairman of the board, and chief software architect.

Beyond business, Gates is known for his philanthropic efforts through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which he co-chaired with his then-wife, Melinda French Gates. The foundation has supported health initiatives targeting diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, and polio, as well as education and poverty alleviation projects around the world. His work in giving back inspired many. He co-founded the Giving Pledge in 2010 with Warren Buffett, encouraging billionaires to donate a large portion of their wealth to charitable causes.

Early life and education

William Henry Gates III was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington. His parents were William H. Gates Sr. and Mary Maxwell Gates. They encouraged his love for computers when he was young.

At age 13, Gates went to Lakeside Prep School. There, he learned to program computers. He and his friends used their computer time to write programs. They even started a small club to help find problems in other people's computer programs and earn money.

Later, Gates attended Harvard University. However, after two years, he left to start his own company with his childhood friend, Paul Allen. Even though he left Harvard, Gates kept his interest in solving difficult math problems. He created a smart way to sort numbers that was very fast for many years.

Microsoft

Further information: History of Microsoft and Microsoft § History

Bill Gates and his friend Paul Allen started Microsoft in 1975. They made software for the first personal computers. Their big break came when they created an operating system for IBM’s first personal computer. This helped Microsoft become a very big company.

Gates worked closely on the company’s projects, even writing some of the computer code at first. Later, he spent more time managing the company. Microsoft made many well-known products, including Windows, which became the most used operating system in the world. Gates stopped working daily at Microsoft in 2008 to focus on charity work.

Post-Microsoft

Since leaving his day-to-day work at Microsoft, Bill Gates has focused on helping others and other projects. He stepped down as chairman of Microsoft in February 2014 to help the new CEO, Satya Nadella.

Gates has talked about many issues, including climate change and technology. He has also shared his worries about the future, like the risks of superintelligence. During the TED conference in March 2015, Gates talked about being ready for diseases that spread quickly. This became important with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019. His foundation has worked on creating treatments for COVID-19. Gates has also been part of many business projects and investments in different areas.

Climate change and energy

Bill Gates believes that climate change and global access to energy are very important issues. He has encouraged governments and businesses to invest in research to make clean energy cheaper and more reliable. Gates thinks that new discoveries in sustainable energy could help reduce pollution, support poorer communities, and make energy prices more stable.

In 2015, Gates talked about the challenge of changing the world’s energy system from fossil fuels to cleaner sources. He thinks this change can happen faster today because of quicker innovation and the urgent need to act. Gates started two big projects at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris: Mission Innovation, where governments agreed to increase spending on clean energy research, and Breakthrough Energy, a group of investors supporting new clean energy ideas. He has also supported important climate laws, like the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which aims to cut down pollution and help limit global warming.

Political positions

In October 2024, Bill Gates gave $50 million to help a group with a political campaign. He said this election was important.

Bill Gates has talked about many topics. He said that banning some people from social media can cause problems. He also talked about vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying it was important for companies to keep control of their inventions. Gates has also spoken out against cryptocurrencies, saying they can be risky for everyday investors.

Philanthropy

In an interview with the BBC in 2025, Gates said his charitable donations have totalled $100 billion. He gave $60 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Gates created the "William H. Gates Foundation" in 1994. In 2000, he combined three family foundations to create the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It is the world’s largest charitable foundation, with assets over $34.6 billion. The foundation focuses on global health, education, and development. It supports efforts to fight diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. It also helps provide clean water and improve sanitation in poor countries. The foundation supports education, including libraries and scholarships. It also works on global policy issues.

Gates has made personal donations to universities, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. He supports global health initiatives, including fighting Alzheimer's disease. He has promised to give away most of his wealth through the "Giving Pledge." He has also taken part in charity sports events, like playing tennis to raise money for children in Africa.

Books

Bill Gates has written several books. His first major book, The Road Ahead, came out in 1995. It talked about how computers would change our lives.

Later, in 1999, he wrote Business @ the Speed of Thought. This book showed how technology could help businesses.

Gates also wrote about big problems facing the world. In 2021, he published How to Avoid a Climate Disaster. This book shared ideas to fight climate change. After the COVID-19 pandemic, he wrote How to Prevent the Next Pandemic in 2022. It suggested ways to stop future pandemics. His first memoir, Source Code, came out in February 2025.

Personal life

Bill Gates enjoys many hobbies, such as reading, playing bridge, golf, and tennis. Even with his busy schedule and great wealth, he used to fly in regular economy class until 1997 when he bought a private jet.

In the 1990s, Gates built a large home in Medina, Washington designed by architects James Cutler and Peter Bohlin. This home has many special features like a big swimming pool and a large gym. He also collects important artworks and scientific items, such as a collection of writings by Leonardo da Vinci.

Gates married Melinda French in 1994 after dating for six years, and they had three children together. They announced their divorce in 2021, which was finalized later that year.

Gates’ public image has changed over time. He was first known as a smart but tough business leader. Later, he became known for his charitable work through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He continues to be a well-known figure in technology and helping others.

Controversies

During his time as CEO of Microsoft, Bill Gates faced some legal challenges. In 1998, he testified in a court case about Microsoft’s business practices. Some people found his answers hard to understand.

Gates was known for being very direct with his employees. He often asked tough questions in meetings and sometimes used strong language.

In 2011, Gates met with financier Jeffrey Epstein, even after Epstein was convicted of serious crimes. Gates later said it was a mistake to spend time with Epstein, hoping he could help with charitable work, but nothing came from it. These meetings later drew attention and criticism.

In 2025, Gates wrote a statement saying that climate change wasn’t the biggest threat to the world right now. Many climate scientists disagreed, saying climate change makes many other problems worse.

Awards and recognition

Bill Gates has received many awards for his work. In 1999, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. He was listed again in 2004, 2005, and 2006. In 2005, Time chose Gates, his wife Melinda, and U2's lead singer Bono as their Persons of the Year for their humanitarian work.

Gates has been given honorary doctorates from many universities around the world, including Harvard and Cambridge. He was also made an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire and received France’s Legion of Honour. In 2016, Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. These are just a few examples of the many awards he has received.

Depiction in media

Bill Gates has appeared in many kinds of media, such as movies, TV shows, documentaries, and radio programs. Some well-known examples include:

• Documentary Films: These include titles like The Machine That Changed the World, Triumph of the Nerds, and Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates.
• Feature Films: Gates was in films such as Pirates of Silicon Valley, where actor Anthony Michael Hall played him, and The Social Network, where he was played by Steve Sires.
• Television: Gates made guest appearances on shows like The Big Bang Theory and was even spoofed in an episode of The Simpsons. He also appeared in the final episode of Silicon Valley.
• Radio: In 2016, Gates was a guest on Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4, where he talked about his life and work.
• Talks and Interviews: Gates has given many TED talks and was interviewed in 2023 for the Amol Rajan Interviews series on BBC Two.

Books

Bill Gates wrote a book called Source Code: My Beginnings. It shares stories from his early life. He also wrote The Bill Gates Problem, which looks at different ideas about his work. Both books give us interesting information about him.