Bill Gates, full name is William Henry Gates III, He was born October 28, 1955, Seattle, Washington, U.S., American computer programmer and entrepreneur who cofounded Microsoft Corporation, the world’s largest personal-computer software company.
Gates demonstrated his early aptitude for software programming by creating his first software program at the young age of 13. During his time in high school, he played a key role in establishing a group of programmers dedicated to automating their school’s payroll system. Additionally, he embarked on the founding of Traf-O-Data, a business venture focused on supplying traffic-counting systems to local governments.
In 1975, while Gates was a sophomore at Harvard University, he partnered with his close friend from his hometown, Paul G. Allen. Together, they set out to develop software for the newly emerging microcomputers. Their initial project involved adapting the widely used programming language called BASIC, which was originally designed for larger computers, to suit microcomputers. The success of this endeavor prompted Gates to leave Harvard during his junior year, and together with Allen, he established the foundation for Microsoft.
Gates’s influence within the nascent microcomputer industry experienced a significant boost when Microsoft obtained a license for an operating system known as MS-DOS. This operating system was then adopted by the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), the leading computer supplier globally at the time, for use in their inaugural microcomputer, the IBM PC (personal computer). The release of this machine in 1981 promptly set the technical standard for the personal computer industry. Furthermore, MS-DOS swiftly surpassed its competitors to become the predominant operating system. Despite the strains between Microsoft and IBM, Gates adeptly maneuvered the situation, establishing a permanent reliance of the larger company on him for essential software. Subsequently, manufacturers producing IBM-compatible PCs, often referred to as “clones,” turned to Microsoft as their primary source for fundamental software. As the 1990s commenced, Gates had solidified his role as the preeminent influencer in the personal computer industry.
Mainly propelled by Microsoft’s triumphant journey, Gates accumulated an immense theoretical fortune as the company’s most substantial individual stakeholder. His status as a paper billionaire emerged in 1986, and in a span of merely ten years, his net worth skyrocketed into the realm of tens of billions of dollars. By some estimations, he was touted as the wealthiest private individual globally. Initially, Gates was inclined to maintain a low profile, his interests largely confined to software and the potential of information technology. He indirectly steered civic and philanthropic ventures through his foundations.
However, the expansion of Microsoft’s influence and reputation, coupled with the scrutiny of the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust division, pushed Gates into the spotlight with a degree of reluctance. Detractors, especially those from competing Silicon Valley firms, depicted him as relentless, two-faced, and unwavering in his pursuit of profit from nearly every electronic transaction conceivable. Conversely, his proponents celebrated his uncanny business acumen, adaptability, and insatiable drive to innovate software, enhancing the utility of computers and electronics.
All these attributes came to the fore as Gates adeptly responded to the sudden surge of interest in the Internet. Commencing in 1995 and 1996, he directed Microsoft’s focus towards developing software solutions for both consumers and enterprises on the Internet front. He also engineered the Windows CE operating system platform, catering to networking beyond traditional computers, like home televisions and personal digital assistants. Additionally, he established the Microsoft Network to vie with entities such as America Online, acquired the extensive Bettmann photo archives and other collections for electronic distribution through his company Corbis.
Beyond his Microsoft pursuits, Gates was recognized for his charitable undertakings. Together with his then-spouse Melinda, he inaugurated the William H. Gates Foundation in 1994, later renamed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 1999. Their aim was to fund global health initiatives and projects in the Pacific Northwest region. During the latter half of the 1990s, they extended their support to North American libraries through the Gates Library Foundation (later known as Gates Learning Foundation) and championed minority study grants via the Gates Millennium Scholars program.
In June 2006, Warren Buffett pledged an ongoing contribution to the foundation, potentially swelling its assets to around $60 billion over two decades. Entering the 21st century, the foundation maintained its emphasis on global health, development, and causes related to education and communities in the United States. In June 2008, Gates gradually handed over his day-to-day role at Microsoft, choosing to channel more time into the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; however, he retained his position as chairman of the board. He eventually stepped down as chairman in February 2014 but remained a board member until 2020. During this period, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. The documentary series “Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates” premiered in 2019. Two years later, Gates and his wife went through a divorce.
The ultimate impact of Gates’s exceptional achievements on his place in the annals of great Americans is yet to be determined. At the very least, historians are likely to regard him as a pivotal figure in the realm of computers, akin to John D. Rockefeller’s significance in the oil industry. Gates himself displayed a keen awareness of the pitfalls of success in his 1995 bestseller “The Road Ahead,” where he observed, “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.”
