Bill gates, born william henry gates iii, is an american entrepreneur, software developer, and philanthropist. He was born on october 28, 1955, in seattle, washington. Gates is known for co-founding microsoft corporation, the world's largest software maker, and for his philanthropic work through the bill & melinda gates foundation.
Early life and education:
gates grew up in a family of five in seattle, washington. His father was an attorney, and his mother served on several charitable boards. Gates attended lakeside school, an exclusive preparatory school, where he was introduced to computers. At the age of 13, he wrote his first computer program, a tic-tac-toe game, which he used to beat his classmates.
In 1973, gates enrolled at harvard university but dropped out two years later to start microsoft with his childhood friend, paul allen. Gates' decision to leave harvard was controversial, but it allowed him to focus entirely on his new venture.
Microsoft corporation:
in 1975, gates and allen co-founded microsoft corporation, a company that would revolutionize the computer industry. They started by developing software for the new altair 8800 computer and soon moved on to develop software for other personal computers. In 1980, microsoft was chosen by ibm to develop the operating system for its new personal computer, and the company's fortunes skyrocketed.
Under gates' leadership, microsoft became the world's largest software maker. The company's products, including the windows operating system and office productivity software, became industry standards. Gates' vision and business acumen propelled microsoft to the forefront of the computer industry, making him one of the wealthiest people in the world.
Philanthropy:
in 2000, gates and his wife, melinda, founded the bill & melinda gates foundation, one of the world's largest philanthropic organizations. The foundation aims to improve global health and reduce extreme poverty. It has invested in a range of initiatives, including the development of vaccines for diseases such as hiv and malaria, the improvement of healthcare in developing countries, and the eradication of polio.
In addition to his work with the bill & melinda gates foundation, gates has also been a vocal advocate for education reform. He has funded a range of educational initiatives, including the creation of the gates millennium scholars program, which provides scholarships to low-income students.
Awards and honors:
gates has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the technology industry and philanthropy. He was named one of time magazine's "100 most influential people of the 20th century" and has been awarded the presidential medal of freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
In 1999, gates was inducted into the american academy of arts and sciences, and in 2002, he was awarded an honorary knighthood by queen elizabeth ii for his contributions to global enterprise. He has also received honorary doctorates from universities around the world.
Personal life:
gates married melinda french in 1994, and they have three children. Gates is known for his voracious reading habits and is often seen carrying books with him. He is also a music lover and has been known to attend rock concerts. In his free time, gates enjoys playing bridge and tennis.
Gates' net worth has fluctuated over the years, but he has consistently been one of the wealthiest people in the world. In recent years, he has stepped back from his role at microsoft to focus on his philanthropic work. Gates has pledged to donate the majority of his wealth to charity, and his work with the bill & melinda gates foundation has already had a significant impact on global health and poverty reduction.
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