Bill Gates: Inside the Life and Career of the Microsoft Co-Founder

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 the company the operating system’s information, but 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.

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For nearly three decades, as they raised three kids, the entrepreneur was married to Melinda French Gates. The former couple first met in 1987 at a sales meeting in New York City. Nine years her senior, the CEO asked her out in a parking lot several weeks later.

It was through her position that fellow board member John Opel heard about Microsoft. Opel was also chairman of IBM and reportedly put in a good word about the startup to IBM executives. Bill Gates (born October 28, 1955, Seattle, Washington) is an American computer programmer and entrepreneur who cofounded Microsoft Corporation, the world’s largest personal-computer software company. Gates managed to convince the executives he and Allen could create software for their new hardware. He largely eschewed sports and more typical childhood activities, instead taking an early interest in technology. He wrote his first lines of code while still a young teen; it was a software program that allowed a human to face off against a computer playing tic-tac-toe.

Primarily because of the company’s huge artificial intelligence (AI) tailwind. Microsoft’s cloud platform is booming as customers flock to the cloud to deploy AI systems. The tech giant has integrated generative AI functionality throughout its product lineup. Gates, who has a 2,500-square-foot gym in his mansion, is a firm believer in the benefits of exercise.

The company’s first product was BASIC software that ran on the Altair computer. Microsoft’s program for the Altair netted the company a fee and royalties, but it wasn’t enough to meet their overhead. 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 President Ed Roberts was and asked the young men for a demonstration.

As of February 2025, there have been no updates on the progress of the project. The Microsoft cofounder also owns several other properties in California, Florida, Montana, and Wyoming. Throughout the 1990s, and with his wife Melinda’s influence, Gates took 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. 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 Gates say, “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!

Rather than give in to the pressure, he pushed ahead with the Windows software, improving its operation and expanding its uses. The bundle of office productivity applications was compatible with all Microsoft products and originally included Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Always checking on the competition over his shoulder, he developed a white-hot drive and competitive spirit. One 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 her boss, Gates. His intelligence allowed him to see all sides of the software industry, be it product development or corporate strategy.

Polanco added an RBI single through a drawn-in infield in the eighth. The Sporting News gets you set to watch the 2025 MLB postseason, with TV and live stream information for every game and a complete schedule for every round. After a thrilling regular season, 12 teams move on to the MLB postseason, beginning a five-week stretch that will culminate with one team hoisting the World Series trophy.

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 lab. Young Bill grew up in an upper-middle-class family with his older sister, Kristianne, and younger sister, Libby. All three children were encouraged to be competitive and strive for excellence.

Its initial focuses were education, world health, and communities in the Pacific Northwest. Melinda oversaw the foundation’s grant-making and soon became co-chair alongside her father-in-law and Bill. 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.

After obtaining pre-market copies, some people were reproducing and distributing them for free. This practice aligned with the leading mindset among many personal computer enthusiasts at the time, who weren’t into technology for the money. They felt the ease of reproduction and distribution allowed them to share software with friends and fellow computer enthusiasts.

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. A voracious reader, Bill spent many hours poring over reference books such as the encyclopedia. Around the age of 11 or 12, his parents began to have concerns about his behavior. He was doing well in school, but he seemed bored and withdrawn at times.

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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. Gates also recounts sneaking out his bedroom window at night to write code as a teenager and staying awake for 36 hours straight to study programming while attending Harvard University.

Entrepreneur Bill Gates is the cofounder of Microsoft and a noted philanthropist. Through technological innovation, keen business strategy, and aggressive business tactics, Gates helped build the world’s largest software company and became a billionaire in the process. The Seattle native resigned as Microsoft’s CEO in 2000, the same year he cofounded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (now the Gates Foundation).

Gates had advised Apple to license their software, but they ignored the advice, being more interested in selling computers. Once again, he 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. It could prove that while there were similarities in how the two software systems operated, each individual function was distinctly different. 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.

They may rock in their chairs, as if they were ready to go somewhere, or end each sentence by elongating the last word. The Blue Jays made two changes to their roster ahead of Sunday’s Game 1. Veteran pitchersMax Scherzer and Chris Bassitt will be active against the Mariners as the playoff series goes from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven. “Living in this world where there’s so many different opinions and feelings which results in a lot of hate, it’s sad to see that people close to me are being attacked for my performances on the field,” Yesavage told reporters. “These people have done nothing to warrant negativity for my actions, whether that’s my parents, my brothers, my girlfriend, family. It’s just really sad. All postseason games, including the NL games airing on TBS, can also be streamed with DirecTV.

Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage. Bill reflected on his divorce in an interview with the British newspaper The Sunday Times in May 2022, explaining that his relationship with Melinda changed when their kids grew up and left home. “I wouldn’t have changed it.” Gates also said he felt “lucky” they still have a connection through the work at their charitable foundation. Two years later, Melinda resigned from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Although their rivalry is legend, Microsoft and Apple shared many of their early innovations.

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. Between 1980 and 1981, when IBM’s personal computer was released to mass appeal, Microsoft staff increased from 40 to 129, and sales shot up from $8 million to $17.3 million. Another milestone arrived in June 1981 when the cofounders incorporated Microsoft. Gates became president and chairman of the board, while Allen was named executive vice president. Microsoft’s BASIC software was popular with computer hobbyists, but according to Gates’ later account, only about 10 percent of the people using it had actually paid for it.

Philanthropy

In 1973, he enrolled at Harvard University, where he took classes including Math 55 and graduate level computer science courses, but he dropped out in 1975 to co-found and lead Microsoft. He served as its CEO for the next 25 years and also became president and chairman of the board when the company incorporated in 1981. Succeeded as CEO by Steve Ballmer in 2000, he transitioned to chief software architect, a position he held until 2008.

Gates hasn’t publicly reported his Microsoft stock ownership since stepping down from its board in 2020. As of February 12, 2025, Gates has an estimated net worth of $107.3 billion, according to Forbes’ real-time calculator. The publication ranks him as the 16th wealthiest person in the world. Meanwhile, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimates his net worth considerably higher at $166 billion and ranks him as the 7th richest person. The former tech CEO’s fortune is highly variably given his stock holdings. At the beginning of 1979, Gates moved the company’s operations from New Mexico to Bellevue, Washington, just east of Seattle.

Although they were strong believers in public education, when Bill 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. All of these qualities were evident in Gates’s nimble response to the sudden public interest in the Internet. With few interests beyond software and the potential of information technology, Gates at first preferred to stay out of kaszinó link the public eye, handling civic and philanthropic affairs indirectly through one of his foundations. Nevertheless, as Microsoft’s power and reputation grew, and especially as it attracted the attention of the U.S.

Without people willing to change formats, software developers were unwilling to write programs for the VisiCorp system, and it lost momentum by early 1985. That November, nearly two years after his announcement, Gates and Microsoft launched Windows. Visually, the Windows system looked very similar to the Macintosh system that Apple had introduced nearly two years earlier. The pair became fast friends, bonding over their common enthusiasm for computers and spending much of their free time together working on programs.

He was the only son in the family, with a sister named Kristianne who is one year older, and another sister, Libby, who is nine years younger. Bill Gates is perhaps best known as one of the wealthiest people in the world, becoming the first-ever centibillionaire in 1999 at the height of his Microsoft career. “People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be one of them,” Gates wrote in a blog post announcing the plans. Take CNBC’s new online course How to Change Careers and Be Happier at Work. Expert instructors will teach you strategies to network successfully, revamp your resume and confidently transition into your dream career.

The combative Gates clashed with Roberts on software development and the direction of the business. In 1977, Roberts sold MITS to another computer company, leaving Gates and Allen on their own. The pair had to sue the new owner of MITS to retain the software rights they had developed for Altair. Microsoft had also expanded to writing software in different formats for other computer companies. Gates remained in touch with Allen, who after two years at Washington State University had dropped out and moved to Boston to work for Honeywell. They developing “Traf-o-Data,” a computer program that monitored traffic patterns in Seattle, and netted $20,000 for their efforts.

She was a staunch believer in the idea that “to whom much is given much is expected,” Gates wrote. Gates expressed concern that philanthropic organizations like his won’t be able to fill the void in global aid left by recent government cuts. “People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be one of them,” wrote Gates, 69. “There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people.” January 23, 2023 – Gates’ fund Breakthrough Energy Ventures leads a $12 million investment in Australian start-up Rumin8, which is developing a seaweed-based feed to reduce the methane emissions cows produce through their burps. November 13, 2017 – Gates announces he is investing $50 million in the Dementia Discovery Fund, a private-public partnership focused on Alzheimer’s research.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the foundation continued to focus on global health and global development, as well as community and education causes in the United States. After a short transition period, Gates relinquished day-to-day oversight of Microsoft in June 2008—although he remained chairman of the board—in order to devote more time to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Gates was privately educated at Lakeside School, where he befriended Allen and developed his computing interests.

• On March 13, 1986, Gates transitioned Microsoft into a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq stock market.
• In 1997, Gates and his family moved into a 37,000-square-foot house on the shore of Lake Washington in Medina, Washington.
• William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American businessman and philanthropist.
• Primarily because of the company’s huge artificial intelligence (AI) tailwind.
• With his then wife, Melinda, he launched the William H. Gates Foundation (renamed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 1999) in 1994 to fund global health programs as well as projects in the Pacific Northwest.

In 2010, Gates and Buffett launched the Giving Pledge, a public campaign encouraging billionaires to commit the majority of their wealth to charitable causes. Please only gamble with funds that you can comfortably afford to lose. While we do our utmost to offer good advice and information we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling. We do our best to make sure all the information that we provide on this site is correct.