William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955

[2]
) is an American
entrepreneur, software executive, phianthropist an! chairman of
"icrosoft, the software compan# he foun!e! with $au Aen% &urin' his
career at "icrosoft he has he! the positions of ()O an! chief software
architect, an! he remains the ar'est in!ivi!ua shareho!er with more
than 8* of the common stoc+%
[,]
-ates is one of the best.+nown
entrepreneurs of the persona computer revoution% Athou'h he is wi!e#
a!mire!,
[/][5][0]
his business tactics have been critici1e! as anti.competitive
an! in some instances rue! as such in court%
[2][8]
3ince amassin' his
fortune, -ates has pursue! a number of phianthropic en!eavors,
!onatin' ar'e amounts of mone# to various charitabe or'ani1ations an!
scientific research pro'rams throu'h the 4i 5 "ein!a -ates 6oun!ation,
estabishe! in 2777% 8he annua Forbes ma'a1ine9s ist of 8he :or!9s
4iionaires has ran+e! -ates as the richest person in the wor! from 1995
to 2772, with recent estimates puttin' his net worth over ;50 biion <3&%
[9]
:hen fami# weath is consi!ere!, his fami# ran+s secon! behin! the
:aton fami#, heirs of :a."art foun!er 3am :aton% =n >u# 2772,
Fortune ma'a1ine reporte! that the increase in vaue of "exican
biionaire (aros 3im9s ho!in's of stoc+ cause! him to surpass 4i -ates
as the wor!9s richest man%
[17][11]
Forbes maintains that 3im is secon! to
-ates as of its ast cacuation of biionaire fortunes% 6orbes !oes not pan
to recacuate 3im9s weath unti next #ear%
[12]

Contents
[hide]
1 Early life
2 Microsoft
2.1 BASIC
2.2 IBM partnership
2.3 Strategy and
management
3 ersonal life
3.1 !ealth and in"estments
3.2 hilanthropy
3.3 #ransition
$ A%ards and recognition
& Bill 'ates in (lm
) Bill 'ates in *oo+s
, M-sical
. /eferences
0 1-rther reading
12 E3ternal lin+s
Early life
:iiam ?enr# -ates === was born in 3eatte, :ashin'ton, to :iiam ?%
-ates, >r% (now Sr.) an! "ar# "axwe -ates% ?is fami# was weath#@ his
father was a prominent aw#er, his mother serve! on the boar! of
!irectors for 6irst =nterstate 4an+ an! the <nite! :a#, an! her father, >%
:% "axwe, was a nationa ban+ presi!ent% 4i has one o!er sister, Aristi
(Aristianne), an! one #oun'er sister, Bibb#% ?e was the fourth of his name
in his fami#, but was +nown as :iiam -ates === or C8re#C because his
father ha! !roppe! his own C===C suffix%
[1,]
3evera writers caim that
"axwe set up a miion.!oar trust fun! for -ates%
[1/]
A 199, bio'rapher
who interviewe! both -ates an! his parents (amon' other sources) foun!
no evi!ence of this an! !ismisse! it as one of the CfictionsC surroun!in'
-ates9s fortune%
[1,]
-ates !enie! the trust fun! stor# in a 199/
interview
[15]
an! in!irect# in his 1995 boo+ 8he Doa! Ahea!%
[10]
-ates
excee! in eementar# schoo, particuar# in mathematics an! the
sciences% At thirteen he enroe! in the Ba+esi!e 3choo, 3eatte9s most
excusive preparator# schoo% :hen he was in the ei'hth 'ra!e, the
schoo mothers use! procee!s from Ba+esi!e9s rumma'e sae to bu# an
A3D.,, teet#pe termina an! a boc+ of computer time on a -enera
)ectric computer%
[1,]
-ates too+ an interest in pro'rammin' the -)
s#stem in 4A3=( an! was excuse! from math casses to pursue his
interest% After the "others (ub !onation was exhauste! he an! other
stu!ents sou'ht time on other s#stems, incu!in' &)( $&$
minicomputers% One of these s#stems was a $&$.17 beon'in' to
(omputer (enter (orporation, which banne! the Ba+esi!e stu!ents for
the summer after it cau'ht them expoitin' bu's in the operatin' s#stem
to obtain free computer time% At the en! of the ban, the Ba+esi!e
stu!ents (-ates, $au Aen, Dic :eian!, an! Aent )vans) offere! to fin!
bu's in (((9s software in exchan'e for free computer time% Dather than
use the s#stem via teet#pe, -ates went to (((9s offices an! stu!ie!
source co!e for various pro'rams that ran on the s#stem, not on# in
4A3=( but 6OD8DAE, B=3$, an! machine an'ua'e as we% 8he
arran'ement with ((( continue! unti 1927, when it went out of
business% 8he foowin' #ear =nformation 3ciences =nc% hire! the Ba+esi!e
stu!ents to write a pa#ro pro'ram in (O4OB, provi!in' them not on#
computer time but ro#aties as we% At a'e 1/, -ates aso forme! a
venture with Aen, cae! 8raf.O.&ata, to ma+e traffic counters base! on
the =nte 8778 processor% 8hat first #ear he ma!e ;27,777@ however,
when his a'e was !iscovere!, business sowe!%
[12][18]
As a #outh, 4i -ates
was active in the 4o# 3couts of America where he achieve! its secon!
hi'hest ran+, Bife 3cout% Accor!in' to a press inFuir#, 4i -ates state!
that he score! 1597 on his 3A8s%
[19]
?e enroe! at ?arvar! (oe'e in the
fa of 192, inten!in' to 'et a pre.aw !e'ree,
[27]
but !i! not have a
!efinite stu!# pan an! eventua# eft without his !e'ree%
[21]
:hie at
?arvar!, he met his future business partner, 3teve 4amer, whom he
ater appointe! as ()O of "icrosoft% At the same time, he co.authore!
an! pubishe! a paper on a'orithms with computer scientist (hristos
$apa!imitriou%
[22]

Microsoft
Main article: Microsoft
BASIC
After rea!in' the >anuar# 1925 issue of Popular Electronics that
!emonstrate! the Atair 8877, -ates contacte! "=83 ("icro
=nstrumentation an! 8eemetr# 3#stems), the creators of the new
microcomputer, to inform them that he an! others were wor+in' on a
4A3=( interpreter for the patform%
[2,]
=n reait#, -ates an! Aen !i! not
have an Atair an! ha! not written co!e for it@ the# mere# wante! to
'au'e "=839s interest% "=83 presi!ent )! Doberts a'ree! to meet them
for a !emo, an! over the course of a few wee+s the# !eveope! an Atair
emuator that ran on a minicomputer, an! then the 4A3=( interpreter% 8he
!emonstration, he! at "=839s offices in AbuFuerFue, was a success an!
resute! in a !ea with "=83 to !istribute the interpreter as Atair 4A3=(%
$au Aen was hire! into "=83,
[2/]
an! -ates too+ a eave of absence from
?arvar! to wor+ with Aen at "=83, !ubbin' their partnership C"icro.softC
(a portmanteau of microcomputer an! software) in Eovember 1925%
[2/]
:ithin a #ear, the h#phen was !roppe!, an! on Eovember 20, 1920, the
tra!ename C"icrosoftC was re'istere! with the <3$8O%
[2/]
"icrosoft9s
4A3=( was popuar with computer hobb#ists, but -ates !iscovere! that a
pre.mar+et cop# ha! ea+e! into the communit# an! was bein' wi!e#
copie! an! !istribute!% =n 6ebruar# 1920, -ates wrote an Open Better to
?obb#ists in the "=83 newsetter sa#in' that "=83 cou! not continue to
pro!uce, !istribute, an! maintain hi'h.Fuait# software without pa#ment%
[25]
8his etter was unpopuar with man# computer hobb#ists, but -ates
persiste! in his beief that software !eveopers shou! be abe to !eman!
pa#ment% "icrosoft became in!epen!ent of "=83 in ate 1920, an! it
continue! to !eveop pro'rammin' an'ua'e software for various
s#stems% &urin' "icrosoft9s ear# #ears, a empo#ees ha! broa!
responsibiit# for the compan#9s business% -ates oversaw the business
!etais, but continue! to write co!e as we% =n the first five #ears, he
persona# reviewe! ever# ine of co!e the compan# shippe!, an! often
rewrote parts of it as he saw fit%
[20]

IBM partnership
=n 1987 =4" approache! "icrosoft to ma+e the 4A3=( interpreter for its
upcomin' persona computer, the =4" $(% :hen =4"9s representatives
mentione! that the# nee!e! an operatin' s#stem, -ates referre! them to
&i'ita Desearch (&D=), ma+ers of the wi!e# use! ($G" operatin'
s#stem%
[22]
=4"9s !iscussions with &i'ita Desearch went poor#, an! the#
!i! not reach a icensin' a'reement% =4" representative >ac+ 3ams
mentione! the icensin' !ifficuties !urin' a subseFuent meetin' with
-ates an! to! him to 'et an acceptabe operatin' s#stem% A few wee+s
ater -ates propose! usin' 80.&O3 (H&O3), an operatin' s#stem simiar
to ($G" an! which 8im $aterson of 3eatte (omputer $ro!ucts ha! ma!e
for har!ware simiar to the $(% "icrosoft ma!e a !ea with 3($ to become
the excusive icensin' a'ent, an! ater the fu owner, of 80.&O3, but !i!
not mention that =4" was a potentia customer% -ates never un!erstoo!
wh# &D= ha! wa+e! awa# from the !ea, an! in ater #ears he caime!
that &D= foun!er -ar# Ai!a capricious# Cwent f#in'C !urin' an =4"
appointment, a characteri1ation that Ai!a an! other &D= empo#ees
wou! !en#% After a!aptin' the operatin' s#stem for the $(, "icrosoft
!eivere! it to =4" as $(.&O3 in exchan'e for a one.time fee
[28]
-ates
insiste! that =4" et "icrosoft +eep the cop#ri'ht on the operatin'
s#stem, because he beieve! that other har!ware ven!ors wou! cone
=4"9s s#stem%
[29]
8he# !i!, an! the saes of "3.&O3 ma!e "icrosoft a
maIor pa#er in the in!ustr#%
[,7]

Strategy and management
4i -ates 'ivin' his !eposition at "icrosoft on Au'ust 22, 1998
6rom "icrosoft9s foun!in' in 1925 unti 2770, -ates ha! primar#
responsibiit# for "icrosoft9s pro!uct strate'#% ?e a''ressive# broa!ene!
the compan#9s ran'e of pro!ucts, an! wherever "icrosoft achieve! a
!ominant position he vi'orous# !efen!e! it% "an# !ecisions that e! to
antitrust iti'ation over "icrosoft9s business practices have ha! -ates9
approva% =n the 1998 United States v. Microsoft case, -ates 'ave
!eposition testimon# that severa Iournaists characteri1e! as evasive% ?e
ar'ue! with examiner &avi! 4oies over the !efinitions of wor!s such asJ
compete, concerned, ask, an! we%
[,1]
BusinessWeek reporte!J
)ar# roun!s of his !eposition show him offerin' obfuscator# answers an!
sa#in' 9= !on9t reca9 so man# times that even the presi!in' Iu!'e ha! to
chuc+e% :orse, man# of the technoo'# chief9s !enias an! peas of
i'norance were !irect# refute! b# prosecutors with snippets of e.mai -ates
both sent an! receive!%
[,2]

-ates ater sai! that he ha! simp# resiste! attempts b# 4oies to
mischaracteri1e his wor!s an! actions% As to his !emeanor !urin' the
!eposition, he sai!, C:hatever that penat# is shou! be evie! a'ainst
meJ ru!eness to 4oies in the first !e'ree%C
[,,]
&espite -ates9 !enias, the
Iu!'e rue! that "icrosoft ha! committe! monopoi1ation an! t#in',
boc+in' competition, in vioation of the 3herman Act% As an executive,
-ates met re'uar# with "icrosoft9s senior mana'ers an! pro'ram
mana'ers% "ost firsthan! accounts of these meetin's portra# him as
hostie, beratin' mana'ers for perceive! hoes in their business strate'ies
or their proposas which pace the compan#9s on'.term interests at ris+%
[15][,/][,5]
?e has been !escribe! shoutin' at en'th at empo#ees before
ettin' them continue, with such remar+s as, C8hat9s the stupi!est thin'
=9ve ever hear!KC an!, C:h# !on9t #ou Iust 'ive up #our options an! Ioin
the $eace (orpsLC
[,0]
?owever, he was aso +nown to bac+ !own when the
tar'ets of his outbursts respon!e! fran+# an! !irect#%
[,2]
:hen
subor!inates appeare! to be procrastinatin', he was +nown to Fuip, C&o
#ou want me to !o it over the wee+en!LC
[,8][,9]
=n 277/, -ates to! a
'roup of 1,777 peope 'athere! at the "assachusetts =nstitute of
8echnoo'#, that C:e want to ta+e ever#thin' that the pro'rammer
+nows, an! express those in as hi'h a eve as we can,C sai! 4i -ates%
-ates forsaw machine earnin' appie! to the !ia'nosis of probems Cin a
s#stemC% C"achine earnin' techniFues can bui! a mo!e an! then use it
to see if thin's are unusuaC an! that this fie! of science Ccan boc+ the
abnorma components, preservin' the s#stem9s inte'rit# an! securit#C%
C:e can area!# beat the fastest t#pists of (hinese with a (hinese speech
reco'nition s#stemC% -ates aso announce! a soution to emai spam that
wee+, sa#in' that for exampe, accor!in' to the "=8 newspaper, C=f mai
comes in from what the spam fiter thin+s is a stran'er, some t#pe of
proof is reFuire!C%
[/7]
-ates9 roe at "icrosoft for most of its histor# was
primari# a mana'ement an! executive roe% ?owever, he was an active
software !eveoper in the ear# #ears, particuar# on the compan#9s
pro'rammin' an'ua'e pro!ucts% ?e has not officia# been on a
!eveopment team since wor+in' on the 8D3.87 "o!e 177 ine, but he
wrote co!e as ate as 1989 that shippe! in the compan#9s pro!ucts%
[,8]
On
>une 15, 2770, -ates announce! that he wou! transition out of his !a#.
to.!a# roe over the next two #ears to !e!icate more time to
phianthrop#% ?e !ivi!e! his responsibiities between two successors,
pacin' Da# O11ie in char'e of !a#.to.!a# mana'ement an! (rai' "un!ie
in char'e of on'.term pro!uct strate'#%
[/1][/2]
One of his ast initiatives
before announcin' his !eparture was the creation of a robotics software
'roup at "icrosoft%
Personal life
4i -ates an! 4ra1iian $resi!ent Bui1 =nMcio Bua !a 3iva in &avos% >anuar# 20,
277,
-ates marrie! "ein!a 6rench from &aas, 8exas on >anuar# 1, 199/%
8he# have three chi!renJ >ennifer Aatharine -ates (1990), Dor# >ohn
-ates (1999) an! $hoebe A!ee -ates (2772)% 4i -ates9 house is one of
the most expensive houses in the wor!, an! is a mo!ern 21st centur#
earth.shetere! home in the si!e of a hi overoo+in' Ba+e :ashin'ton in
"e!ina, :ashin'ton% Accor!in' to Ain' (ount# pubic recor!s, as of 2770,
the tota assesse! vaue of the propert# (an! an! house) is ;125 miion,
an! the annua propert# tax is ;991,777% Aso amon' -ates9 private
acFuisitions is the (o!ex Beicester, a coection of writin's b# Beonar!o !a
Ninci, which -ates bou'ht for <3& ;,7%8 miion at an auction in 199/%
[/,]

-ates9 e.mai a!!ress has been wi!e# pubici1e!, an! he receive! as
man# as /,777,777 e.mais in 277/, most of which were spam%
[//]
?e has
sai! that much of this Iun+ mai Coffers to hep [him] 'et out of !ebt or
'et rich Fuic+C, which Cwou! be funn# if it weren9t so irritatin'C%
[/5]

Wealth and investments
An actor !resse! as "aster (hief stan!s with 4i -ates at the Halo aunch%
-ates has been number one on the C6orbes /77C ist from 199, throu'h
to 2770 an! number one on Forbes ist of C8he :or!9s Dichest $eopeC
from 1995 to 2770 with 58 biion <%3% !oars% =n 1999, -ates9s weath
brief# surpasse! ;177 biion causin' him to be referre! to in the me!ia
as a CcentibiionaireC%
[/0]
3ince 2777, the nomina vaue of his "icrosoft
ho!in's has !ecine! !ue to a fa in "icrosoft9s stoc+ price after the !ot.
com bubbe an! the muti.biion !oar !onations he has ma!e to his
charitabe foun!ations% =n "a# 2770, -ates sai! in an interview that he
wishe! that he were not the richest man in the wor!, statin' that he
!isi+e! the attention it brou'ht%
[/2]
A >u# ,, 2772 report b# "exican
financia Iournaist )!uar!o -arcia in!icate! that -ates9 position as the
weathiest person in the wor! has in fact been usurpe! b#
teecommunications ma'nate (aros 3im ?eO%
[/8]

-ates has severa investments outsi!e "icrosoft, which in 2770 pai! him
a saar# of <3;900,002%
[/9]
?e foun!e! (orbis, a !i'ita ima'in' compan#,
in 1989% =n 277/ he became a !irector of 4er+shire ?athawa#, the
investment compan# hea!e! b# on'time frien! :arren 4uffett%
[57]
?e is a
cient of Cascade Investment Group, a weath mana'ement firm with
!iverse ho!in's%
Philanthropy
=n 2777, -ates an! his wife foun!e! the charitabe 4i 5 "ein!a -ates
6oun!ation% 8he 'enerosit# an! extensive phianthrop# of &avi!
Doc+efeer has been cre!ite! as a maIor infuence% 4i -ates an! his
father have met with Doc+efeer severa times an! have mo!ee! their
'ivin' in part on the Doc+efeer fami#9s phianthropic focus, name#
those 'oba probems that are i'nore! b# 'overnments an! other
or'ani1ations%
[51]
8he foun!ation9s 'rants have provi!e! fun!s for coe'e
schoarships for un!er.represente! minorities, A=&3 prevention, !iseases
prevaent in thir! wor! countries, an! other causes% =n 2777, the -ates
6oun!ation en!owe! the <niversit# of (ambri!'e with ;217 miion for
the -ates (ambri!'e 3choarships% 8he 6oun!ation has aso pe!'e! over
;2 biion to its various causes, incu!in' ;1 biion to the <nite! Ee'ro
(oe'e 6un!% Accor!in' to a 277/ Forbes ma'a1ine artice, -ates 'ave
awa# over ;29 biion to charities from 2777 onwar!s% 8hese !onations
are usua# cite! as spar+in' a substantia chan'e in attitu!es towar!s
phianthrop# amon' the ver# rich, with phianthrop# becomin' the norm%
[52]

Transition
On >une 10, 2770, -ates announce! that he wou! move to a part.time
roe within "icrosoft (eavin' !a#.to.!a# operations mana'ement)
[5,]
in
>u# 2778 to be'in a fu.time career in phianthrop#, but wou! remain as
chairman% -ates cre!ite! :arren 4uffett with infuencin' his !ecision to
commit himsef to charitabe causes%
[5/]
&a#s ater, 4uffett announce! that
he wou! be'in matchin' -ates9 contributions to the -ates 6oun!ation, up
to ;1%5 biion per #ear in stoc+%
[55]

Awards and recognition
4i -ates at (onsumer )ectronics 3how, >anuar# /, 2770
!ime ma'a1ine name! -ates one of the 177 peope who most infuence!
the 27th centur#, as we as one of the 177 most infuentia peope of
277/, 2775, an! 2770% !ime aso coective# name! -ates, his wife
"ein!a an! <29s ea! sin'er 4ono as the 2775 $ersons of the Pear for
their humanitarian efforts% =n a ist compie! b# the ma'a1ine "ew
Statesman in 2770, he was vote! ei'hth in the ist of C?eroes of our
timeC%
[50]
-ates was iste! in the Sunda# !imes power ist in 1999, name!
()O of the #ear b# $%ief E&ecutive 'fficers ma(a)ine in 199/, ran+e!
number one in the C8op 57 (#ber )iteC b# !ime in 1998, ran+e! number
two in the Upside )ite 177 in 1999 an! was incu!e! in !%e *uardian as
one of the C8op 177 infuentia peope in me!iaC in 2771% -ates has
receive! four honorar# !octorates, from the E#enro!e 4usiness
<niversiteit, 4reu+een, 8he Eetheran!s in 2777,
[52]
the Do#a =nstitute of
8echnoo'#, 3toc+hom, 3we!en in 2772, :ase!a <niversit#, 8o+#o,
>apan in 2775, an! a fourth
[58]
in >une 2772, from ?arvar! <niversit#%
[59]

-ates was aso 'iven an honorar# A4) (Ani'hthoo!) from Hueen
)i1abeth == of the <nite! Ain'!om in 2775,
[07]
in a!!ition to havin'
entomoo'ists name the 4i -ates fower f#, Eristalis (atesi, in his honor%
[01]
4i !eivere! the +e#note a!!ress at the 6a (O"&)Q in 198,, 1985,
1988, 1997, 199/, 1990, 1992, 1998, 1999, 2777, 2771, 2772, an!
277,% 4i an! "ein!a receive! the $rince of Asturias Awar! for
=nternationa (ooperation on "a# /, 2770, in reco'nition of their wor!
impact throu'h charit# 'ivin'%
[02]
=n Eovember 2770, he an! his wife were
awar!e! the Or!er of the A1tec )a'e for their phianthropic wor+ aroun!
the wor! in the areas of heath an! e!ucation, particuar# in "exico, an!
specifica# in the pro'ram C<n paRs !e ectoresC%
[0,]

Bill Gates in film
A 2772 fim cae! "ot%in( So Stran(e uses a fictiona assassination of 4i
-ates in Bos An'ees as the bac+bone of the pot
[0/]
% =n the 1999
!ocu!rama Pirates of Silicon +alle# 4i -ates was portra#e! b# Anthon#
"ichae ?a%
Bill Gates in boos
4i -ates contributes to 8he 3in'uarit# is Eear
[05]
b# Da# Aur1wei% On
pa'e ,22, -ates sa#s, C= a'ree with #ou 99 percent%%%C ?e is aso Fuote!
as sa#in', CAur1wei is the best person = +now at pre!ictin' the future%%%C
-ates has invite! Aur1wei to his house on more than one occasion% 8he#
maintain a frien!# reationship to this !a#%
Musical
>or!an Aen.&utton an! )ri+ :einer (#ricist.ibrettists) an! composer ?a
-o!ber' are wor+in' on a sta'e musica about 4i -ates an! 3teve >obs,
tite! CEer!sJGGA "usica 3oftware 3atireC% A private rea!in' was he! in
>u# ,7, 2772, accor!in' to an artice in pa#bi%com%
[