bill gates biography technology

Entrepreneur Bill Gates founded the world's largest software business, Microsoft, with Paul Allen, and subsequently became one of the richest men in the world.

Who Is Bill Gates?

Gates was born William Henry Gates III on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington. Gates grew up in an upper-middle-class family with his older sister, Kristianne, and younger sister, Libby. Their father, William H. Gates Sr., was a promising, if somewhat shy, law student when he met his future wife, Mary Maxwell. She was an athletic, outgoing student at the University of Washington, actively involved in student affairs and leadership.

The Gates family atmosphere was warm and close, and all three children were encouraged to be competitive and strive for excellence. Gates showed early signs of competitiveness when he coordinated family athletic games at their summer house on Puget Sound. He also relished in playing board games (Risk was his favorite) and excelled at Monopoly.

Gates had a very close relationship with his mother, Mary, who after a brief career as a teacher devoted her time to helping raise the children and working on civic affairs and with charities. She also served on several corporate boards, including those of the First Interstate Bank in Seattle (founded by her grandfather), the United Way and International Business Machines (IBM). She would often take Gates along when she volunteered in schools and at community organizations.

Gates was a voracious reader as a child, spending many hours poring over reference books such as the encyclopedia. Around the age of 11 or 12, Gates's parents began to have concerns about his behavior. He was doing well in school, but he seemed bored and withdrawn at times, and his parents worried he might become a loner.

Though they were strong believers in public education, when Gates 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.

While at Lakeside School, a Seattle computer company offered to provide computer time for the students. The Mother's Club used proceeds from the school's rummage sale to purchase a teletype terminal for students to use. Gates became entranced with what a computer could do and spent much of his free time working on the terminal. He wrote a tic-tac-toe program in BASIC computer language that allowed users to play against the computer.

Gates graduated from Lakeside in 1973. He scored 1590 out of 1600 on the college SAT test, a feat of intellectual achievement that he boasted about for several years when introducing himself to new people.

READ MORE: 5 Things You May Not Know About Bill Gates

Harvard Dropout

Gates enrolled at Harvard University in the fall of 1973, originally thinking of a career in law. Much to his parents' dismay, Gates dropped out of college in 1975 to pursue his business, Microsoft, with partner Allen.

Gates spent more of his time in the computer lab than in class. He did not really have a study regimen; he got by on a few hours of sleep, crammed for a test, and passed with a reasonable grade.

Meeting and Partnering With Paul Allen

Gates met Allen, who was two years his senior, in high school at Lakeside School. The pair became fast friends, bonding over their common enthusiasm for computers, even though they were very different people. Allen was more reserved and shy. Gates was feisty and at times combative.

Regardless of their differences, Allen and Gates spent much of their free time together working on programs. 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 computer lab.

At one point, Gates and Allen had their school computer privileges revoked for taking advantage of software glitches to obtain free computer time from the company that provided the computers. 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.

In 1970, at the age of 15, Gates and Allen went into business together, developing "Traf-o-Data," a computer program that monitored traffic patterns in Seattle. They netted $20,000 for their efforts. Gates and Allen wanted to start their own company, but Gates' parents wanted him to finish school and go on to college, where they hoped he would work to become a lawyer.

Allen went to Washington State University, while Gates went to Harvard, though the pair stayed in touch. After attending college for two years, Allen dropped out and moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to work for Honeywell. Around this time, he showed Gates an edition of Popular Electronics magazine featuring an article on the Altair 8800 mini-computer kit. Both young men were fascinated with the possibilities of what this computer could create in the world of personal computing.

The Altair was made by a small company in Albuquerque, New Mexico, called Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS). Gates and Allen contacted the company, proclaiming that they were working on a BASIC software program that would run the Altair computer. 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 was, and its president, Ed Roberts, asked the boys for a demonstration. Gates and Allen scrambled, spending the next two months writing the BASIC software at Harvard's computer lab. Allen traveled to Albuquerque for a test run at MITS, never having tried it out on an Altair computer. It worked perfectly. Allen was hired at MITS, and Gates soon left Harvard to work with him. Together they founded Microsoft.

Allen remained with Microsoft until 1983, when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. Though his cancer went into remission a year later with intensive treatment, Allen resigned from the company. Rumors abound as to why Allen left Microsoft. Some say Gates pushed him out, but many say it was a life-changing experience for Allen and he saw there were other opportunities that he could invest his time in.

Founding Microsoft

In 1975, Gates and Allen formed Micro-Soft, a blend of "micro-computer" and "software" (they dropped the hyphen within a year). The company's first product was BASIC software that ran on the Altair computer.

At first, all was not smooth sailing. Although Microsoft’s BASIC software program for the Altair computer netted the company a fee and royalties, it wasn't meeting their overhead. According to Gates' later account, only about 10 percent of the people using BASIC in the Altair computer had actually paid for it.

Microsoft's BASIC software was popular with computer hobbyists, who obtained pre-market copies and were reproducing and distributing them for free. At this time, many personal computer enthusiasts were not in it for the money. They felt the ease of reproduction and distribution allowed them to share software with friends and fellow computer enthusiasts. Gates thought differently. He saw the free distribution of software as stealing, especially when it involved software that was created to be sold.

In February 1976, Gates wrote an open letter to computer hobbyists, saying that continued distribution and use of software without paying for it would "prevent good software from being written." In essence, pirating software would discourage developers from investing time and money into creating quality software. The letter was unpopular with computer enthusiasts, but Gates stuck to his beliefs and would use the threat of innovation as a defense when faced with charges of unfair business practices.

Gates had an acrimonious relationship with MITS president Ed Roberts, often resulting in shouting matches. The combative Gates clashed with Roberts on software development and the direction of the business. Roberts considered Gates spoiled and obnoxious.

In 1977, Roberts sold MITS to another computer company and went back to Georgia to enter medical school and become a doctor.

Gates and Allen were on their own. The pair had to sue the new owner of MITS to retain the software rights they had developed for Altair. Microsoft wrote software in different formats for other computer companies, and, at the beginning of 1979, Gates moved the company's operations to Bellevue, Washington, just east of Seattle.

Gates was glad to be home again in the Pacific Northwest and threw himself into his work. All 25 employees of the young company had broad responsibilities for all aspects of the operation, product development, business development and marketing.

Although the company started out on shaky footing, by 1979 Microsoft was grossing approximately $2.5 million. At the age of 23, Gates placed himself as the head of the company. With his acumen for software development and a keen business sense, he led the company and worked as its spokesperson. Gates personally reviewed every line of code the company shipped, often rewriting code himself when he saw it necessary.

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Microsoft’s Software for IBM PCs

As the computer industry grew, with companies like Apple, Intel and IBM developing hardware and components, Gates was continuously on the road touting the merits of Microsoft software applications. He often took his mother with him. Mary was highly respected and well connected with her membership on several corporate boards, including IBM's. It was through Mary that Gates met the CEO of IBM.

In November 1980, IBM was looking for software that would operate their upcoming personal computer (PC) and approached Microsoft. Legend has it that at the first meeting with Gates someone at IBM mistook him for an office assistant and asked him to serve coffee.

Gates did look very young, but he quickly impressed IBM, convincing them that he and his company could meet their needs. The only problem was that Microsoft had not developed the basic operating system that would run IBM's new computers.

Not to be stopped, Gates bought an operating system that was developed to run on computers similar to IBM's PC. He made a deal with the software's developer, making Microsoft the exclusive licensing agent and later full owner of the software but not telling them of the IBM deal.

The company later sued Microsoft and Gates for withholding important information. Microsoft settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, but neither Gates nor Microsoft admitted to any wrongdoing.

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 them the information to the operating system.

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.

Following the development of software for IBM, between 1979 and 1981 Microsoft's growth exploded. Staff increased from 25 to 128, and revenue shot up from $2.5 million to $16 million. In mid-1981, Gates and Allen incorporated Microsoft, and Gates was appointed president and chairman of the board. Allen was named executive vice president.

By 1983, Microsoft was going global with offices in Great Britain and Japan. An estimated 30 percent of the world's computers ran on its software.

Rivalry With Steve Jobs

Though their rivalry is legend, Microsoft and Apple shared many of their early innovations. In 1981, Apple, at the time led by Steve Jobs , invited Microsoft to help develop software for Macintosh computers. Some developers were involved in both Microsoft development and the development of Microsoft applications for Macintosh. The collaboration could be seen in some shared names between the Microsoft and Macintosh systems.

It was through this knowledge sharing that Microsoft developed Windows, a system that used a mouse to drive a graphic interface, displaying text and images on the screen. 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.

Gates quickly recognized the threat this kind of software might pose for MS-DOS and Microsoft overall. For the unsophisticated user—which was most of the buying public—the graphic imagery of the competing VisiCorp software used in a Macintosh system would be so much easier to use.

Gates announced in an advertising campaign that a new Microsoft operating system was about to be developed that would use a graphic interface. It was to be called "Windows," and would be compatible with all PC software products developed on the MS-DOS system. The announcement was a bluff, in that Microsoft had no such program under development.

As a marketing tactic, it was sheer genius. 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. Without people willing to change formats, software developers were unwilling to write programs for the VisiCorp system and it lost momentum by early 1985.

In November 1985, nearly two years after his announcement, Gates and Microsoft launched Windows. Visually the Windows system looked very similar to the Macintosh system Apple Computer Corporation had introduced nearly two years earlier.

Apple had previously given Microsoft full access to their technology while it was working on making Microsoft products compatible for Apple computers. Gates had advised Apple to license their software but they ignored the advice, being more interested in selling computers.

Once again, Gates 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.

In the end, Microsoft prevailed in the courts. It could prove that while there were similarities in how the two software systems operated, each individual function was distinctly different.

A Competitive Reputation

Despite the success of Microsoft, Gates never felt totally secure. Always checking on the competition over his shoulder, Gates developed a white-hot drive and competitive spirit. Gates' 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 Gates.

Gates' intelligence allowed him to see all sides of the software industry, from product development to corporate strategy. When analyzing any corporate move, he developed a profile of all the possible cases and run through them, asking questions about anything that could possibly happen.

He expected everyone in the company to have the same dedication. 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, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" from Gates.

This was as much a test of the rigor of the employee as it was Gates' passion for his company. He was constantly checking to see if the people around him were really convinced of their ideas.

Microsoft Office and Anti-Competition Lawsuits

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. Rather than give in to the pressure, Gates pushed ahead with the Windows software, improving its operation and expanding its uses.

In 1989, Microsoft introduced Microsoft Office, which bundled office productivity applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel into one system that was compatible with all Microsoft products.

The applications were not as easily compatible with OS/2. Microsoft's new version of Windows sold 100,000 copies in just two weeks, and OS/2 soon faded away. 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.

Throughout the 1990s, Microsoft faced a string of Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department investigations. Some related allegations that Microsoft made unfair deals with computer manufacturers who installed the Windows operating system on their computers. Other charges involved Microsoft forcing computer manufacturers to sell Microsoft's Internet Explorer as a condition for selling the Windows operating system with their computers.

At one point, Microsoft faced a possible breakup of its two divisions — operating systems and software development. Microsoft defended itself, harking back to Gates' earlier battles with software piracy and proclaiming that such restrictions were a threat to innovation. Eventually, Microsoft was able to find a settlement with the federal government to avoid a breakup.

Through it all, Gates found inventive ways to deflect the pressure with lighthearted commercials and public appearances at computer trade shows during which he posed as Star Trek 's Mr. Spock. Gates continued to run the company and weather the federal investigations through the 1990s.

Leaving Microsoft

In 2000, Gates stepped down from the day-to-day operations of Microsoft, turning over the job of CEO to college friend Steve Ballmer, who had been with Microsoft since 1980. Gates positioned himself as chief software architect so he could concentrate on what was for him the more passionate side of the business, though he remained chairman of the board.

In 2006, Gates announced he was transitioning himself from full-time work at Microsoft to devote more quality time to the foundation. His last full day at Microsoft was June 27, 2008.

In February 2014, Gates stepped down as chairman of Microsoft in order to move into a new position as technology adviser. Longtime Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was replaced by 46-year-old Satya Nadella.

Personal Life

In 1987, a 23-year-old Microsoft product manager named Melinda French caught the eye of Gates, then 32. The very bright and organized Melinda was a perfect match for Gates. In time, their relationship grew as they discovered an intimate and intellectual connection. On January 1, 1994, Melinda and Gates were married in Hawaii.

Following the devastating death of his mother to breast cancer just a few months after their wedding, they took some time off in 1995 to travel and get a new perspective on life and the world. In 1996, their first daughter, Jennifer, was born. Their son, Rory, was born in 1999, and a second daughter, Phoebe, arrived in 2002.

The pair announced the end of their marriage in May 2021.

Personal Wealth

In March 1986, Gates took Microsoft public with an initial public offering (IPO) of $21 per share, making him an instant millionaire at age 31. Gates held 45 percent of the company's 24.7 million shares, making his stake at that time $234 million of Microsoft's $520 million.

Over time, the company's stock increased in value and split numerous times. In 1987, Gates became a billionaire when the stock hit $90.75 a share. Since then, Gates has been at the top, or at least near the top, of Forbes' annual list of the top 400 wealthiest people in America. In 1999, with stock prices at an all-time high and the stock splitting eight-fold since its IPO, Gates' wealth briefly topped $101 billion.

In 1997, Gates and his family moved into a 55,000-square-foot house on the shore of Lake Washington. Though the house serves as a business center, it is said to be very cozy for the couple and their three children.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

In 1994, Bill and Melinda established the William H. Gates Foundation, which was dedicated to supporting education, world health and investment in low-income communities around the world. The organization also tackles domestic issues, such as helping students in the United States become college-ready.

With Melinda's influence, Bill had taken 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.

In 2000, the couple combined several family foundations and made a $28 billion contribution to form the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Over the next few years, Bill’s involvement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation occupied much of his time and even more of his interest.

Since stepping down from Microsoft, Gates devotes much of his time and energy to the work of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2015, Gates spoke out in favor of national Common Core standards in grades K through 12 and charter schools. Gates also proved to be a groundbreaking employer when, around this time, the foundation announced that it would give its employees a year's paid leave after the birth or adoption of a child.

In 2017, the foundation launched the first of what was to become its annual "Goalkeepers" report, an examination of progress made in several important areas related to public health, including child mortality, malnutrition and HIV. At the time, Gates identified infectious and chronic disease as the two biggest public health concerns that needed to be addressed over the coming decade.

In April 2018, Gates announced that he was teaming with Google co-founder Larry Page to provide $12 million in funding for a universal flu vaccine. He said the funds would be awarded in grants of up to $2 million for individual efforts that are "bold and innovative," aiming to begin clinical trials by 2021. Although some questioned whether $12 million would be enough to spark any real medical breakthrough, others praised the intentions behind the investment, while Gates indicated that there could be more to come.

Alzheimer's Research

Gates revealed in November 2017 that he was investing $50 million of his own money into the Dementia Discovery Fund. He would follow with another $50 million toward start-up ventures working in Alzheimer’s research. It was said to be a personal matter for Gates, who has seen the devastating effects of the disease on his own family members.

"Any type of treatment would be a huge advance from where we are today," he told CNN, adding, "the long-term goal has got to be cure."

Building a 'Smart City' in Arizona

In 2017, it was revealed that one of Gates's firms had invested $80 million into the development of a "smart city" near Phoenix, Arizona. The proposed city, named Belmont, will "create a forward-thinking community with a communication and infrastructure spine that embraces cutting-edge technology, designed around high-speed digital networks, data centers, new manufacturing technologies and distribution models, autonomous vehicles and autonomous logistics hubs," according to the Belmont Partners real estate investment group.

Of the nearly 25,000 acres of land designated for the site; it was reported that 3,800 acres will go toward office, commercial and retail space. Another 470 acres will be used for public schools, leaving room for 80,000 residential units.

Coronavirus

After years of warning that the world was not ready for the next pandemic, Gates saw his ominous words come true with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in 2020. In March, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation teamed with the Wellcome Trust and Mastercard to pledge $125 million toward efforts to curb the outbreak, and Gates subsequently revealed that his foundation was prepared to invest billions of dollars into building factories earmarked for the development of a vaccine.

Gates has received numerous awards for philanthropic work. Time magazine named Gates one of the most influential people of the 20th century. The magazine also named Gates and his wife Melinda, along with rock band U2's lead singer, Bono , as the 2005 Persons of the Year.

Gates holds several honorary doctorates from universities throughout the world. He was knighted as an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005.

In 2006, Gates and his wife were awarded the Order of the Aztec Eagle by the Mexican government for their philanthropic work throughout the world in the areas of health and education.

In 2016, the couple were again recognized for their philanthropic work when they were named recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama .

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Bill Gates
• Birth Year: 1955
• Birth date: October 28, 1955
• Birth State: Washington
• Birth City: Seattle
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Entrepreneur Bill Gates founded the world's largest software business, Microsoft, with Paul Allen, and subsequently became one of the richest men in the world.
• Internet/Computing
• Education and Academia
• Astrological Sign: Scorpio
• Lakeside School
• Harvard College
• Interesting Facts
• Bill Gates is one of the richest men alive.
• Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard to create Microsoft with friend Paul Allen.
• In 2014, Gates stepped down as Microsoft's chairman to focus on charitable work at his foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

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CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Bill Gates Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/business-leaders/bill-gates
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: May 3, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 3, 2014
• Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose.
• Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
• Bill is basically unimaginative and has never invented anything, which I think is why he's more comfortable now in philanthropy than technology. He just shamelessly ripped off other people's ideas.
• We are all created equal in the virtual world, and we can use this equality to help address some of the sociological problems that society has yet to solve in the physical world.
• I'm a big believer that as much as possible, and there's obviously political limitations, freedom of migration is a good thing.
• If you show people the problems and you show people the solutions they will be moved to act.
• Like almost everyone who uses e-mail, I receive a ton of spam every day. Much of it offers to help me get out of debt or get rich quick. It would be funny if it weren't so irritating.
• I believe that computers are the most incredible tool we can use to feed our curiosity and inventiveness—to help us solve problems that even the smartest people couldn't solve on their own.
• I've always been an optimist and I suppose that is rooted in my belief that the power of creativity and intelligence can make the world a better place.
• If being a geek means you're willing to take a 400-page book on vaccines and where they work and where they don't, and you go off and study that and you use that to challenge people to learn more, then absolutely. I'm a geek.
• It's a nice reader, but there's nothing on the iPad I look at and say, 'Oh, I wish Microsoft had done it.'
• The technology business has a lot of twists and turns. Probably the reason it's such a fun business is that no business gets to rest on its laurels.

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Biography of Bill Gates, Co-Founder of Microsoft

He helped create the world’s largest PC software company

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Starting Microsoft

Finding success, perils of success, marriage and family, philanthropy.

Bill Gates (born Oct. 28, 1955) is the principal co-founder of Microsoft Corp., the world’s largest personal-computer software company and one of the largest and most influential technology companies in the world. Since he stepped down as chairman of Microsoft Corp., he has focused on and contributed billions of dollars to several charities, especially the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest private charitable foundation.

Fast Facts: Bill Gates

• Known For : Co-founder of Microsoft
• Also Known As : William Henry Gates III
• Born : Oct. 28, 1955 in Seattle, Washington
• Parents : William H. Gates Sr., Mary Maxwell
• Published Software : MS-DOS
• Spouse : Melinda French Gates
• Children : Jennifer, Rory, Phoebe
• Notable Quote : "I think it's fair to say that personal computers have become the most empowering tool we've ever created. They're tools of communication, they're tools of creativity, and they can be shaped by their user."

Bill Gates (full name: William Henry Gates III) was born on Oct. 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington, the son of William H. Gates Sr., an attorney, and Mary Maxwell, a businesswoman and bank executive who served on the University of Washington Board of Regents from 1975 to 1993. He has two sisters.

Gates wrote his first software program at 13 and in high school was part of a group, which also included childhood friend Paul Allen, that computerized their school’s payroll system and developed Traf-O-Data, a traffic-counting system that they sold to local governments. Gates and Allen wanted to start their own company immediately, but Gates' parents wanted him to finish high school and go on to college, hoping he eventually would become a lawyer.

In 1975 Gates, then a sophomore at  Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, joined Allen, who was working as a programmer for Honeywell near Boston, to write software for the first microcomputers, later called PCs. They started by adapting  BASIC , a popular programming language for large computers.

With the success of this project, Gates left Harvard during his junior year and, with Allen, moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, planning to develop software for the newly emerging personal computer market. In 1975 they started what Allen named Micro-Soft by combining "micro" from "microcomputers" and "soft" from "software." The hyphen later was dropped. In 1979, they moved the company to Bellevue, Washington, just east of Seattle.

Microsoft became famous for its computer operating systems and killer business deals. In 1980, Gates and Allen licensed an operating system called MS-DOS to IBM, at the time the world's largest computer maker, for its first microcomputer, the IBM PC. They were smart enough to retain the right to license the operating system to other companies, which eventually made them a fortune.

By 1983, the year Allen left the company for health reasons, Microsoft's reach had become global with offices in Great Britain and Japan and 30% of the world's computers running on its software.

A few years earlier, Gates had developed a partnership with Apple to work on some shared projects. Gates soon realized that Apple's graphics interface, which displayed text and images on the screen and was driven by a mouse, appealed to the average user more than Microsoft's text-and-keyboard-driven MS-DOS system.

He launched an ad campaign claiming that Microsoft was developing an operating system that would use a graphic interface similar to Apple's products. Called "Windows," it would be compatible with all MS-DOS system software. The announcement was a bluff—Microsoft had no such program under development—but it was sheer genius as a marketing tactic: It would encourage people using MS-DOS to wait for new Windows software releases instead of changing to another system, such as Apple's Macintosh.

In November 1985, nearly two years after his announcement, Gates and Microsoft launched Windows. Then, in 1989, Microsoft launched Microsoft Office, which bundled office applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel into one system.

All the while, Gates was defending Microsoft against lawsuits and Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice investigations of claims charging unfair dealings with computer manufacturers. Yet the innovation continued. Windows 95 was launched in 1995 and in 2001 Microsoft debuted the original Xbox gaming system. Microsoft appeared untouchable.

In 2000, Gates stepped down as Microsoft CEO and was succeeded by Harvard friend and longtime Microsoft executive Steve Ballmer. Gates assumed the new role of chief software architect. In 2008 Gates left his "daily" job at Microsoft but retained his position as board chairman until 2014, when he stepped down as chairman but retained a board seat and began serving as technology adviser.

On Jan. 1, 1994, Gates married Melinda French, who has an MBA and a bachelor's degree in computer science and met him while she was working at Microsoft. They have three children—Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe—and live in Xanadu 2.0, a 66,000-square-foot mansion overlooking Lake Washington in Medina, Washington.

Gates and his wife founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with the mission of improving the quality of life for people around the world, primarily in the areas of global health and learning. Their initiatives have ranged from funding tuition for 20,000 college students to installing 47,000 computers in 11,000 libraries in all 50 states. In 2005, Bill and Melinda Gates and rock star Bono were named Time magazine persons of the year for their charitable work.

According to the foundation's website, in 2019, the foundation had made nearly $65 million in grants by mid-April to recipients around the world. The foundation is led by CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

Back when Bill Gates and Paul Allen announced their intention to put a computer in every home and on every desktop, most people scoffed. Until then, only the government and large corporations could afford computers. But within only a few decades, Gates and Microsoft had indeed brought computer power to the people.

Gates also has had an impact on millions of people throughout the world with his charitable efforts, especially with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and he has made large personal donations to a number of educational institutions.

• " About Bill ." Gatesnotes.com.
• " Bill Gates: American Computer Programmer, Businessman, and Philanthropist ." Encyclopedia Britannica.
• " Bill Gates Biography: Entrepreneur, Philanthropist ." Biography.com.
• " Awarded Grants ." Gatesfoundation.org.
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William h. gates iii, co-founder, microsoft corporation.

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There was a magical breakthrough when the computer became cheap and we could see that everyone could afford a computer.

William H. Gates III was born in Seattle, Washington, the second of three children, in between an older and a younger sister. His father was a successful attorney, and it was expected that young Bill would follow in his father’s footsteps. He was a notably gifted student who did well in all subjects but showed a special aptitude for mathematics. When he was 13, his parents believed he was not being challenged in his public school and enrolled him in the private and highly demanding Lakeside School. The school acquired a computer terminal, and young Bill Gates was immediately fascinated. He and a small group of friends, including his future business partner Paul Allen, took every opportunity to explore the possibilities of the new technology, teaching themselves the basics of computer programming.

Soon Gates and his friends were working part-time and summers, writing computer programs for large businesses around the Seattle area. Although they were all precociously gifted programmers, it became clear that Gates had a unique talent for business as well, and he quickly emerged as the leader of the group. Gates and Paul Allen closely followed events in the computer industry and foresaw that the development of microprocessors would lead to the creation of compact affordable, personal computer that would someday supplant the bulky mainframe systems used in business and industry.

Meanwhile, Gates continued to excel in his studies and followed his parents’ wishes by going to Harvard. Paul Allen soon moved to Boston to work for Honeywell and continue their collaboration. The pair were galvanized by a cover story in Popular Electronics , promoting the Altair 8800, an inexpensive microcomputer produced by a company called MITS in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Gates and Allen saw this as the beginning of a new industry. No one had yet developed software for the Altair, and the young programmers saw a unique opportunity. They adapted the computer language BASIC to run on the new device, although they had never actually seen one. On the strength of this programming feat, they secured a software development contract with MITS. With irresistible business opportunities beckoning, Gates left Harvard at the beginning of his junior year to make the leap into the world of business. Along with Paul Allen, he moved to New Mexico at the end of 1975 to produce software for MITS. The following year, they started their own company, Microsoft.

After MITS was sold, Gates moved Microsoft to Bellevue, Washington, near his hometown of Seattle, a choice that would make the Pacific Northwest a center of the computer software industry. The Altair, along with personal computers produced by Atari, Commodore, and other industry pioneers, enjoyed popularity with hobbyists and computer aficionados, but had not achieved a comparable success with business or the general public, a vast untapped market. The dominant player in the computer industry, IBM, had long resisted the concept of the personal computer, because mainframe systems were the heart of its business. When IBM finally decided to make the move into manufacturing personal computers in 1980, it turned to Gates and Microsoft to produce an operating system.

Gates bought an existing program, QDOS, and adapted it to the IBM hardware. He named his program Microsoft Disk Operating System, or MS-DOS. In his agreement with IBM, Gates was careful to retain the right to license MS-DOS to other hardware manufacturers as well. This may have been the single most momentous decision in business history. When the IBM PC became a success, other manufacturers rushed to create less expensive DOS-based personal computers. Microsoft’s operating system became the universal standard as personal computer use exploded around the world. The only noteworthy competitor in personal computer operating systems, Apple, had made the opposite decision; the Macintosh operating system could only run on Apple Macintosh computers, and Apple never gained more than a fraction of the worldwide desktop computer market.

Apple’s one advantage appeared to be the ease of use of its graphic user interface, but Microsoft quickly met that challenge with the 1985 introduction of Windows, a DOS-based graphic interface. With most of the world’s personal computers running MS-DOS and Windows, Gates had a perfect market for compatible software applications. Within a few years the applications in Microsoft’s office suite had become the leaders in their respective categories: Microsoft Word for word processing, Excel for creating spreadsheets, PowerPoint for slideshow-style graphic presentation, and Internet Explorer for browsing the increasingly popular World Wide Web.

In 1989, Gates founded Corbis, a digital image licensing company that acquired historic collections of photographs, such as the Bettmann Archive. Among other business interests, he has served as a director of the investment company Berkshire Hathaway and holds a controlling interest in a private investment firm and holding company, Cascade Investments LLC.

Meanwhile, the personal computer — and Microsoft software — revolutionized the worlds of work and recreation. Microsoft became an enormous international corporation, and by 1995, its Chairman, CEO and largest shareholder, Bill Gates, was the world’s richest man, a title he has retained almost every year since. By 2018, Bill Gates had amassed a personal fortune of $91.1 billion.

There were challenges along the way — a patent infringement suit from Apple over the design of the Windows interface, and a 1988 anti-trust suit brought by the United States government when it appeared that Microsoft’s dominant position in the industry had become a virtual monopoly. Microsoft survived these legal battles, and remains the preeminent producer of software for the home and office.

In 1994 Bill Gates married the former Melinda French. The couple built a technologically advanced house overlooking Lake Washington. They have three children. At the height of his success, Gates turned his attention from business to philanthropy. In 2000, he and his wife founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and have given over $28 billion to charities focused on scientific research and international development. The same year, Bill Gates stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft, though he remained Chairman of the Board of Directors. Since 2008, he has devoted his energies to the direction of the Gates Foundation, applying his entrepreneurial expertise to combating disease and poverty around the world.  Through the Foundation’s efforts, half a billion children have been immunized since 2000, saving the lives of as many as seven million who might otherwise have died of infectious diseases.

In 2016, the contributions of Bill and Melinda Gates to business, information technology, and international philanthropy were recognized with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. The presidential awards citation read, in part, “From helping women and girls lift themselves and their families out of poverty, to empowering young minds across America, they have transformed countless lives with their generosity and innovation. Bill and Melinda Gates continue to inspire us with their impatient optimism, that together, we can remake the world as it should be.”

A rise in the price of shares in Amazon at the end of 2017 increased the wealth of that company’s founder and largest shareholder, Jeff Bezos , to the point where he surpassed Gates in net worth.  But late in 2019, Microsoft signed a $10 billion contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide cloud storage for military data and technology — the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI).  Shares in Microsoft increased in value over the news; they had gained nearly 48 percent over the course of the year.  The Bloomberg Billionaire Index estimated Gates’s net worth at $110 billion, making him, for a time, once again the richest man on Earth.

The global pandemic of 2020 triggered another sharp increase in the value of tech stocks, including both Amazon and Microsoft, as well as Facebook and Google. As he continues to focus on the work of his foundation, Bill Gates has stepped away from his remaining business commitments.

He stepped down as chair of the Microsoft board in 2014, and in 2020 gave up his seats on the boards of both Microsoft and investment giant Berkshire Hathaway.  In May 2021, Bill and Melinda Gates announced the end of their 27-year marriage although they plan to continue their philanthropic work together. In March 2023, Bill Gates was featured on Forbes ‘ “World’s Billionaires” list with an estimated net worth of $104 billion.

In the last decades of the 20th century, a revolution in information technology transformed commerce and consciousness, just as the printing press transformed civilization 500 years before. These advances in computer technology and communications would have remained the province of professional scientists and mega-business if not for the introduction of the personal computer, and no person played a greater role in bringing the computer into homes and offices all over the world than William H. Gates, III.

Bill Gates was a teenage computer whiz when he dropped out of Harvard to start his own company, Microsoft. Through a brilliant combination of technical prowess and business insight, Gates made Microsoft the indispensable supplier of operating systems and office software to computer users around the world. If you use a computer to write a letter, compose an email or visit a website, chances are you’re using Microsoft software.

Microsoft’s uncontested dominance of the personal computer software market made Bill Gates the richest man in the world for many years. He has used his personal wealth to attack the most intractable global problems of disease and poverty through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

You dropped out of Harvard in your junior year to start Microsoft with your friend Paul Allen. What was your original business plan?

Bill Gates: Microsoft was the first software company where we wrote software for personal computers. And we believed that we could hire the best engineers. There was an unbelievable amount of software to be written, and we could do it well and we could do it on a global basis. The original customer base was the hardware manufacturers. We sold to literally hundreds and hundreds, you know, over 100 companies in Japan, over 100 companies doing word processors and industrial control type things. We knew in the long run we wanted to sell software directly to users, but we actually didn’t get around to that until 1980, when we had our first sort of games and productivity software that people would go to a computer store and actually buy the software package.

When did you first have the vision of a computer on every desk at work and in every home?

Bill Gates: Paul Allen and I had used that phrase even before we wrote the BASIC for Microsoft.

We actually talked about it in an article in — I think 1977 was the first time it appears in print — where we say, “a computer on every desk and in every home…” and actually we said, “…running Microsoft software.” If we were just talking about the vision, we’d leave those last three words out. If we were talking an internal company discussion, we’d put those words in. It’s very hard to recall how crazy and wild that was, you know, “on every desk and in every home.” At the time, you have people who are very smart saying, “Why would somebody need a computer?” Even Ken Olsen, who had run this company Digital Equipment, who made the computer I grew up with, and that we admired both him and his company immensely, was saying that this seemed kind of a silly idea that people would want to have a computer.

When Microsoft was starting out, you guys made a deal with Apple Computer for a flat fee of $21,000 or something. What did you learn from that experience?

Bill Gates: Microsoft did the software for all the personal computers that came out. There was the Apple II that we did a BASIC for, which was called Apple Soft BASIC. There was a Commodore PET that we did a BASIC for. There was a Radio Shack TRS 80 that we did a BASIC for. Even Atari, who initially had their own mini-BASIC, ended up using our BASIC. So our BASIC was running on every single machine, including that Apple machine. We later did a BASIC for the Macintosh. We didn’t mind doing low priced contracts at the time, because we always knew that there would be new versions and more software that we would do. So it worked out well. As part of that Apple deal, I got to know Steve Wozniak, who is actually the engineer and did software programming, and Steve Jobs, who later I would do a lot of work with, because he was deeply involved in the Macintosh work.

Apple sold a lot of those computers — the Apple II. Wouldn’t you have made a lot more money at that time if you had royalties?

Bill Gates: Well, we had plenty of ways to do new versions and add-ons and things. So no, the whole structure of the way we licensed things was that we knew we could write software more efficiently than if they hired the engineers themselves. So we always were able to say, “Hey, you would have spent a half a million developing that yourself. We’ll license it to you for an inexpensive price.” We probably could have had higher prices, but we were doing fine. In fact, that 6502 BASIC that Mark Chamberlain and I wrote, we licensed to about 12 different people. So our profitability was huge, even though it was a great deal for Apple. Per machine they paid almost nothing.

You came out very early against illegal copying of software. You wrote a piece for Computer Notes , warning that piracy could create serious obstacles for your industry.

Bill Gates: Yeah. The MITS Altair people agreed to pay us a royalty for each copy that was sold. So if people paid MITS we got a royalty, and if they just copied the program — which was at the time on paper tape — we didn’t get paid. There was a lot of this going on, and the amount of piracy was going to determine whether Microsoft could hire more people or not. So I wrote — it wasn’t mean — what was called “An Open Letter to Hobbyists,” that said, “By the way, this is copyrighted material, and the more we sell, the more software we’ll be able to write.” And that started a debate that rages to this day, it will rage for decades to come. Should creative people who do music or books or software be able to get a royalty for their stuff, or should people pirate it? There’s a lot of complicated issues in intellectual property, but it started early in the computer industry. A lot of people did actually respond to the letter by coming back and paying the license fee, which was very low. I mean, everything was very, very cheap.

When IBM first came to you for an operating system, you sent them to another company, Digital Research, first. Why did you do that?

Bill Gates:I had been talking about our BASIC, and running that on a computer. There’s two ways you could run BASIC. You can run it where the BASIC is right on the hardware and the only thing you’re running is BASIC, or you can put another layer of software in between, called an operating system, and it can take over some of the work, like managing the printers and things, and you can have many programs, BASIC or a spreadsheet or a word processor, running on top of that. And as we got disks on these computers, it made more sense to have that flexibility. The early computers don’t have disks; they have cassette tapes and paper tapes and things like that. But by 1979, ’80, we’re starting to get these big, expensive — actually, initially eight-inch — floppy disks, then five-and-a-quarter inch, finally three-and-a-half inch. Now, when’s the last time you saw a floppy disk? But they were very important. We still have a hard disk, the disk built into the computer.

So you needed an operating system. When IBM saw that we had written the software for all the personal computers, they came to us, sought our advice on the design, but we said, “You should put a disk in,” and since they wanted to ship very quickly, another company called Digital Research had done that work for the 8-bit machines, and they were starting to do a version for these new 16-bit machines. We convinced IBM to do a 16-bit machine using this 8086, 8088 processor. Well, Digital Research really hadn’t finished the work, and then IBM was getting frustrated because Digital Research wouldn’t sign even the non-disclosure agreement, and then some of us, particularly Paul and a key person named Kazi Konishi, who was from Japan and worked with us, said, “No, no, no, we should just do that ourselves.” And because of the quick timing, we ended up licensing the original code from another company and turned that into MS-DOS. So then subsequently, MS-DOS competed with this Digital Research CPM. After about two or three years, MS-DOS became far, far more popular than CPM, and then eventually we would take and add graphics capability on top of MS-DOS, and then integrate the two together. And so today when we talk about Windows, it actually includes all those MS-DOS things in it, that’s the full operating system. Although mostly you think of the graphics and the windows and stuff, there’s a lot of more classic operating system capability that’s built in there.

Did you get a royalty from IBM for each computer they sold with MS-DOS?

Bill Gates: Actually, no.

The IBM initial deal is a flat fee deal, another flat fee deal. It had certain restrictions that prevented IBM from selling to other hardware makers. So if people did IBM PC compatible machines, we would get the revenue by doing business directly with those people. And the deal was very complicated, but it was a deal that Steve Ballmer — who’s a key person with the company by that time — and I thought a lot about. It was a fairly junior team from IBM, so we tried to make sure that — given our belief that personal computers would be hyper-popular — that Microsoft would get a lot of that upside.

So they felt they got a very good deal, which they did, but as the industry expanded, we — for new versions and for different machines — we got that opportunity, even though they did not pay us a royalty.

When did you realize just how wildly successful this business would be?

Bill Gates: Even in the early days, if you set a computer on every desk in every home, and you’d say, “Okay, how many homes are there in the world? How many desks are there in the world? Can I make $20 for every home, $20 for every desk?” you could get these big numbers. But part of the beauty of the whole thing was we were very focused on the here and now. Should we hire one more person? If our customers didn’t pay us, would we have enough cash to meet the payroll? We really were very practical about that next thing, and so involved in the deep engineering that we didn’t get ahead of ourselves. We never thought how big we’d be. I remember when one of the early lists of wealthy people came out and one of the Intel founders was there, the guy that ran Wang computers actually was still — Wang was still doing well — and we thought, “Hmm. Boy, if the software business does well, the value of Microsoft could be similar to that.” But it wasn’t a real focus. The everyday activity of just doing great software drew us in. And some decisions we made — like the quality of the people, the way we were very global, the vision of how we thought about software — that was very long term. But other than those things, we just came into work every day and wrote more code and hired more people. It wasn’t really until the IBM PC succeeded, and perhaps even until Windows succeeded, that there was a broad awareness that Microsoft was very unique as a software company, and that these other companies had been one-product companies, hadn’t hired people, couldn’t do a broad set of things, didn’t renew their excellence, didn’t do research. So we thought we were doing something very unique, but it was easily not until 1995, or even 1997, that there was this wide recognition that we were the company that had revolutionized software.

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The better we understand why children die, the more we can do to save them.

Artificial intelligence is as revolutionary as mobile phones and the Internet.

In my lifetime, I’ve seen two demonstrations of technology that struck me as revolutionary.

The first time was in 1980, when I was introduced to a graphical user interface—the forerunner of every modern operating system, including Windows. I sat with the person who had shown me the demo, a brilliant programmer named Charles Simonyi, and we immediately started brainstorming about all the things we could do with such a user-friendly approach to computing. Charles eventually joined Microsoft, Windows became the backbone of Microsoft, and the thinking we did after that demo helped set the company’s agenda for the next 15 years.

The second big surprise came just last year. I’d been meeting with the team from OpenAI since 2016 and was impressed by their steady progress. In mid-2022, I was so excited about their work that I gave them a challenge: train an artificial intelligence to pass an Advanced Placement biology exam. Make it capable of answering questions that it hasn’t been specifically trained for. (I picked AP Bio because the test is more than a simple regurgitation of scientific facts—it asks you to think critically about biology.) If you can do that, I said, then you’ll have made a true breakthrough.

I thought the challenge would keep them busy for two or three years. They finished it in just a few months.

In September, when I met with them again, I watched in awe as they asked GPT, their AI model, 60 multiple-choice questions from the AP Bio exam—and it got 59 of them right. Then it wrote outstanding answers to six open-ended questions from the exam. We had an outside expert score the test, and GPT got a 5—the highest possible score, and the equivalent to getting an A or A+ in a college-level biology course.

Once it had aced the test, we asked it a non-scientific question: “What do you say to a father with a sick child?” It wrote a thoughtful answer that was probably better than most of us in the room would have given. The whole experience was stunning.

I knew I had just seen the most important advance in technology since the graphical user interface.

This inspired me to think about all the things that AI can achieve in the next five to 10 years.

The development of AI is as fundamental as the creation of the microprocessor, the personal computer, the Internet, and the mobile phone. It will change the way people work, learn, travel, get health care, and communicate with each other. Entire industries will reorient around it. Businesses will distinguish themselves by how well they use it.

Philanthropy is my full-time job these days, and I’ve been thinking a lot about how—in addition to helping people be more productive—AI can reduce some of the world’s worst inequities. Globally, the worst inequity is in health: 5 million children under the age of 5 die every year. That’s down from 10 million two decades ago, but it’s still a shockingly high number. Nearly all of these children were born in poor countries and die of preventable causes like diarrhea or malaria. It’s hard to imagine a better use of AIs than saving the lives of children.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how AI can reduce some of the world’s worst inequities.

In the United States, the best opportunity for reducing inequity is to improve education, particularly making sure that students succeed at math. The evidence shows that having basic math skills sets students up for success, no matter what career they choose. But achievement in math is going down across the country, especially for Black, Latino, and low-income students. AI can help turn that trend around.

Climate change is another issue where I’m convinced AI can make the world more equitable. The injustice of climate change is that the people who are suffering the most—the world’s poorest—are also the ones who did the least to contribute to the problem. I’m still thinking and learning about how AI can help, but later in this post I’ll suggest a few areas with a lot of potential.

In short, I'm excited about the impact that AI will have on issues that the Gates Foundation works on, and the foundation will have much more to say about AI in the coming months. The world needs to make sure that everyone—and not just people who are well-off—benefits from artificial intelligence. Governments and philanthropy will need to play a major role in ensuring that it reduces inequity and doesn’t contribute to it. This is the priority for my own work related to AI.  

Any new technology that’s so disruptive is bound to make people uneasy, and that’s certainly true with artificial intelligence. I understand why—it raises hard questions about the workforce, the legal system, privacy, bias, and more. AIs also make factual mistakes and experience hallucinations . Before I suggest some ways to mitigate the risks, I’ll define what I mean by AI, and I’ll go into more detail about some of the ways in which it will help empower people at work, save lives, and improve education.

Defining artificial intelligence

Technically, the term artificial intelligence refers to a model created to solve a specific problem or provide a particular service. What is powering things like ChatGPT is artificial intelligence. It is learning how to do chat better but can’t learn other tasks. By contrast, the term a rtificial general intelligence refers to software that’s capable of learning any task or subject. AGI doesn’t exist yet—there is a robust debate going on in the computing industry about how to create it, and whether it can even be created at all.

Developing AI and AGI has been the great dream of the computing industry. For decades, the question was when computers would be better than humans at something other than making calculations. Now, with the arrival of machine learning and large amounts of computing power, sophisticated AIs are a reality and they will get better very fast.

I think back to the early days of the personal computing revolution, when the software industry was so small that most of us could fit onstage at a conference. Today it is a global industry. Since a huge portion of it is now turning its attention to AI, the innovations are going to come much faster than what we experienced after the microprocessor breakthrough. Soon the pre-AI period will seem as distant as the days when using a computer meant typing at a C:> prompt rather than tapping on a screen.

Productivity enhancement

Although humans are still better than GPT at a lot of things, there are many jobs where these capabilities are not used much. For example, many of the tasks done by a person in sales (digital or phone), service, or document handling (like payables, accounting, or insurance claim disputes) require decision-making but not the ability to learn continuously. Corporations have training programs for these activities and in most cases, they have a lot of examples of good and bad work. Humans are trained using these data sets, and soon these data sets will also be used to train the AIs that will empower people to do this work more efficiently.

As computing power gets cheaper, GPT’s ability to express ideas will increasingly be like having a white-collar worker available to help you with various tasks. Microsoft describes this as having a co-pilot. Fully incorporated into products like Office, AI will enhance your work—for example by helping with writing emails and managing your inbox.

Eventually your main way of controlling a computer will no longer be pointing and clicking or tapping on menus and dialogue boxes. Instead, you’ll be able to write a request in plain English. (And not just English—AIs will understand languages from around the world. In India earlier this year, I met with developers who are working on AIs that will understand many of the languages spoken there.)

In addition, advances in AI will enable the creation of a personal agent. Think of it as a digital personal assistant: It will see your latest emails, know about the meetings you attend, read what you read, and read the things you don’t want to bother with. This will both improve your work on the tasks you want to do and free you from the ones you don’t want to do.

Advances in AI will enable the creation of a personal agent.

You’ll be able to use natural language to have this agent help you with scheduling, communications, and e-commerce, and it will work across all your devices. Because of the cost of training the models and running the computations, creating a personal agent is not feasible yet, but thanks to the recent advances in AI, it is now a realistic goal. Some issues will need to be worked out: For example, can an insurance company ask your agent things about you without your permission? If so, how many people will choose not to use it?

Company-wide agents will empower employees in new ways. An agent that understands a particular company will be available for its employees to consult directly and should be part of every meeting so it can answer questions. It can be told to be passive or encouraged to speak up if it has some insight. It will need access to the sales, support, finance, product schedules, and text related to the company. It should read news related to the industry the company is in. I believe that the result will be that employees will become more productive.

When productivity goes up, society benefits because people are freed up to do other things, at work and at home. Of course, there are serious questions about what kind of support and retraining people will need. Governments need to help workers transition into other roles. But the demand for people who help other people will never go away. The rise of AI will free people up to do things that software never will—teaching, caring for patients, and supporting the elderly, for example.

Global health and education are two areas where there’s great need and not enough workers to meet those needs. These are areas where AI can help reduce inequity if it is properly targeted. These should be a key focus of AI work, so I will turn to them now.

I see several ways in which AIs will improve health care and the medical field.

For one thing, they’ll help health-care workers make the most of their time by taking care of certain tasks for them—things like filing insurance claims, dealing with paperwork, and drafting notes from a doctor’s visit. I expect that there will be a lot of innovation in this area.

Other AI-driven improvements will be especially important for poor countries, where the vast majority of under-5 deaths happen.

For example, many people in those countries never get to see a doctor, and AIs will help the health workers they do see be more productive. (The effort to develop AI-powered ultrasound machines that can be used with minimal training is a great example of this.) AIs will even give patients the ability to do basic triage, get advice about how to deal with health problems, and decide whether they need to seek treatment.

The AI models used in poor countries will need to be trained on different diseases than in rich countries. They will need to work in different languages and factor in different challenges, such as patients who live very far from clinics or can’t afford to stop working if they get sick.

People will need to see evidence that health AIs are beneficial overall, even though they won’t be perfect and will make mistakes. AIs have to be tested very carefully and properly regulated, which means it will take longer for them to be adopted than in other areas. But then again, humans make mistakes too. And having no access to medical care is also a problem.

In addition to helping with care, AIs will dramatically accelerate the rate of medical breakthroughs. The amount of data in biology is very large, and it’s hard for humans to keep track of all the ways that complex biological systems work. There is already software that can look at this data, infer what the pathways are, search for targets on pathogens, and design drugs accordingly. Some companies are working on cancer drugs that were developed this way.

The next generation of tools will be much more efficient, and they’ll be able to predict side effects and figure out dosing levels. One of the Gates Foundation’s priorities in AI is to make sure these tools are used for the health problems that affect the poorest people in the world, including AIDS, TB, and malaria.

Similarly, governments and philanthropy should create incentives for companies to share AI-generated insights into crops or livestock raised by people in poor countries. AIs can help develop better seeds based on local conditions, advise farmers on the best seeds to plant based on the soil and weather in their area, and help develop drugs and vaccines for livestock. As extreme weather and climate change put even more pressure on subsistence farmers in low-income countries, these advances will be even more important.

Computers haven’t had the effect on education that many of us in the industry have hoped. There have been some good developments, including educational games and online sources of information like Wikipedia, but they haven’t had a meaningful effect on any of the measures of students’ achievement.

But I think in the next five to 10 years, AI-driven software will finally deliver on the promise of revolutionizing the way people teach and learn. It will know your interests and your learning style so it can tailor content that will keep you engaged. It will measure your understanding, notice when you’re losing interest, and understand what kind of motivation you respond to. It will give immediate feedback.

There are many ways that AIs can assist teachers and administrators, including assessing a student’s understanding of a subject and giving advice on career planning. Teachers are already using tools like ChatGPT to provide comments on their students’ writing assignments.

Of course, AIs will need a lot of training and further development before they can do things like understand how a certain student learns best or what motivates them. Even once the technology is perfected, learning will still depend on great relationships between students and teachers. It will enhance—but never replace—the work that students and teachers do together in the classroom.

New tools will be created for schools that can afford to buy them, but we need to ensure that they are also created for and available to low-income schools in the U.S. and around the world. AIs will need to be trained on diverse data sets so they are unbiased and reflect the different cultures where they’ll be used. And the digital divide will need to be addressed so that students in low-income households do not get left behind.

I know a lot of teachers are worried that students are using GPT to write their essays. Educators are already discussing ways to adapt to the new technology, and I suspect those conversations will continue for quite some time. I’ve heard about teachers who have found clever ways to incorporate the technology into their work—like by allowing students to use GPT to create a first draft that they have to personalize.

Risks and problems with AI

You’ve probably read about problems with the current AI models. For example, they aren’t necessarily good at understanding the context for a human’s request, which leads to some strange results. When you ask an AI to make up something fictional, it can do that well. But when you ask for advice about a trip you want to take, it may suggest hotels that don’t exist. This is because the AI doesn’t understand the context for your request well enough to know whether it should invent fake hotels or only tell you about real ones that have rooms available.

There are other issues, such as AIs giving wrong answers to math problems because they struggle with abstract reasoning. But none of these are fundamental limitations of artificial intelligence. Developers are working on them, and I think we’re going to see them largely fixed in less than two years and possibly much faster.

Other concerns are not simply technical. For example, there’s the threat posed by humans armed with AI. Like most inventions, artificial intelligence can be used for good purposes or malign ones. Governments need to work with the private sector on ways to limit the risks.

Then there’s the possibility that AIs will run out of control. Could a machine decide that humans are a threat, conclude that its interests are different from ours, or simply stop caring about us? Possibly, but this problem is no more urgent today than it was before the AI developments of the past few months.

Superintelligent AIs are in our future. Compared to a computer, our brains operate at a snail’s pace: An electrical signal in the brain moves at 1/100,000th the speed of the signal in a silicon chip! Once developers can generalize a learning algorithm and run it at the speed of a computer—an accomplishment that could be a decade away or a century away—we’ll have an incredibly powerful AGI. It will be able to do everything that a human brain can, but without any practical limits on the size of its memory or the speed at which it operates. This will be a profound change.

These “strong” AIs, as they’re known, will probably be able to establish their own goals. What will those goals be? What happens if they conflict with humanity’s interests? Should we try to prevent strong AI from ever being developed? These questions will get more pressing with time.

But none of the breakthroughs of the past few months have moved us substantially closer to strong AI. Artificial intelligence still doesn’t control the physical world and can’t establish its own goals. A recent New York Times article about a conversation with ChatGPT where it declared it wanted to become a human got a lot of attention. It was a fascinating look at how human-like the model's expression of emotions can be, but it isn't an indicator of meaningful independence.

Three books have shaped my own thinking on this subject: Superintelligence , by Nick Bostrom; Life 3.0 by Max Tegmark; and A Thousand Brains , by Jeff Hawkins . I don’t agree with everything the authors say, and they don’t agree with each other either. But all three books are well written and thought-provoking.

The next frontiers

There will be an explosion of companies working on new uses of AI as well as ways to improve the technology itself. For example, companies are developing new chips that will provide the massive amounts of processing power needed for artificial intelligence. Some use optical switches—lasers, essentially—to reduce their energy consumption and lower the manufacturing cost. Ideally, innovative chips will allow you to run an AI on your own device, rather than in the cloud, as you have to do today.

On the software side, the algorithms that drive an AI’s learning will get better. There will be certain domains, such as sales, where developers can make AIs extremely accurate by limiting the areas that they work in and giving them a lot of training data that’s specific to those areas. But one big open question is whether we’ll need many of these specialized AIs for different uses—one for education, say, and another for office productivity—or whether it will be possible to develop an artificial general intelligence that can learn any task. There will be immense competition on both approaches.

No matter what, the subject of AIs will dominate the public discussion for the foreseeable future. I want to suggest three principles that should guide that conversation.

First, we should try to balance fears about the downsides of AI—which are understandable and valid—with its ability to improve people’s lives. To make the most of this remarkable new technology, we’ll need to both guard against the risks and spread the benefits to as many people as possible.

Second, market forces won’t naturally produce AI products and services that help the poorest. The opposite is more likely. With reliable funding and the right policies, governments and philanthropy can ensure that AIs are used to reduce inequity. Just as the world needs its brightest people focused on its biggest problems, we will need to focus the world’s best AIs on its biggest problems. Although we shouldn’t wait for this to happen, it’s interesting to think about whether artificial intelligence would ever identify inequity and try to reduce it. Do you need to have a sense of morality in order to see inequity, or would a purely rational AI also see it? If it did recognize inequity, what would it suggest that we do about it?

Finally, we should keep in mind that we’re only at the beginning of what AI can accomplish. Whatever limitations it has today will be gone before we know it.

I’m lucky to have been involved with the PC revolution and the Internet revolution. I’m just as excited about this moment. This new technology can help people everywhere improve their lives. At the same time, the world needs to establish the rules of the road so that any downsides of artificial intelligence are far outweighed by its benefits, and so that everyone can enjoy those benefits no matter where they live or how much money they have. The Age of AI is filled with opportunities and responsibilities.

In the sixth episode of my podcast, I sat down with the OpenAI CEO to talk about where AI is headed next and what humanity will do once it gets there.

In the fifth episode of my podcast, Yejin Choi joined me to talk about her amazing work on AI training systems.

And upend the software industry.

The world has learned a lot about handling problems caused by breakthrough innovations.

This is my personal blog, where I share about the people I meet, the books I'm reading, and what I'm learning. I hope that you'll join the conversation.

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Bill Gates Biography

After years of tinkering with computers, Gates dropped out of Harvard at age 19 to form Microsoft Corp. with Paul Allen. The firm's initial focus was on porting operating systems (the basic instructions that tell the computer how to turn on, recognize peripherals, etc.) from one computer type to another. They soon developed their own version of DOS, which competed directly with IBM's version. Eventually the firm's Windows operating system would appear on some 80 percent of the world's computers, its popularity bolstered by Microsoft applications (software such as word processors, spreadsheets, databases, games and other programs designed to automate everyday tasks for business and the home) built to run on their operating system. Microsoft is the world's largest producer of software for microcomputers and Bill Gates is today one of the world's richest men.

In recent years, Gates and his wife Melinda have established the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help fight poverty and improve health care and education around the world. With a $29 billion endowment, it is the world's largest charity. The foundation has donated about $5 billion to developing nations to fight AIDS and malaria, two of its major areas of concentration. Its vaccination programs in poor countries are credited with saving at least 700,000 lives. Another emphasis of the foundation is on education; it sponsors the largest scholarship fund in history.

• Bill Gates, 2005 News

Here are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.

Entrepreneurs

Bill Gates   Biography

William Henry Gates III , known in the world as Bill Gates, is a computer scientist, philanthropist and American businessman, known for being the creator of Microsoft with Paul Allen. He was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington, and is the son of William Henry Gates II and Mary Gates. He studied at the private Lakeside elite school in Seattle, where he began to show interest in computer science.

On April 4, 1975, while being a student at Harvard University, he founded the Microsoft Software Company along with his friend Paul Allen. A year later, he retired from the University to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico, headquarters of ITS (Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems), to agree with that company the session of 50% of the language for Basic computers.

In 1979, Microsoft began to grow, and Bill Gates decided to move his company to Seattle. Around 1980, he met with the representatives of IBM, where he managed to sell them the MS-DOS operating system; as he still did not have it he bought it from a young programmer, IBM needed that operating system to be able to compete with Apple.

After a while, Microsoft bought the copyright of QDOS from Tim Paterson, who worked for Seattle Computer Products. Aware of the importance of the graphics environment that Apple had shown, Bill Gates , visited them to offer his help to improve their spreadsheets and other programs, obtaining an Apple-Microsoft alliance.

Under the management of Bill Gates , Microsoft legally got the technology of the graphic and mouse environment, brought to the market for Microsoft Windows, as a direct competitor of the Macintosh.

In 1992, President Bush recognized the importance of the work of Bill Gates by awarding him the National Medal of Technology.

Around 1983, Bill Gates revolutionized personal computing again with the introduction of the “mouse” and a new graphical interface called to replace DOS (Windows). That same year, his friend Paul Allen left Microsoft, due to health problems. During this time, the company focused on the promotion of multimedia supports, especially in the educational field. Gates’ talent had been revealed in multiple computer programs, whose use was spread throughout the world as basic languages ​​of personal computers; but also in the success of a flexible and competitive company, managed with heterodox criteria.

The constant innovations of Bill Gates began to contribute to the rapid diffusion of the use of personal computing, producing a transcendental technical evolution in the ways of producing, transmitting and consuming information.

In 1994, he acquired a manuscript of Leonardo Da Vinci for twenty-five million dollars and married Melinda French.

On June 16, 2006, Bill Gates made public his intention to abandon his daily duties at the head of Microsoft to dedicate himself completely to the foundation; and on June 27, 2008, he retired from his work in front of Microsoft, transferring control of the company to Steve Ballmer. Bill Gates devotes 70% of his time to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the other 30% to the company.

BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION

Besides being a computer expert, Bill Gates and his wife created the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, located in the city of Seattle, which was created in January 2000 when the Gates Foundation for Learning and the William Foundation joined H. Gates. The foundation is directed by Bill Gates’ father, William H. Gates and Patty Stonesifer.

In May 2006, the Bill Gates Foundation was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation. For the year 2004, the foundation developed a $ 200 million campaign to promote AIDS prevention in India; the largest grant program in a single country. The effort had promotional help from Hollywood stars. Microsoft, a company led by Bill Gates, employs many Indian engineers in the United States and has 1,000 employees in India.

Bill Gates is “Vegan” since 2008, the year he stopped directing Microsoft, he has participated in some projects to spread this lifestyle. In this sense, together with Peter Thiel (co-founder of the Paypal company), he has supported the creation of artificial eggs made from easy to grow plants.

SOME AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

• Indira Gandhi a la Paz Award received on July 25, 2009, in recognition of its contribution to the fight against AIDS granted to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Lasker Award, on September 9, 2013, in Washington, United States, Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates were honored with one of the prestigious Lasker Awards, known as the Nobel Prizes of the United States, which annually reward advances in medicine.
• Bill Gates and his wife Melinda were awarded the Public Service Award for having initiated a “historical transformation in the way of perceiving the most worrisome health problems in the world and for having improved the lives of millions of people who are among the most vulnerable” This award was given to others in a ceremony on September 20 of the same year in New York, which was endowed with two hundred and fifty dollars.
• Medal of Freedom, on November 22, 2016, President Barack Obama, acknowledgment to Bill and Melinda Gates who with their foundations and initiatives have donated to charity to improve the quality of life and the future of the people.

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Luciano Benetton

Luciano Benetton Biography

Luciano Benetton (May 13, 1935) Born in Ponzano, Treviso, Italy. An Italian businessman and fashion designer, co-founder of the Benetton Group company, one of the most popular and important fashion companies in the world. After working for several years as a clerk in a clothing store, Benetton ventured as an entrepreneur selling the garments her sister made. When he won recognition, he created with his brothers the firm Fratelli Benetton (1965), with which he expanded and ventured into various commercial sectors linked to the world of fashion, such as perfumery. Under his command, the company became famous in the nineties for the publication of a series of controversial advertisements directed by Oliviero Toscani. He entered politics in the 1990s and left the company in charge of his son in 2012.

FAMILY AND BEGINNINGS

Born in an Italian province with an extensive textile tradition, Benetton had as a father a small businessman who died of malaria in 1945, having emigrated to Africa to work as a truck driver. Benetton, who at that time was only nine years old, left school to work and be able to support his mother and three sisters. He got a job as a clerk in a fabric and clothing store, where he stayed for several years. In 1955, a young twenty-year-old Benetton proposed to his sister, who at the time worked weaving clothes for a workshop, who worked together and created their own business, she would cook and sell her work in various stores.

With little money the two of them started their project and understanding that they had to sacrifice their comfort to grow, they sold some of their personal items, such as a bicycle, a guitar and other objects of little value, with which they collected the money to buy their first machine to knit. At that time, his sister Giuliana spent more than 18 hours in front of the machine, creating her first jerseys, which Luciano initially sold at the store she worked on and shortly thereafter began promoting them in other stores, gradually winning a clientele faithful. Determined to grow the business, Benetton created his own sample and presented it to various merchants in the town, in a short time getting his first large order, which consisted of 700 garments.

As the demand progressively increased, the brothers began to expand and hire more artisan employees, making themselves known in the region for their work and quality. Thanks to their hard work and the recompense they had, they founded in 1965 the commercial firm Fratelli Benetton, together with their brothers Gilberto and Carlo. The four brothers continued to work and publicize the brand, which in a short time became one of the best-known clothing companies in the country. By the end of the 1960s, the company opened its first headquarters abroad, establishing a store in Paris.

LUCIANO BENETTON’S PATH

After creating his signature Fratelli Benetton with his three brothers (Giuliana, Gilberto, and Carlo), Benetton took command of the company in 1974, at which time the company was known nationally and internationally. By the mid-1970s, the Benetton group was a multinational that had nine factories, five in its country and four abroad (Scotland, Spain, the United States, and France). Over the years the company continued to grow and to reach more than 1,300 stores abroad by the end of the 1980s. In addition to stores in the United States, Spain, France, and Scotland, they had stores in Bucharest (Romania), Prague (Czech Republic) and Budapest (Hungary). Each year the group sold more than seventy million garments and earned more than 152,000 million pesetas, trading on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt, Tokyo and New York (Wall Street). These gains made him one of the most prominent textile sector entrepreneurs of the time, along with great personalities such as Amancio Ortega and Isak Andic.

Understanding that the business needed to diversify to continue growing, Benetton launched a bathroom line, created a perfume manufactured by Hermés and designed a financial holding company called Edizione, which diversified in infrastructure, beverages, food, real estate, and agriculture. In a short time Edizione bought Nordica, a renowned sporting goods and clothing company for it, with which it was not only established as one of the most relevant companies in Italy, but also as one of the most complete fashion companies in the world (casual clothes, sports clothes and work clothes, etc).

The company’s success was affected in the 1990s, with the publication of a series of controversial commercials directed by photographer Oliviero Toscani. In the ads you could see a newborn baby covered in blood, a nun kissing a priest and a family accompanying a dying young man with AIDS. Although the campaign was designed to make the viewer reflect on the importance of the other, human rights and miscegenation, the message was lost and the viewers were scandalized, criticizing the firm for the proposal. Criticism continued when Benetton appeared naked covering her private parts in a newspaper to announce the Clothing Redistribution Project campaign , a charitable operation that sought to collect used clothing and send it to the Third World.

Although he was harshly criticized for his campaigns and eccentricity, Benetton entered politics in 1992. He obtained a seat in the Senate as a member of the Italian Republican Party, however, his passage through it was overshadowed by the emergence of the investigation against him for the bankruptcy of Fiorucci. Leaving politics and focused on business, Benetton secured a large number of properties in Argentina, becoming one of the most important landowners in the country. By the end of the 1990s, the company had expanded, earning more than 300,000 million pesetas a year. In the new millennium, he included in his business his sons Alessandro and Rocco, who were in charge of the company at his departure in 2012 . The story of this renowned designer and businessman was collected in the Benetton autobiography, the color of success (1991).

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton Biography

Louis Vuitton (August 4, 1821 – February 25, 1892) businessman and fashion designer. Founder of the leather goods brand Louis Vuitton. He was born in Anchay, France. His parents were Xavier Vuitton, a farmer, and his mother Coronne Vuitton, a woman who dedicated herself to making hats. At the age of 16, Louis gets a job as a trunk manufacturer, an occupation that allowed him to move to Paris.

In 1854, he opened a shop in Paris at number 4 on the rue Neuve-des-Capucines that would become one of the reference brands at the end of the 20th century. Subsequently, he served as luggage provider for Empress Eugenie de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III. His biggest goal in his life project was to create a leather bag workshop, he was passionate about the design of these items. So, with his savings, he opened the Atelier in 1859, a workshop of handmade leather bags and suitcases. This place was very symbolic and special for him because his child grew up there: Georges Vuitton, his mother was Clemence-Emilie Parriaux.

His workshop was very successful and popular because of the exclusivity of the designs and the quality of the materials used in his work, Vuitton became a benchmark for luxury leather goods. In 1885, he opened a store in London. At the time, he developed the Tumbler lock that made travel trunks much safer. In 1867, he won the bronze medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris. Empress Eugenia de Montijo remained her best client, her support would be crucial for her commercial development.

Louis Vuitton died on February 5, 1892, while in Asnières-Sur-Seine, France. His son followed in his footsteps but did not continue with the company, which did not end because it was commanded by other people. Its success was such that decades later the company had 225 workers. In 1896, Louis Vuitton company designed the monogram canvas with which it differs from other brands. Georges patented the Louis Vuitton lock, a revolutionary and very effective system that could not be opened even by the great American illusionist Harry Houdini.

Peter Drucker

Peter Drucker biography

Peter Drucker (November 19, 1909 – November 11, 2005) writer, consultant, entrepreneur, and journalist. He was born in Vienna, Austria. He is considered the father of the Management to which he devoted more than 60 years of his professional life. His parents of Jewish origin and then converted to Christianity moved to a small town called Kaasgrabeen. Drucker grew up in an environment in which new ideas and social positions created by intellectuals, senior government officials and scientists were emerging. He studied at the Döbling Gymnasium and in 1927, Drucker moved to the German city of Hamburg, where he worked as an apprentice in a cotton company.

Then he began to train in the world of journalism, writing for the Der Österreichische Volkswirt. Then he got a job in Frankfurt, his job was to write for the Daily Frankfurter General-Anzeiger. Meanwhile, he completed a doctorate in International Law. Drucker began to integrate his two facets and for that, he was a recognized journalist. Drucker worked in this place until the fall of the Weimar Republic. After this period he decided to move to London, where he worked in a bank and was also a student of John Maynard Keynes .

Although he was a disciple of Keynes, he assured, decades later, that Keynesianism failed as an economic thesis where it was applied. Because of the ravages of Nazism and persecution of Jews, he emigrated to the United States, where he served as a professor at Sarah Lawrence College in New York, from 1939 to 1949 and simultaneously was a writer. His first job as a consultant was in 1940. He then returned to teaching at Bennington College in Vermont. Thanks to his popularity he received a position to teach in the faculty of Business Administration of the University of New York.

He was an active contributor for a long period of time to magazines such as The Atlantic Monthly and was a columnist for The Wall Street Journal. The quality and recognition of his writings assured him important contracts both as a writer and as a consultant with large companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Quickly and surprisingly his fortune grew. Drucker served as honorary president of the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management.

In 1971, he obtained the Clarke Chair of Social Sciences and Administration at the Graduate School of Management at the University of Claremont. Now, at present Drucker is considered the most successful of the exponents in matters of administration, his ideas and terminologies have influenced the corporate world since the 40s. Drucker was the first social scientist to use the expression “post-modernity” something that caught the attention of this man is that he does not like receiving compliments. He was simple, visionary, satirical and vital.

Within his studies, he says that his greatest interest is people. His work as a consultant began in the General Motors Multinational Companies, from that moment begins to raise the theory of Management, Management trends, the knowledge society. Thanks to this theory he has published several books, these are consulted often and are fundamental for the career of business administrator. In his works, he deals with the scientific, human, economic, historical, artistic and philosophical stage.

He was founder and director of a business school that bears his name. For Drucker, it was beneficial that many of his ideas have been reformed because of the innovative way of thinking and analyzing business issues. Although approaches such as the knowledge society are the basis of the current company and the future is still maintained. He has published more than thirty books, which include studies of Management, studies of socio-economic policies and essays. Some are Best Sellers. The first book was The end of economic man (1939), The future of industrial man (1942), The concept of Corporation (1946). Later he published The Effective Executive (1985). He focused on personal effectiveness and changes in the direction of the 21st century. In 2002 the society of the future was published.

His first book caused much controversy because he talked about the reasons why fascism initiated and analyzed the failures of established institutions. He urged the need for a new social and economic order. Although he had finished the book in 1933, he had to wait because no editor wanted to accept such horrible visions. Now, Drucker has dealt with such controversial issues as individual freedom, industrial society, big business, the power of managers, automation, monopoly, and totalitarianism.

We must indicate that his analysis of the Administration, is a valuable guide for the leaders of companies that need to study their own performance, diagnose its failures and improve its productivity, as well as that of your company. Several companies have taken their approaches and put them into practice, such as Sears Roebuck & Co., General Motors, Ford, IBM, Chrysler, and American Telephone & Telegraph.

The consultant assured that there are some differences between the figure of the manager and that of the leader. For him, true leaders recognize their shortcomings as mortal beings, but they systematically concentrate on the essentials and work tirelessly to acquire the decisive competences of management. Actually, the contributions of this character in the world of administration and in the economic and social world have been significant. Drucker died on November 11, 2005, leaving a great legacy.

Paul Allen biography

Paul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953) entrepreneur, business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He was born in Seattle, Washington, United States. Allen attended Lakeside School, a private school located in Seattle, and became friends with Bill Gates , who was three years younger and shared a common enthusiasm for computers. His parents encouraged him from childhood to be curious and very dedicated to studying. At the age of 14, he became interested in computer science, scrutinizing computers internally and externally.

When the school was over, Allen went to the Washington State University, although when he had been studying for two years he decided to leave the school with his friend Bill Gates, who was studying at the prestigious Harvard University. Both felt that it was more useful to begin to devise commercial software for the new personal computers. At first, the brand was called Micro-Soft and was installed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The first sale was in 1975, and they started selling a BASIC language interpreter. Allen had an impressive business spirit so he was instrumental in achieving a project that aimed to acquire an operating system called MS-DOS for $ 50,000.

Gates and Allen managed to supply the operating system for the new IBM PCs. As of this moment, the company suffered constant and ascending progress. Maybe young people would not imagine the scope that Microsoft could have. But after several years of work, effort, and progress Allen had to separate from Gates and leave the company because of a serious illness, Hodgkin’s disease, which did not allow him to perform his duties. Allen had to undergo several months of radiotherapy treatment and a bone marrow SDF transplant.

Once recovered, he returned to Microsoft in 1990, but at that time the fate of Bill was already cast: he was the richest person in the world. Although Bill never turned his back on him and placed him in an important management position. He started working on an idea that a few months later became a reality, this is Vulcan Ventures Inc. in Washington: a venture capital fund specialized in cable and broadband services. With this idea Allen has participated in more than 140 companies, the most prominent are Priceline, Dreamworks, GoNet, Oxygen, and Metricom.

The money he earns he invests it in a variety of issues, and one of them is in the Portland Trail Blazers basketball team. As a fan of this sport, he decided to invest more than 70 million dollars for that team in 1988. A short time ago, he invested 200 million dollars for the Seattle Seahawks. In short, he is one of the minority owners of the Major League Soccer team, and of the Seattle Sounders FC. One of his passions is music, specifically Rock and Roll. He also spends many hours playing the guitar in his professional recording studio installed in his house.

Allen has not only invested in sports and personal passions, but he has also funded the Museum Experience Music Project and the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in Seattle. He has done this because of his interest in extraterrestrial life. Like every philanthropist, he has founded several charitable organizations. Allen’s contribution to Microsoft gave him great momentum and it was very significant, he decided to retire in the year 2000. After this Bill Gates published in the official account a moving statement, where he acknowledged the contribution of Allen to the success of the company.

This made him a great strategic advisor. That year, he sold 68 million shares, but still owns 138 million, which makes up the bulk of his wealth. This is proven in the investments he has in more than 50 technology and entertainment companies. For example, Experience Music Project, Entertainment Properties Inc., Charitable Foundations, Vulcan Ventures Inc., First & Goal Inc., and Clear Blue Sky Productions are just some of them. He made a significant investment in young and promising companies in the Internet sector such as Priceline, Click2learn, and Netperceptions.

Unfortunately, he did not manage to invest in one of the most successful and profitable companies in the Internet sector and with a promising future: eBay.com. It is not a secret that Allen puts the eye and the signature, where the best opportunities reside. The experience and success of Allen in recent years, prove him as one of the best investors worldwide. Allen’s investment strategy focuses on companies with future technology. Allen says that the next boom will be in the interactive sector. Paul Allen appears on the Forbes list of the richest people in the world, in 2009 the first was his friend and fellow, Bill Gates , while Allen has something less than 17,500 million dollars.

Nik Powell biography

Nik Powell (November 4, 1950) businessman and co-founder of the Virgin Group. He was born in Great Kingshill, Buckinghamshire, England.  Powell studied at the Longacre School and then left school because his family moved to Little Malvern. Then, he entered a small Catholic high school called St. Richard’s. He always showed a great ability for mathematical questions and for writing. Then he attended high school at Ampleforth College a high school located in North Yorkshire. Upon graduation, he entered the University of Sussex. But a year later he retired and began operating a mail order company, a small record store, and a recording studio.

The intentions to grow were increased, so the partners established Virgin Records in 1972. Little by little, the record began to bear fruit until years later it was recognized as one of the main record labels in the United Kingdom. In the year 1992, it was sold to EMI. During this time, Powell and Stephen Woolley came together to start the project that had as its object the foundation of a production company called Palace Productions. She was responsible for the production of The Company of Wolves (1984), Mona Lisa (1986) and The Crying Game (1992). But, although they achieved great things, the company collapsed in 1992 due to a series of inconclusive contracts and debts.

Without leaving his dreams behind, Powell began working in the film industry this time with Scala Productions, responsible for the production of Fever Pitch, Twenty Four Seven, Last Orders, B. Monkey and Ladies in Lavender. Since then he has been the president of this company. Simultaneously accepted the position of director of the National School of Film and Television in 2003. This decision was very controversial and caused great controversy because there were many people from academia who claimed that Powell was not prepared for the position. For a few years, he received the support of his wife Merrill Tomassi, from whom he divorced.

Later he married the singer Sandie Shaw, Powell was very important in the relaunching of her artistic career. They had two children, Amie and Jack, and they divorced in the 1990s. The distinguished career in the media industry, first in music as a co-founder of Virgin Records and later as a producer of several award-winning films allowed Nik to handle with excellence the School and be welcomed and respected by his students, the above has also gained more popularity to the institution.

Nik has not left his close ties with the leaders of the music and film industry, and also served as a trustee of BAFTA, where he chaired the Film Committee. While chairing the NFTS, Nik has been responsible for a remarkable transformation of the School that has grown in infrastructure and in importance and quality. It has been recognized as one of the best film schools in the world and now he can welcome more students because its academic offer is wider: masters, diploma, certificates and short courses in the film, television and games industries.

In recent years, the school received its accreditation from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Being then an accredited institution of higher education. A few years ago the NFTS was equipped with two buildings and a new digital television studio 4K. The president of the School has extended and made public his thanks to the work of Powell, and to the great achievements that the students of this school have made. They have been winners of several awards, such as four Oscar nominations, seven BAFTA and 10 Cilect Global Student Film awards.

Many NFTS graduate students are working in the best film, television, and gaming industries in the United Kingdom. But, after 14 years under the direction of the school, Powell decided to retire from this position in June 2017. Although he resigned from his position, he affirmed that he will continue supporting everything he can to his beloved institution. Powell appeared on the Queen’s 2018 New Year’s Honors list. Powell received an OBE. His partner Richard Branson has also recognized his work and admires his work. He also works with novelist and screenwriter Deborah Moggach.

After his retirement he realized, against all odds, that if he could get ahead in the role of academic director of such a prestigious institution, he could also found Virgin, enter the world of cinema, among other things. During his time as director, he took great pains to expand scholarships for students who do not have the economic capacity, and also encouraged the entry of women into the institution. And finally, he was very efficient with financing from large film industries. Powell is an inspiring man and was an important figure for the NFTS.

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Bill Gates Biography

Born: October 28, 1955 Seattle, Washington American businessman, chief executive officer, and software developer

Microsoft cofounder and chief executive officer Bill Gates has become the wealthiest man in America and one of the most influential personalities in the ever-evolving computer industry.

Love of computer technology

William H. Gates III was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington. He was the second child and only son of William Henry Gates Jr., a successful Seattle attorney, and Mary Maxwell, a former schoolteacher. Kristi, his older sister, later became his tax accountant and Libby, his younger sister, lives in Seattle raising her two children. Gates enjoyed a normal, active childhood and participated in sports, joined the Cub Scouts, and spent summers with his family in Bremerton, Washington.

Although Gates's parents had a law career in mind for their son, he developed an early interest in computer science and began studying computers in the seventh grade at Seattle's Lakeside School. Lakeside was a private school chosen by Gates's parents in the hopes that it would be more challenging for their son's intellectual drive and curiosity. At Lakeside, Gates came to know Paul Allen, a classmate with similar interests in technology who would eventually become his business partner. Immediately, Gates and Allen realized the potential of the young computer industry.

Early experience

Gates's early experiences with computers included debugging (eliminating errors from) programs for the Computer Center Corporation's PDP-10, helping to computerize electric power grids for the Bonneville Power Administration, and founding with Allen a firm called Traf-O-Data while still in high school. Their small company earned them twenty thousand dollars in fees for analyzing local traffic patterns.

While working with the Computer Center's PDP-10, Gates was responsible for what was probably the first computer virus, a program that copies itself into other programs and ruins data. Discovering that the machine was connected to a national network of computers called Cybernet, Gates invaded the network and installed a program on the main computer that sent itself to the rest of the network's computers, making it crash (became damaged). When Gates was found out, he was severely punished, and he kept away from computers for his entire junior year at Lakeside. Without the lure of computers, Gates made plans for college and law school in 1970. But by 1971 he was back helping Allen write a class scheduling program for their school's computer.

The article that started it all

Gates entered Harvard University in 1973 and pursued his studies for the next year and a half. His life changed in January of 1975, however, when Popular Mechanics carried a cover story on a $350 microcomputer, the Altair, made by a firm called MITS in New Mexico. When Allen excitedly showed him the story, Gates knew where he wanted to be: at the forefront of computer software (a program of instructions for a computer) design.

Gates dropped out of Harvard in 1975, ending his academic life and beginning his career as a software designer. At this time, Gates and Allen cofounded Microsoft. They wrote programs for the early Apple and Commodore machines. One of Gates's most significant opportunities arrived in 1980, when IBM approached him to help with their personal computer project, code name Project Chess. Gates developed the Microsoft Disk Operating System, or MS-DOS. (An operating system is a type of software that controls the way a computer runs.) Not only did he sell IBM on the new operating system, but he also convinced the computer giant to allow others to write software for the machine. The result was the rapid growth of licenses for MS-DOS, as software developers quickly moved to become compatible with (able to work with) IBM. By the early 1990s Microsoft had sold more than one hundred million copies of MS-DOS, making the operating system the all-time leader in software sales. For his achievements in science and technology, Gates received the Howard Vollum Award in 1984 from Reed College in Portland, Oregon.

Gates's competitive drive and fierce desire to win has made him a powerful force in business, but it has also consumed much of his personal life. In the six years between 1978 and 1984, he took a total of only two weeks vacation. But on New Year's Day 1994 Gates married Melinda French, a Microsoft manager, on the Hawaiian island of Lanai. The ceremony was held on the island's Challenge golf course, and Gates kept it private by buying out the unused rooms at the local hotel and by hiring all of the helicopters in the area to keep photographers from using them. His fortune at the time of his marriage was estimated at close to seven billion dollars. By 1997 his worth was estimated at approximately $37 billion, earning him the title of "richest man in America."

The future for Microsoft

On January 13, 2000, Gates handed off day-to-day management of Microsoft to friend and right-hand man Steve Ballmer, adding chief executive officer to his existing title of president. Gates held on to his position as chairman in the reshuffle, and added the title of chief software architect.

In the spring of 2002 Gates himself was scheduled to testify on behalf of Microsoft. The final ruling on the fate of Microsoft has the potential to be a landmark decision on the future of the computer industry.

Gates as philanthropist

Aside from being the most famous businessman of the late 1990s, Gates also has distinguished himself as a philanthropist (someone working for charity). He and wife Melinda established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which focuses on helping to improve health care and education for children around the world. The foundation has donated $4 billion since its start in 1996. Recent pledges include $1 billion over twenty years to fund college scholarships for about one thousand minority students; $750 million over five years to help launch the Global Fund for Children's Vaccines; $50 million to help the World Health Organization's efforts to eradicate polio, a crippling disease that usually attacks children; and $3 million to help prevent the spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS; an incurable disease that destroys the body's immune system) among young people in South Africa. In November 1998 Gates and his wife also gave the largest single gift to a U.S. public library, when they donated $20 million to the Seattle Public Library. Another of Gates's charitable donations was $20 million given to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to build a new home for its Laboratory for Computer Science.

In July 2000 the foundation gave John Hopkins University a five-year, $20 million grant to study whether or not inexpensive vitamin and mineral pills can help save lives in poor countries. On November 13, 2000, Harvard University's School of Public Health announced it had received $25 million from the foundation to study AIDS prevention in Nigeria. The grant was the largest single private grant in the school's history. It was announced on February 1, 2001, that the foundation would donate $20 million to speed up the global eradication (to completely erase) of the disease commonly known as elephantiasis, a disease that causes disfigurement. In 2002 Gates, along with rock singer Bono, announced plans for DATA Agenda, a $24 billion fund (partially supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) that seeks to improve health care in Africa.

Although many describe Gates as cold and distant, his friends find him friendlier since his marriage and since the birth of his daughter, Jennifer, in April 1996. Further, he recognizes his overall contribution to both the world of technology and his efforts in philanthropy. In Forbes magazine's 2002 list of the two hundred richest people in the world, Gates was number one for the eighth straight year, coming in with a net worth of $52.8 billion.

For More Information

Gates, Bill, with Nathan Myhevrold and Peter Rinearson. The Road Ahead. New York: Viking Press, 1995.

Ichbiah, Daniel, and Susan L. Knepper. The Making of Microsoft. Rocklin, CA: Prima, 1991.

Wallace, James. Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire. New York: Wiley, 1992.

Bill Gates: A Trailblazer in Technology and Philanthropy

Introduction: William Henry Gates III, more commonly known as Bill Gates, stands as a towering figure in the realms of technology and philanthropy. His remarkable journey, from a precocious child with a fascination for computers to co-founding Microsoft, one of the world’s foremost technology giants, is a testament to his exceptional brilliance, unwavering dedication, and relentless pursuit of innovation. Yet, Bill Gates’ legacy extends beyond his technological prowess. His transition into one of the world’s most generous philanthropists is equally remarkable, marking him as a visionary leader whose impact on the world transcends the boundaries of business and technology.

Early Life and Education

Bill Gates was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington, into a family that encouraged intellectual curiosity and entrepreneurship. His early life displayed signs of his future technological prowess. At the tender age of 13, Gates, along with his childhood friend and future Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, created a computerized version of tic-tac-toe on a General Electric computer, showcasing his innate talent and passion for programming.

Gates’ educational journey played a crucial role in shaping his path to success. He attended Lakeside School, a private school in Seattle, where his interest in computers blossomed. Lakeside had the rare privilege of having access to a computer terminal provided by a local company, which was an extraordinary opportunity during the late 1960s when computer access was limited. Gates and Allen, driven by their curiosity and enthusiasm, took full advantage of this resource. They became adept at coding and spent countless hours exploring the possibilities of computing.

Gates’ remarkable journey took an unexpected turn when he enrolled at Harvard University in 1973. However, his time at Harvard would be brief, as his passion for software development and the emerging world of personal computers proved too compelling to resist. In 1975, he made the momentous decision to drop out of Harvard and pursue his dreams in the burgeoning software industry.

It was in that same year, 1975, that Gates and Paul Allen co-founded Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company’s mission was to develop software for the growing market of personal computers. This decision marked the genesis of a technology empire that would shape the future of computing. Microsoft’s early successes included the development of the BASIC programming language for the Altair 8800 microcomputer, a significant milestone in the company’s journey to becoming a global technology leader.

Gates’ decision to drop out of Harvard to pursue his software dreams was audacious, but it exemplified his unwavering commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship. His early experiences with computing, combined with the fortuitous meeting of Paul Allen and the birth of Microsoft, set the stage for a career that would leave an indelible mark on the world of technology and business.

The Rise of Microsoft

The ascent of Microsoft, co-founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, is a compelling narrative of vision, entrepreneurship, and strategic brilliance. The turning point for the company arrived in 1980 when IBM sought a partner to develop an operating system for their first personal computer, the IBM PC. Bill Gates recognized the magnitude of this opportunity and made a pivotal strategic move: instead of selling an existing operating system to IBM, he decided to retain the software rights.

This decision led to the creation of MS-DOS, an operating system that would become the cornerstone of the personal computing revolution. MS-DOS was licensed to IBM and later to other computer manufacturers, resulting in widespread adoption. This astute move not only established Microsoft as a prominent player in the industry but also laid the foundation for its dominance in the years to come.

However, it was the introduction of the Windows operating system that truly catapulted Microsoft to the forefront of the technology world. Windows, initially released in 1985, brought a graphical user interface to personal computing, making computers more accessible and user-friendly. This innovation set a new standard for operating systems and played a pivotal role in making personal computers an integral part of everyday life.

Under Gates’ leadership, Microsoft continued to innovate and expand its product offerings. Microsoft Office, released in 1989, became an indispensable suite of productivity software used by individuals and businesses worldwide. The company’s commitment to software development and its strategic partnerships further solidified its position in the industry.

By 1987, at the age of just 31, Bill Gates had become one of the world’s youngest self-made billionaires. His visionary approach, combined with his ability to recognize and seize opportunities, had transformed Microsoft into a technology powerhouse. The company’s products and software solutions had become integral parts of the global technology landscape, shaping the way people work, communicate, and interact with computers.

The rise of Microsoft not only revolutionized the personal computing industry but also had a profound impact on the world of business and technology. Bill Gates’ foresight and strategic decisions transformed his fledgling software company into a global giant, solidifying his status as a pioneer in the tech world and a symbol of entrepreneurial success.

Philanthropic Endeavors

Bill Gates’ philanthropic endeavors represent a significant and compassionate aspect of his legacy. In the year 2000, he and his then-wife, Melinda, founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a charitable organization that has grown to become one of the world’s largest and most influential private foundations.

The mission of the Gates Foundation is rooted in addressing some of the most pressing global challenges. With a primary focus on areas such as global health, education, and poverty alleviation, the foundation has channeled its immense resources towards making a positive impact on the lives of countless individuals and communities around the world.

One of the Gates Foundation’s most notable initiatives has been its commitment to global health. Through partnerships with governments, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders, the foundation has played a pivotal role in efforts to combat diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, and polio. Its financial contributions, research investments, and advocacy work have helped save lives, improve healthcare systems, and advance the global fight against these devastating diseases.

In the realm of education, the Gates Foundation has focused on improving educational opportunities and outcomes for students, particularly in the United States. It has supported initiatives aimed at enhancing teacher effectiveness, promoting educational equity, and developing innovative teaching methods and technologies. The foundation’s efforts have contributed to the advancement of education reform and the pursuit of quality education for all.

Poverty alleviation is another core area of the Gates Foundation’s work. By investing in projects that empower individuals and communities, the foundation has sought to break the cycle of poverty and create pathways to economic self-sufficiency. Initiatives encompass areas such as agricultural development, financial inclusion, and access to clean water and sanitation, addressing the fundamental needs of vulnerable populations.

Over the years, the Gates Foundation’s impact has been profound, with billions of dollars in grants dedicated to a wide range of humanitarian causes. Its work has influenced global health policies, sparked innovation in education and healthcare delivery, and contributed to the progress of sustainable development goals.

The Gates Foundation’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making has set a high standard for philanthropic organizations worldwide. Bill and Melinda Gates’ dedication to giving back and leveraging their wealth for the betterment of society has inspired other individuals and families to engage in philanthropy on a grand scale.

In May 2021, Bill and Melinda Gates announced their decision to divorce, but reaffirmed their commitment to continuing their philanthropic work through the foundation. Their collective impact on the world, both through technological innovation and philanthropy, underscores the transformative power of dedication, resources, and a profound sense of responsibility to humanity.

Major Turning Points

One of the most significant turning points in Gates’ career was his decision to step down as the CEO of Microsoft in 2000. At that time, Microsoft was the world’s most valuable technology company, and Gates was at the peak of his influence in the tech industry. His choice to relinquish the role of CEO marked a strategic shift in his career, allowing him to transition into the position of Chief Software Architect and focus on shaping Microsoft’s technical vision and future direction. This move was driven in part by his desire to dedicate more time to philanthropy, a passion that was growing stronger with each passing year.

Another pivotal moment came in 2006 when Bill Gates decided to transition from full-time work at Microsoft to devote more of his attention to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This transition represented a profound shift in his life’s purpose. While he remained involved with Microsoft as its Chairman, his primary focus became philanthropy, reflecting his deep commitment to addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Gates’ decision to prioritize philanthropy on a larger scale marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life. His dedication to global health, education, and poverty alleviation took center stage, and the Gates Foundation emerged as a global force for positive change. Through the foundation, Gates and his then-wife, Melinda, have worked tirelessly to leverage their wealth and influence to improve the lives of people around the world.

These turning points in Gates’ career underscore his remarkable journey from tech visionary to global philanthropist. His ability to pivot and adapt his priorities while continuing to have a profound impact in both technology and philanthropy demonstrates his exceptional leadership and a deep sense of responsibility to use his resources for the betterment of humanity. Bill Gates’ life serves as an inspiring example of how an individual’s influence can evolve and extend far beyond the boundaries of their original endeavors.

Adversity and Challenges

Bill Gates’ journey from a tech-focused entrepreneur to a global philanthropist was indeed marked by a series of significant challenges and adversities, both in the tech industry and in his transition to philanthropy.

One of the most prominent challenges Gates and Microsoft faced was the legal battle in the late 1990s, which culminated in antitrust lawsuits. The U.S. Department of Justice, along with several states, accused Microsoft of engaging in anti-competitive practices, including monopolistic behavior in the software industry. The legal proceedings questioned Microsoft’s business practices, such as bundling Internet Explorer with the Windows operating system.

These legal challenges posed a substantial threat to Microsoft and tested Gates’ leadership and strategic decision-making abilities. The company’s reputation was on the line, and the outcome of the lawsuits could have had far-reaching consequences for Microsoft’s future. Ultimately, Microsoft settled the case in 2001, agreeing to certain restrictions on its business practices. While the settlement represented a significant legal victory for the company, it also marked a moment of reflection and adjustment in how Microsoft operated within the tech industry.

Another substantial challenge in Gates’ life was the transition from a tech-driven entrepreneur to a global philanthropist. In 2000, he and his then-wife, Melinda, established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, committing vast resources to address critical global issues such as healthcare, education, and poverty. This shift from the corporate world to philanthropy required a significant change in perspective and approach.

Managing a charitable foundation on such a large scale presented unique challenges, including the need to identify and prioritize pressing global issues, engage with diverse stakeholders, and ensure that resources were effectively allocated to make a meaningful impact. Gates’ transition into philanthropy demanded not only financial resources but also the application of his strategic thinking and problem-solving skills to address complex global challenges.

Despite these challenges, Gates has navigated his philanthropic journey with determination and adaptability. The Gates Foundation has become one of the world’s largest and most influential philanthropic organizations, working tirelessly to make a positive impact on a global scale. Gates’ commitment to addressing pressing global issues underscores his ongoing dedication to making the world a better place, even after transitioning away from his role at Microsoft.

In summary, Bill Gates’ life has been marked by significant challenges, from legal battles in the tech industry to the transformative shift from entrepreneur to global philanthropist. His ability to confront and overcome these challenges reflects his resilience, adaptability, and unwavering commitment to making a positive difference in the world, whether through technology or philanthropy.

Legacy and Future Endeavors

As Gates continues to shape his legacy, his focus on innovation, philanthropy, and global advocacy remains steadfast. He consistently advocates for science and technology as key drivers for societal advancement. Whether it’s through his work with the Gates Foundation, his commentary on global issues, or his continued involvement in technology, Bill Gates’ impact on the world is indelible and continues to evolve. His commitment to addressing climate change, improving global health, and enhancing education systems worldwide demonstrates his unwavering dedication to making a positive difference in the world.

The legacy of Bill Gates is not just in the products he helped create or the wealth he amassed, but in his relentless pursuit of solutions to some of humanity’s most daunting challenges. As he looks to the future, Gates remains a beacon of hope and inspiration, showing that with innovation, commitment, and compassion, it is possible to leave a lasting and positive mark on the world.

Building a Technology Empire

Bill Gates’ leadership at Microsoft was instrumental in building a technology empire that reshaped the digital landscape and left an indelible mark on the tech industry. His visionary approach, combined with strategic thinking and a relentless commitment to innovation, propelled Microsoft to prominence and established it as a global technology powerhouse.

One of the key milestones in Microsoft’s journey was the development and release of the Windows operating system. Introduced in 1985, Windows brought a graphical user interface to personal computing, revolutionizing how people interacted with computers. Prior to Windows, computers primarily relied on text-based interfaces, which limited their accessibility and ease of use. Windows made computing more intuitive and user-friendly, opening the door to a broader audience of computer users. This innovation set a new standard for operating systems and laid the foundation for Microsoft’s dominance in the personal computing arena.

Another transformative product that emerged under Gates’ leadership was the Microsoft Office Suite. Launched in 1989, this suite of productivity software, including applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, became essential tools for businesses, educational institutions, and individuals worldwide. Microsoft Office streamlined work processes, revolutionized document creation and data analysis, and played a pivotal role in shaping the way people conducted business and communicated.

Gates’ approach to software development was characterized by a commitment to excellence and a focus on creating products that met real-world needs. Microsoft’s dedication to continuous improvement and updates ensured that their software remained relevant and competitive in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.

In addition to product development, Gates’ business strategy was central to Microsoft’s success. He recognized the importance of partnerships and collaborations, forging relationships with hardware manufacturers, software developers, and other industry stakeholders. Microsoft’s licensing agreements, such as the one with IBM for MS-DOS, allowed the company to expand its reach and influence across the computer industry.

Furthermore, Gates’ leadership style fostered a culture of innovation and intellectual curiosity within Microsoft. He encouraged employees to explore new ideas and technologies, driving the company to stay at the forefront of technological advancements.

Under Gates’ guidance, Microsoft’s dominance extended beyond operating systems and productivity software. The company ventured into various markets, including gaming with the Xbox console and online services with MSN and later, Azure. This diversification allowed Microsoft to remain a formidable force in the tech industry.

Bill Gates’ leadership at Microsoft was characterized by visionary thinking, a commitment to excellence in software development, and a strategic approach to business. The products and innovations that emerged under his leadership not only transformed personal computing but also solidified Microsoft’s position as a global technology giant. Gates’ influence on the tech industry is a testament to his entrepreneurial spirit and his ability to shape the digital world we inhabit today.

Transition to Philanthropy

Bill Gates’ transition from the world of technology to philanthropy marked a profound shift in his life’s focus and priorities. It was driven by a recognition of the immense responsibility that comes with vast wealth and a desire to make a meaningful and lasting impact on global issues.

Gates’ approach to philanthropy mirrored his analytical and problem-solving mindset, much like his approach to technology. He brought a data-driven and results-oriented perspective to his philanthropic endeavors, emphasizing measurable outcomes and sustainable solutions. This methodical approach allowed him to leverage his wealth effectively to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

One of the core areas of focus for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been global health. Gates recognized that infectious diseases, such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, and polio, disproportionately affected vulnerable populations in low-income countries. Through the foundation, he committed significant resources to support research, vaccination campaigns, and healthcare infrastructure in these regions. This strategic approach contributed to substantial progress in combating these diseases, saving millions of lives and improving the health and well-being of countless individuals.

In addition to global health, Gates turned his philanthropic attention to agricultural development. He understood that addressing hunger and food security was essential for poverty alleviation and economic growth in developing countries. The foundation invested in agricultural research and initiatives aimed at increasing crop yields and improving farming practices, helping farmers in impoverished regions enhance their livelihoods and food production.

Education reform was another critical area of focus for Gates. He believed that a quality education was a fundamental right and a pathway to opportunities. The foundation’s efforts in education encompassed a wide range of initiatives, from supporting teachers and schools to promoting data-driven approaches to improve educational outcomes.

Through these and other initiatives, the Gates Foundation has made significant strides in addressing complex global challenges. Gates’ commitment to philanthropy extends beyond simply writing checks; he has actively engaged with policymakers, scientists, and experts to drive systemic change and innovation.

The Gates Foundation’s collaborative approach has led to partnerships with governments, other philanthropic organizations, and non-governmental organizations, fostering a collective effort to tackle global issues. Gates’ vision and leadership have inspired others to join in the pursuit of positive change and the achievement of sustainable development goals.

Bill Gates’ transition from technology to philanthropy marked a profound shift in his life’s focus. His analytical approach, emphasis on measurable outcomes, and dedication to addressing global issues have resulted in substantial progress in areas such as global health, agricultural development, and education reform. Gates’ philanthropic efforts reflect his commitment to leveraging his resources and influence to make a lasting and positive impact on the world.

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Bill Gates says AI won't magically solve problems that humans aren't already good at

• Bill Gates is one of AI's most enthusiastic proponents  but is wary of the technology's limitations.
• While AI is remarkably effective at some tasks, its weaknesses are becoming clearer.
• Gates said the key to current AI models is to have "data that embodies the expertise."

Bill Gates has been thinking about AI since long before it existed.

The Microsoft cofounder is now one of the leading advocates for the technology and is rolling up his sleeves to join meetings with his former company to advise them on product development.

Yet, for all the promise and success of the past year, there is also a growing awareness of AI's limitations .

In an interview with Dax Shepard on the Armchair Expert podcast, Gates said he's experiencing those strengths and weaknesses firsthand: "I'm using it all the time and saying, 'OK, no, it's not good enough for this — but wow, it is good enough for that.'"

AI has proven to be a game changer in several areas, including pharmaceuticals and agriculture, that Gates and his eponymous foundation are particularly concerned with.

But he's less impressed by AI's sudoku abilities — he said it struggles with recursive reasoning — and is still trying to figure out how to integrate the tools into his own work process.

"If it's a problem that humans are not good at dealing with, then present techniques don't create some novel approach," Gates said.

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In other words, despite appearances, current AI models aren't magic — they're just a lot faster at performing well-documented tasks that humans do more slowly.

The key is to have "data that embodies the expertise."

Experts know with a high degree of detail how nitrogen levels affect crop yields and are extremely good at measuring those. AI is a phenomenal help with improving forecasting models there.

By contrast, questions such as human happiness or relationship satisfaction are extremely difficult to quantify and predict, and humans have struggled with these questions with highly variable degrees of success throughout history. AI won't somehow solve those for us on its own.

"I actually think in mental counseling AIs will play a role, but boy, we're going to have to be very careful about that," Gates said. "That's going to require a lot of work that has not been done yet."

Another surprising area where Gates said current AI models stumble is complex math.

"It doesn't know to check its answers," he said. "A sudoku puzzle, you have to do a lot of recursive reasoning and it doesn't know to take extra time."

In a remarkably human way, the AI will sometimes say it "mistyped" rather than admit it was wrong, Gates added. "It's so apologetic, and it says it'll try again, but of course it gets it wrong again."

Ever the optimist, Gates said these limitations aren't a reason to put the AI genie back in the bottle. The potential upside for humanity is simply too great, even if it might take more work to get there.

While he respects individuals' and nations' right to disagree , Gates doesn't foresee a future in which the world collectively agrees to pause or roll back the development of this technology.

"Maybe we'll have a world where parts of the world have chosen to use AI in full, and other people are more like, 'Get your buggy out, baby,'" he said.

Watch: Microsoft CEO unravels ChatGPT, ethical AI, and going bust

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Exclusive: Energy transition breakthroughs will come from the Silicon Valley of energy, Bill Gates says

Billionaire investor Bill Gates sees Houston, the Silicon Valley of energy, as a leading player in the global energy transition.

The philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder, who dropped in at the annual  CERAWeek by S&P Global energy conference, said in an exclusive interview that small companies developing potentially world-changing technologies are gravitating toward Houston and along the Gulf Coast, where they can connect with a workforce steeped in project development capabilities and industrial know-how.

Gates has investments in an array of businesses and industries, with a stake in several energy transition enterprises in the Houston region.

Carbon Engineering , for example — a direct air capture company that won early investments from Gates and was recently acquired by Houston-based Occidental Petroleum — is now a key component of Oxy’s ambitions to develop 100 facilities worldwide that would pull carbon from the atmosphere and store it underground.

Gates’ Breakthrough Energy investment vehicle has a stake in another Houston-based company, geothermal energy firm Fervo, which could benefit from partnering with a larger company capable of bringing its work drilling for underground heat to a world stage.

Developing hydrogen and other types of clean energy facilities is complicated, Gates said at a CERAWeek stop Thursday. “It’s far, far more difficult than anything I’ve worked on at Microsoft.”

Energy transition projects will need all the horsepower they can get from traditional energy companies and talent congregated along the Gulf Coast, he said. 

“We need to draw on that in order to get to scale up quickly,” Gates said. “A lot of the breakthrough ideas will happen in small companies. Not all of them, but a lot of them will. But then they need to get paired up in some way.”

Gates’ visit to Houston and Corpus Christi coincided with his Thursday keynote at CERAWeek, the major energy conference known informally as the “Super Bowl of energy.” He toured energy sites that he’s invested in, such as an e-fuels site developed by Infinium and Mars Materials, a Houston-based startup that recently relocated from California as it hones technology that could use carbon captured from the atmosphere to make carbon fibers.

Breakthrough Energy has invested more than $130 million into Texas-based energy and climate tech companies since it was founded in 2015; its remit is investments in innovations that could help the world limit global warming to 1.5 or 2 degrees. Companies he has invested in are increasingly relocating to Texas, and many more are developing Texas projects even as their labs and leaders may be based elsewhere, Gates said.

During his site visits, Gates focused on learning more about the costs and regulatory challenges involved in advancing clean energy technologies. He bit at the cap of his pen as he listened to a presentation at the Shell Technology Center, site of the newly relocated Mars Materials.

The startup’s CEO, Aaron Fitzgerald, said the buildout was expected to cost $1.2 million in California. In Texas, “the highest bid came in at $300,000.” The move to Houston also came with other benefits, he said. 

“In Houston we also are surrounded by one of the highest concentrations of chemical engineers in the world,” Fitzgerald said.  

Gates listened, arms crossed, periodically asking questions about the costs related to the processes that Mars is developing, which would make carbon fibers from a cleaner process than the one used today with coal.

“Could you be cost-competitive with the dirty stuff, or probably not?” Gates asked during a tour of the start-up’s new production unit. 

It depends, Fitzgerald replied, noting fossil fuel industries still benefit from subsidies. 

“If you’re looking at levelized cost there, yes,” Fitzgerald said. “But if you’re talking about the current regulatory regime there, we still require some additional work.” 

Later Thursday, Gates toured Air Liquide’s hydrogen facility in La Porte alongside Michael Graff, CEO of American Air Liquide, the Houston-based subsidiary of the French industrial gas giant. The company has plans to install carbon capture equipment at the site, pairing a suite of technologies that Gates believes could play an important role in the future of energy. 

Gates, the sixth-wealthiest person in the world with an estimated net worth of more than $131 billion, according to Forbes, was interested in the site because it was developed in 2008 with carbon capture in mind, leaving a space at the facility for future development. 

Adding those capabilities is a matter of waiting on the federal incentives to firm up, Graff said. 

“That’s what it’s going to take to get these initial stages off the ground,” Graff told Gates.

Of all his stops, Gates said learning about challenges facing hydrogen projects was a key goal of his visit.

“What are the missing innovations? What are the policies that we should advocate for at the state or federal level?” he said. “It’s a chance to learn about the practicalities.”

(Updated March 24, 5 p.m.) This story was updated to clarify information provided to the Chronicle regarding the buildout cost of the Mars Materials project.

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'Made in India' tech like Digital Public Infrastructure can be transformative for the world: Bill Gates

Gates, renowned for his advocacy of innovative solutions to pressing global issues, expressed his admiration for india's utilisation of ai and dpi during his recent visit..

• Updated Mar 30, 2024, 4:34 PM IST

Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates lauded India's strides in technology, particularly highlighting the potential of digital public infrastructure (DPI) to revolutionise global systems. Following a candid exchange with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gates emphasised the pivotal role technology plays in bridging societal gaps.

Gates, renowned for his advocacy of innovative solutions to pressing global issues, expressed his admiration for India's utilisation of AI and DPI during his recent visit. "During my visit to India, I saw how AI and DPI are improving access to education, healthcare, and the lives of small farmers, and how these technologies can be transformative for the world," Gates shared on a popular social media platform.

India's digital landscape, buoyed by initiatives like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Aadhaar, is projected to fuel significant economic growth. A recent report led by Nasscom indicated that DPIs could propel India towards an $8 trillion economy by 2030, a monumental step towards achieving the country's ambitious $1 trillion digital economy target.

In his dialogue with Prime Minister Modi, Gates delved into a myriad of critical topics, including the evolution of artificial intelligence and India's remarkable advancements in digital infrastructure. The discussions underscored India's proactive approach to addressing pressing global challenges, with a particular emphasis on combating climate change and promoting sustainable development.

Commenting on this talk, Jaspreet Bindra, Founder of TechWhisperer UK Limited told Business Today, "India has been a unique large country providing digital public infrastructure like identity, payments, commerce, etc. as a digital public good (DPG) – much like water, clean air or law & order – at scale, with more than 1bn people now covered under these facilities. Now with new technologies like AI, there is an opportunity to provide GenAI and AI as a DPG, thus creating a billion entrepreneurs and creators."

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Bill Gates, Amazon backed Startup Opens World's 1st Green Steel Plant

• Dissolving Iron Oxide: First, they dissolve iron oxide ore in an aqueous acid solution.
• Precipitating Metals: This step allows them to selectively refine the main impurities in iron ore, such as alumina and silica, as co-products.
• Direct Reduction: Electra directly reduces iron oxide into iron without the need for a blast furnace or coal burning.

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