bill gates best biography

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 He was doing well in school, but he seemed bored and withdrawn at times, and his parents worried he might become a loner.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.

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

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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Top 76 Books Recommended By Bill Gates (By Year)

Damini Bhandary

Books are a big source of inspiration, it helps you travel the world and provide the knowledge that you needed, in a beautiful and subtle way. A person can find worldly knowledge and information in books. Not only that, it can create a deep impact on our minds and provide us with enough motivation to live our lives freely.

There are a huge number of successful people who recommend books because the books lead them to self-improvement and are their cause of euphoria. They can be entertaining, motivational and an eye-opener; sometimes it also helps you in realizing your own dream.

One of the most successful people in the world, the founder of Microsoft, William Henry Gates III, also known as Bill Gates is a huge bibliophile. It is said that he reads at least 50 books every year and that is something enormous. Even in his busy schedule, he always finds a way to read books, and the best part he in his own dedicated blog called GatesNotes shares about the book he is reading and recommends the best ones. So, are you not curious to know, what the founder of one of the biggest technology companies read?

In this article, we will disclose all the books that Bill Gates has recommended over the span of 7 years. This list is comprised of science, technology, business, fiction, non-fiction, history, biography, and others So, let’s get started.

Bill Gates's love for books knows no bounds, every year in the summer and winter he recommends some of his favourite books that he has read in his blog. Some of the popular books from the last seven years are listed below. So, Let's look at the Books Recommended by Bill Gates.

“Whether I’m at the office, at home, or on the road, I always have a stack of books I’m looking forward to reading.”

-Bill Gates

Books Recommended by Bill gates in 2015 Books Recommended by Bill gates in 2016 Books Recommended by Bill gates in 2017 Books Recommended by Bill gates in 2018 Books Recommended by Bill gates in 2019 Books Recommended by Bill gates in 2020 Books Recommended by Bill Gates in 2021 Books Recommended by Bill Gates in 2022

Books Recommended by Bill gates in 2015

1. the magic of reality: how we know what’s really true, author: richard dawkins, originally published: 15 september 2011.

This 2011 book written by Richard Dawkins made its place on the list of Gates’s recommended books in 2015. The book is a favourite amongst children and young adults as it is written for them. It deals with re-telling the myths that are famous all over the world.

The origins of particular phenomena are also penned here. It is filled with interesting facts about the world that one should know about. This is a good book on science and answers the questions that one can have about the universe.

2. Hyberbole And A Half

Author: allie brosh, originally published: 29 october 2013.

The 2013 book written by Allie Brosh is all about the stories of her daily life full of hysterical stories that are extremely funny. Hyperbole And A Half is a blog and a webcomic. Then it has now become a book, where all the stories including the author's childhood experience are also contained in this book.

3. What If?

Author: randall munroe, originally published: 2 september 2014.

This book by Munroe is non-fiction in which the author answers all the hypothetical science-related questions that are sent by the people who read his comic site 'xkcd'. He compiles all the answers to the questions that he has answered in his webcomic and has published them in this book.

4. On Immunity

Author: eula biss, originally published: 30 september 2014.

This 2014 non-fiction book reasons why vaccination is so important for children. All the myths about the conception of immunity. It breaks all those misconceptions that people have about vaccination and are against it. This book showcased how vaccination is important for children as we cannot protect them on our own.

5. How To Lie With Statistics

Author: darrel huff, originally published: 1954.

This book by Darrel Huff can be considered as an introduction of statistics to readers. It elaborates on the misuse of statistics that can happen through errors while interpreting statistics that can lead to the wrong conclusions.  

6. Should We Eat Meat?

Author: vaclav smil, originally published: 2013.

This 2013 book talks about how eating meat has played a role in the evolution of humans and how its influence is increasing in recent days. The book also details the production of meats in modern days. This book answers if we can produce meat for people without harming the planet. This book is very informative and does not just answer if we should eat meat or not.

7. The Road To Character

Author: david brooks, originally published: 14 april 2015.

In the month of December 2015, Bill Gates included The Road To Character written by the columnist of The New York Times, David Brooks. This book has blended psychology, politics, and spirituality together and talks about the deeper values that we should have in our life.

It shows how some of the world’s greatest thinkers are able to create a strong and rich inner character. It is considered one of the best books for self-improvement and is named one of the best books of the year 2015 by The Economist.

8. Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff In Simple Words

Originally published: 24 november 2015.

The book is quite interesting and fascinating because the author just used 1000 English words that are very much common to explain the complicated things of various complex 54 subjects. The subject includes pencils, atom bombs, and aeroplane engines. The book also has some jokes to entertain the readers.

9. Being Nixon: A Man Divided

Author: evan thomas, originally published: 16 june 2015.

This book is a New York Times bestselling biography of Richard Nixon. This book follows the growth of Nixon and his psychological profile, his childhood influences, and most importantly his career in politics. An insightful look into his political journey and how some of his decisions and weaknesses prove to be the villain and destroyed his presidency.

10. Sustainable Materials With Both Eyes Open

Author: julian m. allwood, jonathan m, cullen, and mark a. carruth, originally published: 2012.

This 2012 book talks about how we should save energy for the future. It is a follow-up to the book Sustainable Energy Without The Hot Air and talks about how one should concentrate on making materials in such a way that they can be sustainable and will be available for future generations.

11. Eradication: Ridding The World Of Diseases Forever?

Author: nancy leys stepan, originally published: 2011.

This book by award-winning historian Nancy Stepan talks about the advantages and disadvantages of helping the world to get rid of some diseases one by one. The different approaches that have been tried to erase the diseases and the time that it failed to reach a conclusion that proved a success. Gates said that the book is written in an academic style.

12. Mindset: The New Psychology Of Success

Author: carol s. dweck, originally published: 28 february 2006.

This book showcases how our mindset can change our entire life. We can achieve success in almost every area, be it school, work, or sports, if we have the right mindset, nothing is impossible. A fixed mindset will help you in the growth of your life. This book is truly very inspirational and helps you in getting motivation.

Books Recommended by Bill gates in 2016

13. sapiens: a brief history of human kind, author: yuval noah harari.

Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens made a place in the list of Bill Gates’s summer book recommendations in the year 2016. This book answers the question, what makes us sapiens? This 2011 book talks about the history and the future of human beings on the planet and busts some ancient myths that are part of human society for a long time. This Non-fiction was even a part of Gates’s spring vacation.

14. Seveneves

Author: neal stephenson, originally published: 19 may 2015.

This book is a science fiction novel and tells the story of all the efforts made to save human beings when the Earth faces an apocalypse after the moon got destroyed. All the nations across the world joined their hand to ensure the survival of the humans in outer space at the time of the apocalypse.

15. How Not To Be Wrong

Author: jordan ellenberg, originally published: 29 may 2014.

Another New York Times Best Selling book that made its place on Gates's list. This 2014 book showcases how different economics and philosophies of society are connected with mathematics and statistical principles. Basically how mathematics is connected with our everyday.

16. The Vital Question

Author: nick lane, originally published: 2015.

This book by Nick Lane talks about the origin of life and its evolution. The vital question tries to answer the complexity between the biology of life and energy. The book mainly focuses on answering why are we here and why are we like this?

17. The Power To Compete

Author: ryoichi mikitani and hiroshi mikitani, originally published: 20 october 2014.

As Gates said in his blog, if someone wants to know more about Japan, it is a must-read for them. This book gives the viewpoint of all the issues that are faced by Japan and they are not recognized despite being the fourth-largest economy in the world. The authors talk about how the problem can be solved to make the country's future more bright.

18. String Theory

Author: david foster wallace, originally published: 10 may 2016.

This book by David Foster Wallace may sound like something that deals with Physics but in reality, this book talks about Wallace’s favourite sport, Tennis. In the year 2016, this was one of the many books on the list of Gate's winter collection. It contains everything about tennis, a competitor’s insight, a fan’s enthusiasm, and many other things. A must-read for a sports enthusiast .

19. Shoe Dog

Author: phil knight, originally published: 26 april 2016.

Almost everyone is familiar with the sportswear brand Nike , this book is written by its co-founder Phil Knight and talks about the history of Nike and the challenges that the company faces, and how it has become one of the most profitable and recognizable companies in the whole world .

20. The Gene

Author: siddhartha mukherjee, originally published: 17 may 2016.

This 2016 book is all about genes and genetic researches. Siddhartha Mukherjee is a physician and oncologist who focuses on the power of genes that is related to the traits of human beings in this book.

21. The Myth Of The Strong Leader

Author: archie brown, originally published: 2014.

This book by Archie Brown explains that a strong leader will not always be a successful leader. This book features Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Tony Blair and discusses the types and qualities of their leadership .

22. The Grid

Author: gretchen bakke, originally published: 26 july 2016.

The book talks about how the electrical grid in America that are made in the 20th century is now becoming a nuisance in the present time as they do not fit in modern times. It also talks about the various challenges faced by the grid in recent times.

Books Recommended by Bill gates in 2017

23. born a crime, author: trevor noah, originally published: 15 november 2016.

This book by Trevor Noah was published in the year 2016 and Bill Gates put it in his 2017 book list. Trevor Noah is an award-winning comedian from South Africa. It has the detailed story of Noah’s life and how he was termed illegal for being born of a mixed race. The struggles and the prejudices he faced while growing up is all detailed here.

24. The Heart

Author: maylis de kerangal.

It is a medical fiction novel that surrounds the death of a 19-year-old, Simon Limbres who died in a car accident. The story then focuses on how the transplantation of Simon's heart affects his parents, the doctors, the recipient, and their families in the span of 24 hours.

25. Hillbilly Elegy

Author: j.d. vance, originally published: 28 june 2016.

The book deals with the themes of class and social mobility, economic inequality, and family. It talks about his ethnic Appalachian values, their social problems. It is also a New York Times Bestseller book that deals with health and economic problems as well.

26. Homo Deus

The book is all about the future of humans. It also states that in the 21st-century humans will make an attempt in gaining God-like powers and immortality and states that with technological powers developing Human may not be the dominant species in front of highly intelligent algorithms .

27. A Full Life

Author: jimmy carter, originally published: 7 july 2015.

This 2015 book is an autobiography of the author Jimmy Carter who was the former American President. It is after his 90th birthday how has lived a pretty interesting life.

28. Energy And Civilization: A History

Author: professor of geography vaclav smil, originally published: 2017.

This book by Professor Vaclav Smil details how energy makes life possible and is a prime factor to make society works. The book talks about fossil fuel-driven civilization that is extremely dependent on energy and how humans are the only beings that can create energies outside their bodies through different technologies.

29. The Best We Could Do

Author: thi bui, originally published: 7 march 2017.

The book follows the journey of the author, Thi Bui's parents. Their life before the Vietnam War and the situation during the war and how they escape from Vietnam and become a refugee in the United State of America. The theme also includes the trauma that one suffers after the war.

30. Evicted: Poverty And Profit In The American City

Author: mathew desmond, originally published: 1 march 2016.

The book follows the journey of eight families during the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008 and how they were struggling to pay their rent. The issues that are highlighted in this book are economic problems, extreme poverty and affordable housing.

31. Believe Me

Author: eddie izzard, originally published: 13 june 2017.

It is a New York Times Bestseller book that is an autobiography of Izzard himself and talks about how the death of his mother affected him in his childhood and shaped his future. It also talks about his life in comedy, film, politics, and philanthropy .

32. The Sympathizer

Author: viet thanh nguyen, originally published: 2 april 2015.

This 2015 best-selling novel received the Pulitzer Prize in 2016 for Fiction. The story deals with love, friendship, and betrayal and is about a communist double agent and classic war fiction where the protagonist's political belief is standing against his loyalties.

Books Recommended by Bill gates in 2018

33. leonardo da vinci, author: walter isaacson, originally published: 17 october 2017.

This 2017 book by Walter Isaacson made it on Gates's list in the year 2018. This book detailed how one of the greatest painter's skills can also be improved in us. Observation, curiosity, and imagination can be developed and nurtured in ourselves. The book also stated how the great painter was an immense believer in science and technology. Bill Gates considered Leonardo one of the most fascinating people ever in his blog.

34. Everything Happened For A Reason And Other Lies I've Loved

Author: kate bowler, originally published: 6 february 2018.

This 2018 book is an autobiography that focuses on the life of the author herself. Kate Bowler is a 35-year-old professor, after giving birth to her baby, she started experiencing stomach pain and was diagnosed with colon cancer. This book talks about her life history and all the struggles she has gone through.

35. Lincoln In The Bardo

Author: george saunders, originally published: 14 february 2017.

This book is an experimental novel by George Saunders that deals with how Abraham Lincoln deals with his grief after the death of his son, William Wallace Lincoln. It is a very critically acclaimed book that has been ranked as one of the best novels of the decade by many publications.

36. Origin Story: A Big History Of Everything

Author: david christian, originally published: 14 may 2018.

This 2018 book talks about the creation of the Universe and how it is now a complex planet where over 7 billion humans exist. It talks about the big bang, the creation of living and non-living beings, and everything that has led to recent times.

37. Factfulness

Author: hans rosling, originally published: 3 april 2019.

The book was published after the death of Hans Rosling. This book talks about how most people are actually wrong about the situation of the world. Here, the author talks about how it is unfair to divide the world into developed and developing countries. As per him, people who deemed the world as unhealthy, full of poverty are actually misinformed.

38. Educated

Author: tara westover, originally published: 18 february 2018.

The 2018 memoir by Tara Westover and made its place in Gates’s list as well as in the best sellers list. This book describes Westover’s life, her father’s paranoia of hospitals. Her family was isolated from the world and she was 17 years old when she first enters school and how she educated her own self.

39. Army Of None

Author: paul scharre, originally published: 24 april 2018.

This 2018 book explores what happened when the era of automatic weapons arrive. In a world where weapons that can identify their own target exists, what will be the outcome if they get hacked ? This book gives all those answers.

40. Bad Blood

Author:john carreyrou, originally published: 21 may 2018.

This 2018 non-fiction book follows the rise and fall of the company, Theranos by Elizabeth Holmes. It was a multi-billion dollar biotech startup. How Elizabeth Holmes was involved in a scam and everything else. This book has also won the 2018 Financial Times and Mckinsey Business Book of the Year Award.

41. 21 Lesson For The 21st Century

Originally published: 23 august 2018.

This 2018 book gives insight into all the important issues that exist in the present world. It covers all the political, social, technological, and existential situations and how should we deal with them. This book provides all those lessons to the readers.

42. The Headspace Guide To Meditation And Mindfulness

Author: andy puddicombe.

This book teaches the strong techniques of meditation that helps in providing a positive impact in your life. This also conveys that meditation can help in changing your life and one can achieve a different level of calmness and happiness through it. One just needs to give 10 minutes of their day to meditation.

Books Recommended by Bill gates in 2019

43. upheaval: how nations cope with crisis and change, author: jared diamond, originally published: 7 may 2019.

This Non-Fiction by Jared Mason Diamond was published in 2019 and immediately become a part of Bill Gates’s book list. This book gives insight into how humans and nations can manage when crises and challenges arise in life. It talks about the six modern nations have managed when they face some catastrophes. This shows how if one sets their minds they have the ability to solve problems.

44. Nine Pints

Author: rose george, originally published: 23 october 2018.

This book dwells inside the cultural history and science of blood. The importance of blood in life and how it saves lives from deadly infection everything that needs to be known about blood can be found in this book. It also talks about how menstruation is still a topic of taboo.

45. A Gentleman In Moscow

Author: amor towles, originally published: 6 september 2016.

This historical fiction of 2016 deals with the theme of romance, parenthood, politics, and poetry and follows the story of Count Alexander Rostov, who was ordered to spend his entire life in a luxury hotel.

46. Presidents Of War

Author: michael beschloss, originally published: 9 october 2018.

This 2018 book talks about the Presidents of America during the time of war. It consists of American history and how Presidents had to take all the difficult decisions while there was a war. It also talks about how 21st-century leaders have the power of Nuclear warfare in their hands.

47. The Future Of Capitalism

Author: paul collier, originally published: 4 october 2018.

This book by world-renowned economist Paul Collier focuses on modern times' economic and social inequalities. The book has provided some solutions that are given by some world-known social scientists to save capitalism from itself and minimize the negative aspect that it brings.

48. An American Marriage

Author: tayari jones, originally published: 29 january 2018.

An American Marriage is written by Tayari Jones was first published in the year 2018. This fictional story deals with an African-American couple named Celestial and Roy, who faced a big turmoil in their life when Roy was wrongfully accused of rape that he did not commit. This book shows how two people were separated and suffered and how moving forward is sometimes the only option.

49. These Truths

Author: jill lepore, originally published: 18 september 2018.

This is a book of American history and has focused on how all truths regarding American politics, laws, and everything has played a role in the evolution of the nation. The book is divided into four sections including a part of modern times as well.

Originally published: 6 September 2019

This 2019 book focuses on the growth of nature and society from tiny microorganisms to big empires. It includes man-made objects as well and talks about the growth of humans from their childhood to their adulthood.

51. Prepared: What Kids Need For A Fulfilled Life

Author: diane tavenner, originally published: 17 september 2019.

The book talks about how the parents should help their children in preparing for their future, instead of worrying about it. Diane Tavenner founded a school in 2003, called Summit Public School. In this book, the author shares some personal stories and lessons of the teachers and the students and asks the parents to learn this lesson so that they can prepare their children for the future.

52. Why We Sleep

Author: matthew walker, originally published: 28 september 2017.

This 2017 book highlights the importance of sleep in our life and how it helps us in living a healthy life. Sleep is the prime thing that has a huge impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of a human being . The author is a neuroscientist and sleep expert who explains in this book how sleep can secure us from fatal diseases as well. In this book, he also suggests some ways that can guarantee a good night's sleep.

Books Recommended by Bill gates in 2020

53. the ride of a lifetime, author: robert iger, originally published: 23 september 2019.

This memoir written by businessman Bob Iger was able to make into the list of Bill Gates. In this book, Iger talks about the achievement of his life and the lessons he has learned while being the CEO of Walt Disney Company for 15 years.

Here, he has shared all the ideas and values that he has perceived in these years and how he believed optimism, courage, and fairness can help in becoming a better person. Bill Gates said it is one of the business books that he’ll unapologetically recommend, that gives tips on how to build a business.

54. The Choice: Embrace The Possible

Author: dr. edith eva eger.

It is an autobiography of Edith Eger when at the age of sixteen she was a gymnast and ballerina and was sent to Auschwitz. This book also includes the point where she saved her sister, in this book she has explained that our mind has become a prison, how freedom can be possible if only we confront our misery.

55. Cloud Atlas

Author: david mitchell, originally published: march 2004.

This 2004 book is a merge of historical fiction and science fiction. This story is about the 19th century Hawai in a post-apocalyptic future. It consists of six stories and Bill Gates considers it 'A wonder mind-bending novel.'

56. The Great Influenza

Author: john m. barry, originally published: 2004.

This non-fiction talks about the havoc created by the 1918 flu that was one of the worst pandemics in history. The entire history of the 1918 pandemic can be found in this book, how it started, spread, and the invention of medicine to fight against it.

57. Good Economics For Hard Times

Author: abhijit v. banerjee and esther duflo, originally published: 12 november 2019.

This 2019 Non-fiction was written by the 2019 Nobel prize winner duo and talks about different economics research that will help in solving the problems faced by the different societies and the modern economies. It includes immigration, inequality in income, climate change, and others.

58. The Spy And The Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story Of The Cold War

Author: ben macintyre.

This book by Ben Macintyre was published in the year 2018 and tells the tale of Oleg Gordievsky. This spy thriller throws light on the cold war era and how Gordievsky worked for the West and exposed several Russian spies and destroyed their plans. The story brings the reader to the world of betrayal and is considered one of the best spy thriller books.

59. The New Jim Crow

Author: michelle alexander, originally published: 5 january 2010.

This 2010 book covers the topic of race in America and how the justice system sometimes targets people from different communities and colours especially, black people. Racial discrimination is real and this book enlightens people of its horror and its consequence.

Author: David Epstein

Originally published: 28 may 2019.

In this book, Epstein talked about the world's most successful people from different fields. He argued that generalists find their path late but they really good at what they do. The book talks about how it is okay to start late and gain lots of experience.

61. The Splendid And The Vile

Author: erik larson, originally published: 25 february 2020.

This book by Erik Larson talks about the years 1940 and 1941 when the citizens were worried that Germany would bomb them any day. The fear and anxiety that the people experienced at that time and how Winston Churchill help them out during this period of time.

62. Breath From Salt

Author: bijal p, trivedi, originally published: 8 september 2020.

This 2020 book by Trivedi talks about the amazing scientific invention that helps cystic fibrosis patients. The emotions of the family of the patient, the doctor including the patients as well, the book described everything.

Books Recommended by Bill Gates in 2021

63. lights out: pride, delusion and the fall of general electric, author: thomas gryta and ted mann, originally published: 21 july 2020.

This 2020 book is a Wall street journal bestseller that describes how America's one of the biggest companies General Electric failed. In here all the mistakes that are done by the company have been explained that has resulted in its downfall .

64. Under A White Sky: The Nature Of The Future

Author: elizabeth kolbert.

This book by Kolbert has mainly focused on numerous types of environmental crises. It talks about how taking the help from technologies for countering climate change can lead to some more problems. This book also talks about the role of technology in our lives in modern times.

65. A Promised Land

Author: barack obama, originally published: 17 november 2020.

This 2020 book by Barack Obama, the former President of the United States of America is an autobiography and a memoir and talks about his political career and the years that have changed the history of the country. One of the events that are also included here is the killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011.

66. The Overstory

Author: richard powers.

This 2019 book by Powers is an environmental fiction and talks about 9 people from America and their experience with trees and their connections with them that made them realize the importance of trees and what consequences the destruction of forest will bring in the world.

67. An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science Of The Immune System

Author: matt richtel, originally published: 12 march 2019.

This 2019 book will help you understand the human immune system and its defence network. The book describes how our immunity helps us in healing wounds, fighting deadly diseases, and basically keeping humans alive. Gates considers this book a guideline that will help humans in taking valuable steps to stop Covid-19.

68. Project Hail Mary

Author: andy weir, originally published: 4 may 2021.

This 2021 Science Fiction tells the tale of Ryland Grace, a teacher-turned astronaut who is suffering from amnesia after waking up from a coma. Although he is the last hope of humanity, he doesn't remember his name. Project Hail Mary talks about discovery and survival. Gates considers it a fun book to read as the plot is woven amazingly.

69. A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence

Originally published: 2 march 2021.

This book talks about the theory of intelligence and the mystery of brains. It also talks about what will be the future of AI in our world. The book answers some of science's greatest questions. Gates considered this book fascinating as it talks about the whole architecture of the brain.

Author: Maggie O'Farrell

Originally published: 31 march 2020.

This 2020 book set a fictional situation where the author meets Sakespeare's son Hamnet, who died at the young age of 11. The book shows how the grief-stricken family has been torn apart after the death of the little child. Gates said that the book is well written.

71. The Code Breaker : Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race

Originally published: 9 march 2021.

This book is basically the biography of the 2020 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry, Jennifer Doudna. Doudna won the prize for showing gene editing where one can cure blood diseases by cutting DNA. It was the number one book on New York Times Bestseller list.

Books Recommended by Bill Gates in 2022

72. the power, author: naomi alderman, originally published: 27 october 2016.

This 2016 Novel is Science fiction and the plot is surrounded on women who got the ability to produce electric jolts from their fingers, thus making the female gender powerful. The book was recommended by Gates's daughter to him. The book basically talks about gender equality what could happen when the female gender gets an upper hand.

73. Why We're Polarized

Author: ezra klein, originally published: 28 january 2020.

This 2020 Non-fiction book talks about the political polarization in the United States of America between the two main parties in the country. The book shows you that political ideologies have split up the people of the country and it also talks about the human psychology behind it.

74. The Lincoln Highway

Originally published: 5 october 2021.

The Lincoln Highway is a sequel to a book called A Gentleman in Moscow. The plot surrounded two brothers who are en route to California from Nebraska in search of their mother. The book shows how our journey is never predictable and is full of twists and turns.

75. The Ministry for the Future

Author: kim stanley robinson, originally published: 6 october 2020.

This 2020 Novel is a Science fiction that revolves around the future world and how climate change has affected the planet. The complexity of the situation has been well explained in the book which could happen in the future if one is not aware of the difficult situation now.

76. How the World Really Works

Originally published: 27 january 2022.

The 2022 book covers various topics and is written for general audiences. This book like its title actually talks about how the world works. From food production to energy conservation, it consists of all the basic information that involves our survival on the planet. Gates has considered this book a masterpiece and a must-read.

Bill Gates has recommended many books and asked people to read them because he strongly believes that a reader becomes a leader in the future. He is an ardent reader himself and reads almost 50 books a year.  All these books in the list above will entertain, educate and inspire people with their interesting content and can be considered as treasures for book lovers.

Who is Bill Gates?

Bill Gates is an American businessman, author, developer, and philanthropist. He is the co-founder of a multinational technology company.

How many Books does Bill Gates read every year?

Bill Gates reads approximately 50 books every year.

Does Bill Gates have a Blog?

Yes, Bill Gates does have a personal blog and its name is Gates Notes.

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A Full List Of Bill Gates’s Book Recommendations From 2012 To 2020

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Blaga is a PhD candidate in Classical Archaeology. A lover of stories and adventures of all kinds from an early age, she divides her time between reading (or listening to) books, visiting ancient sites (and occasionally excavating them), learning about the lives of ancient women, and playing board games. Email: [email protected]

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Every year, Bill Gates dedicates two posts on his blog (in summer and in winter) to his personal reading recommendations. He has focused on a certain number of books each time, providing a brief overview of why each one has stood out for him. Starting in 2014, he even began recording short videos to go with his seasonal list (check them out, starting with the first one here —they are really fun). So far, between Summer 2012 and Summer 2020, there are over a hundred Bill Gates book recommendations.

What are Bill Gates’s book recommendations?

It is an impressive list, consisting largely of nonfiction . Science and technology, medicine , business, economics, education, international development, sociology, history, biography, memoir—name it, and chances are there is at least one book in the genre. If you like nonfiction (ahem, like me), this list is plain dangerous for your TBR pile.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise—it is Bill Gates’s book recommendations, after all. He is one of the founders of Microsoft (read: a dedicated nerd and a savvy businessman), one of the wealthiest people on the planet, and, together with his wife, a known philanthropist. This reading list perfectly reflects his life’s work and interests. It consists of thought-provoking books, and chances are that at least one title from it will grab your attention.

Of course, it is not perfect. The list is a stark reflection of the lack of diversity in many of the fields showcased here, especially in STEM, but also (although to a lesser degree) in the arts and humanities. Also, if you are not into nonfiction, there are notably fewer choices in this list for you.

Despite the above-mentioned problems, I recommend looking through this list of Bill Gates’s book recommendations. Chances are that there might be at least one read that will grab your attention. And remember: if you do not find a title of interest, or would like even more diverse, custom recommendations, our biblioligists at TBR,  a tailored book recommendation service, would love to help you find your next perfect literary match. We may not be Bill Gates, but we send new books and recommendations specifically matched for you! Happy reading!

Note: On a few occasions, Gates had certain titles repeat from one list into the next. For the sake of avoiding repetition, I have removed any repeating titles and marked the section where I have done so with a (*).

Summer 2020*

The Choice: Embrace the Possible   by Dr. Edith Eva Eger Cloud Atlas   by David Mitchell The Ride of a Lifetime   by Robert Iger The Great Influenza   by John M. Barry Good Economics For Hard Times   by Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo The Martian by Andy Weir The Rosie Project   by Graeme Simsion The Best We Could Do   by Thi Bui

Winter 2019

An American Marriage   by Tayari Jones These Truths   by Jill Lepore Growth by Vaclav Smil Prepared   by Diane Tavenner Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

Summer 2019

Upheaval by Jared Diamond Nine Pints by Rose George A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles Presidents of War by Michael Beschloss The Future of Capitalism by Paul Collier

Winter 2018

Educated by Tara Westover Army of None by Paul Scharre Bad Blood by John Carreyrou 21 Lessons for the 21 st Century by Yuval Noah Harari The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness by Andy Puddicombe

Summer 2018

Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate Bowler Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders Origin Story: A Big History of Everything by David Christian Factfulness by Hans Rosling, with Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Ronnlund

Winter 2017

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens by Eddie Izzard The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen Energy and Civilization: A History by Vaclav Smil

Summer 2017

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah The Heart by Maylis de Kerangal Hillbilly Elegy  by J.D. Vance Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari A Full Life by Jimmy Carter

Winter 2016

String Theory by David Foster Wallace Shoe Dog by Phil Knight The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee The Myth of the Strong Leader by Archie Brown The Grid by Gretchen Bakke

Summer 2016

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson How Not to be Wrong by Jordan Ellenberg. The Vital Question  by Nick Lane The Power to Compete by Ryoichi Mikitani and Hiroshi Mikitani Sapiens by Noah Yuval Harari

Winter 2015

The Road to Character by David Brooks Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words by Randall Munroe Being Nixon: A Man Divided by Evan Thomas Sustainable Materials With Both Eyes Open by Julian M. Allwood, Jonathan M. Cullen, et al. Eradication: Ridding the World of Diseases Forever? by Nancy Leys Stepan Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

Summer 2015

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins What If? by Randall Munroe XKCD by Randall Munroe On Immunity by Eula Biss How to Lie With Statistics by Darrell Huff Should We Eat Meat? by Vaclav Smil

Winter 2014*

Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty How Asia Works by Joe Studwell The Rosie Effect  by Graeme Simsion Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization by Vaclav Smil

Summer 2014

Business Adventures by John Brooks. Stress Test by Timothy F. Geithner The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert Reinventing American Health Care by Ezekiel J. Emanuel

Winter 2013

The Box by Marc Levinson The Most Powerful Idea in the World by William Rosen Harvesting the Biosphere by Vaclav Smil The World Until Yesterday by Jared Diamond Poor Numbers by Morten Jerven Why Does College Cost So M uch? by Robert B. Archibald and David H. Feldman The Bet by Paul Sabin

Summer 2013

The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies? by Jared Diamond The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger by Marc Levinson However Long the Night: Molly Melching’s Journey to Help Millions of African Women and Girls by Aimee Molloy How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character   by Paul Tough Japan’s Dietary Transition and Its Impacts (Food, Health, and the Environment) by Vaclav Smil and Kazuhiko Kobayashi Made in the USA : The Rise and Retreat of American Manufacturing by Vaclav Smil Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do (Issues of Our Time) by Claude Steele Patriot and Assassin   by Robert Cook

Winter 2012*

Moonwalking with Einstein   by Joshua Foer One Billion Hungry: Can We Feed the World?   by Gordon Conway A World-Class Education   by Vivien Stewart Academically Adrift   by Richard Arum & Josipa Roksa This Time is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly   by Carmen Reinhart & Kenneth Rogoff The City that Became Safe: New York’s Lessons for Urban Crime and Its Control   by Franklin Zimring

Summer 2012

The Better Angels of our Nature by Steven Pinker The Quest by Daniel Yergin Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China by Ezra Vogel The Cost of Hope by Amanda Bennett Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo Limits to Growth : The 30-Year Update by Donella Meadows Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think   by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler Thinking, Fast and Slow  by Daniel Kahneman The Man Who Stayed Behind by Amanda Bennett

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20 best books on bill gates biography – 2023 reading list & recommendations

Are you fascinated by the life and achievements of Bill Gates? Do you want to delve deeper into the story behind the man who co-founded Microsoft and revolutionized the tech industry? Look no further! In this article, we have curated a list of the 20 best books about Bill Gates biography that will take you on an incredible journey through his life, his struggles, and his triumphs. Whether you are a technology enthusiast, a business-minded individual, or simply curious about the man behind the empire, these books will provide you with an insightful and captivating read. Get ready to uncover the extraordinary story of Bill Gates!

• 1 The Man Who Knew Too Much: Bill Gates
• 2 Bill Gates: A Biography
• 3 Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success
• 4 Bill Gates: The Path to the Future
• 5 Bill Gates: The Inspirational Life Story of Bill Gates
• 6 Bill Gates: The Life and Business Lessons of Bill Gates
• 7 Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success
• 8 Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success
• 9 Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success
• 10 Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success
• 11 Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success
• 12 Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success
• 13 Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success
• 14 Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success
• 15 Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success
• 16 Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success
• 17 Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success
• 18 Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success
• 19 Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success
• 20 Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success
• 21 Conclusion

Buy the book

The Man Who Knew Too Much: Bill Gates

By paul allen.

Paul Allen’s The Man Who Knew Too Much: Bill Gates is a captivating book about the life and achievements of the legendary tech pioneer. This gripping book on Bill Gates biography takes readers on a thrilling journey, chronicling Gates’ rise from a young computer prodigy to the co-founder of Microsoft and one of the richest individuals in the world.

Allen, who co-founded Microsoft alongside Gates, provides an insider’s perspective on their tumultuous journey and the intense drive that propelled them to revolutionize the technology industry. Through vivid storytelling and personal anecdotes, this book about Bill Gates biography offers a unique glimpse into the mind of a true visionary and the challenges he faced along the way.

Whether you are a tech enthusiast or simply intrigued by the story of a remarkable individual, this Bill Gates biography book is a must-read. It illuminates the genius, ambition, and complex personality of a man who forever changed the world.

Bill Gates: A Biography

By michael b. becraft.

Bill Gates: A Biography by Michael B. Becraft is a captivating book that delves into the fascinating life and achievements of one of the world’s most influential figures. This in-depth biography offers a comprehensive exploration of the man behind the Microsoft empire, providing readers with a deep understanding of the vision, determination, and innovation that propelled Bill Gates to unparalleled success. From his early days as a computer prodigy to his philanthropic endeavors, this book offers a compelling narrative that highlights both the triumphs and challenges faced by Gates throughout his remarkable journey. Whether you are a tech enthusiast or simply intrigued by the story of a self-made billionaire, this book about the life of Bill Gates is a must-read.

Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success

By influential individuals.

Are you ready to dive into the extraordinary life of one of the world’s most influential figures? Look no further than “Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success” by Influential Individuals. This captivating book on Bill Gates’ biography takes you on a thrilling journey through the ups and downs of this tech giant’s life, revealing the secrets to his immense success. With vivid storytelling and insightful analysis, this book about Bill Gates’ biography uncovers the pivotal moments, the lessons learned, and the rules that shaped Gates’ extraordinary career. Get ready to be inspired and motivated as you discover the strategies and mindset behind the remarkable achievements of this visionary leader. Don’t miss out on this enlightening Bill Gates biography book that will leave you empowered to reach for your own greatness!

Bill Gates: The Path to the Future

By jonathan gatlin.

Bill Gates: The Path to the Future by Jonathan Gatlin is a captivating book about the life and accomplishments of the renowned tech visionary and philanthropist. Gatlin’s insightful biography delves into the remarkable journey of this tech titan, exploring his early years, his groundbreaking work at Microsoft, and his dedication to improving the world through his philanthropic efforts.

This compelling book offers an in-depth and intimate look at the man behind the Microsoft empire, showcasing Gates’ relentless drive, his strategic thinking, and his unwavering commitment to innovation. Gatlin’s meticulous research and vivid storytelling skillfully portray the challenges, triumphs, and controversies that shaped Gates’ extraordinary career.

Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, an aspiring entrepreneur, or simply curious about the life of one of the most influential figures of our time, this book on Bill Gates’ biography is a must-read. Gatlin’s book offers a fascinating and inspiring glimpse into the life of a true visionary and the path he forged to shape the future.

Bill Gates: The Inspirational Life Story of Bill Gates

By william wyatt.

Discover the extraordinary journey of one of the most influential figures of our time with the book on Bill Gates biography by William Wyatt. This captivating and insightful book about Bill Gates’ life takes readers on a thrilling ride from his humble beginnings to becoming a tech titan and philanthropist.

With meticulous research and compelling storytelling, Wyatt delves into the key moments and milestones that shaped Gates’ career, including his groundbreaking work with Microsoft and his tireless efforts to improve global health and education through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This bill gates biography book is a testament to the power of vision, determination, and innovation.

Whether you’re a technology enthusiast, aspiring entrepreneur, or simply seeking inspiration, this book offers a captivating glimpse into the remarkable life of Bill Gates, showcasing his relentless pursuit of excellence and his unwavering commitment to making a positive impact on the world.

Bill Gates: The Life and Business Lessons of Bill Gates

By george ilian.

Bill Gates: The Life and Business Lessons of Bill Gates by George Ilian is a captivating book on Bill Gates’ biography that delves into the extraordinary life and achievements of one of the world’s most influential figures. This book about Bill Gates’ biography provides a deep insight into the journey of the renowned tech genius, showcasing his rise from a computer enthusiast to the co-founder of Microsoft, and ultimately, one of the wealthiest individuals on the planet. Through captivating storytelling and meticulous research, Ilian presents readers with an intriguing narrative that explores Gates’ vision, perseverance, and unmatched entrepreneurial spirit. Whether you are a tech enthusiast, a business aficionado, or simply curious about the life of this remarkable individual, this Bill Gates biography book is sure to inspire and enlighten.

Are you curious to know the secrets behind the extraordinary success of one of the world’s most influential individuals? Look no further than Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success. This captivating book on Bill Gates biography delves deep into the life and achievements of the visionary entrepreneur, philanthropist, and co-founder of Microsoft.

More than just a simple book about Bill Gates biography, this insightful read provides a comprehensive exploration of the lessons and rules that shaped Gates’ remarkable journey. From his early days as a computer prodigy to his groundbreaking innovations and immense wealth, every aspect of Gates’ life is meticulously dissected to uncover the principles that propelled him to greatness.

Within the pages of this Bill Gates biography book, you will discover the untold stories of his relentless determination, brilliant strategic thinking, and unwavering commitment to making a positive impact on the world. Immerse yourself in the trials and triumphs of a man who revolutionized the technology industry, forever changing the way we live, work, and connect with one another.

Prepare to be inspired by the invaluable lessons and rules for success that Gates has developed throughout his illustrious career. From his unwavering work ethic and relentless pursuit of knowledge to his passion for innovation and his dedication to giving back, Gates’ wisdom will resonate with aspiring entrepreneurs, business leaders, and anyone seeking to make a difference.

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Top 10 Authorized and Unauthorized Books About Bill Gates

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Want to learn more about the enigmatic philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft? There are many top authorized and unauthorized books on the man who, at the time, became the youngest self-made billionaire in history.

Barbarians Led by Bill Gates

Photo from Amazon

Jennifer Edstrom and Marlin Eller were two "insiders" who wrote this book on the success and sordid details of Bill Gates' company. Based on accounts by the daughter of a Microsoft spin doctor and a 13-year veteran Microsoft developer, it gives the scoop on Microsoft's history from the early '80s to the present. The book is filled with juicy bits of gossip and humor. Some highlights include the Netscape vs. Explorer wars and Microsoft's trial with the Justice Department.

Business the Bill Gates Way

Learn about the business success secrets that made  Bill Gates  rich with this book from Des Dearlove. The book describes how Gates went from being a Harvard dropout to becoming one of the richest men in the world. This includes ten ways Bill Gates succeeded, and how you could apply it towards your own success. While written as a motivational aid for aspiring entrepreneurs, the book provides fascinating biographical insight into Bill Gates as well.

Bill Gates (Biography series)

Part of the A & E "Biography" series, this book from Jeanne M. Lesinski is an easy and entertaining read about Bill Gates' life. It has 100 pages packed with photos that showcase Gates' life from childhood to his charitable works to brushes with the Justice Department. While other books may give more in-depth detail, this book gives readers a great overview.

Bill Gates and the Race to Control Cyberspace

Focusing on the years between 1992 and 1997, author James Wallace captures the browser wars between Microsoft and Netscape like a good spy novel. It was a time when Bill Gates doubled his net worth while doing what many experts thought he had missed the opportunity to do: capture the highway to the internet. The book is a fascinating, if somewhat unproven, exposé of the latter years of Bill Gates' life.

Business @ the Speed of Thought

This book is a very expensive and hard-to-get collector's item that's written by Bill Gates himself. Gates gives the hard sell on why new technology is good for business and the need to regard it as an asset rather than an expense. "I have the simple but strong belief," Gates writes. "How you gather, manage, and use information will determine whether you win or lose."

How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry

Stephen Manes and Paul Andrews' chronicling of one of the youngest self-made billionaires in history has become a well-liked book among Bill Gates fans. Publisher Simon & Schuster says the book is "vivid and definitive, details the behind-the-scenes history of the personal computer industry and its movers and shakers, uncovering the inside stories of the bitter battle for control. A bracing, comprehensive portrait of the industry, the company, and the man."

Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire

The book from James Wallace and Jim Erickson is an unauthorized biography of Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates that details tactics such as software programming in Microsoft products that led to the failure of non-Microsoft products, Microsoft managers spying on employee email, and allegations of abusive behavior towards female executives. It covers the early history of Bill Gates' life up to Windows 3.0, with the rest continued in the sequel Overdrive.

Bill Gates Speaks

Best-selling author Janet Lowe researched and transcribed Bill Gates quotes from articles, essays, interviews, and newscasts to create this one-of-kind authorized biography about the legendary businessman.

Bill Gates' Personal Super-Secret Private Laptop

Henry Beard and John Boswell wrote this humorous book about Bill Gates and Microsoft that folds out like a laptop. The left page is the screen and the right is the keyboard. Beard and Boswell are well-known parody writers and this book represents one of their best efforts.

Billionaire Computer Genius

This novel from Joan D. Dickinson is a great book for kids interested in the computer age revolution. It's also an unusual find for the younger reader. It's an easy-to-read biography about Bill Gates that tells the inspirational story of how he became a technology innovator and billionaire. It is fun and entertaining for kids and includes plenty of black-and-white photographs.

There are many books about one of the most successful businessmen in history. But only a select few provide meaningful insight into Bill Gates and his story of how he became who he is today. If you are a fan of this self-made billionaire, these are must-reads.

Gates, Bill. "Business @ the Speed of Thought: Succeeding in the Digital Economy." Hardcover, Grand Central Publishing, March 1999.

Manes, Stephen and Paul Andrews. "How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry — and Made Himself the Richest Man in America." Simon & Schuster, January 1994.

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Bill Gates Biography The digital demagogue earned billions by anticipating the market's needs. Now, his philanthropic foundation is helping countless others across the globe.

Bill Gates is perhaps the most well-known computer businessman in history. Not only did he start the most popular computing company of all time, Microsoft , but he also changed the way computers were made and marketed forever.

His entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen are worth studying. So let's take a closer look at Bill Gates , his history, how he started his famous company and his current philanthropic endeavors.

Who is Bill Gates?

William Henry Gates III is best known as the founder and leader of Microsoft . He created the company in 1975 with his business partner Paul Allen. Though Paul Allen left the company some years later, William H. Gates remained with Microsoft for decades, heading it as the CEO until he left the position in 2000.

Gates remained with Microsoft until 2008, then retired to take a position on the board of advisors. Since then, he has primarily acted as a business investor and charity leader, driving positive developments worldwide as the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and his involvement in other organizations.

Related: The 5-Hour Rule Used by Bill Gates , Jack Ma and Elon Musk

How did Bill Gates start Microsoft ?

Although many don't know it, Bill Gates didn't start Microsoft alone. His pursuit began when he attended Lakeside High School in Seattle. There, he met a fellow student named Paul Allen; together, they worked in the school's computer room for hours on end.

By the time the duo was 16, Bill Gates and Paul Allen went into business together, securing investment funds to develop the "Traf-O-Data" software program to measure traffic flow throughout the Seattle Metro area. This was the first business partnership that the two collaborated on, but it wouldn't be the last.

Harvard and the Altair 8800

Though Bill Gates attended Harvard University , he didn't focus much on his studies. After reading a magazine article in December 1974 about the world's first microcomputer, the Altair 8800, Gates and Allen decided to pursue a business opportunity only they could see.

They contacted the manufacturer of the Altair 880, MITS, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

They told the president they had written a version of the computer language BASIC specifically for the microcomputer. Though this was a fabrication, the pair wanted to see if there was any interest in their "design."

To the pair's surprise, the president of MITS said that he'd like to see the language. Scrambling, Gates and Allen started working 24/7 to create the promised language.

They simulated the Altair 8800's capabilities on other computers since they had no microcomputer to work on or test.

Still, Gates knew the opportunity was too good to pass up. When the pair showed the language to MITS, it was a resounding success. Inspired, Gates took a leave of absence from Harvard in November 1975, taking a job offer to work at MITS full-time.

The formation of Microsoft

More importantly, Bill Gates and Paul Allen entered an official business partnership named "Micro-Soft." The two got the name for the company by combining the words microcomputer and software .

However, by November 26, 1976, they'd changed the name to the more commonly recognized "Microsoft" version. Microsoft's first product was the Altair BASIC language, but Gates and Paul Allen continued to work on new products. Gates never returned to Harvard University, as his business was already massively successful.

In the years to come, MITS would collapse, but Microsoft endured. July 1980 saw IBM approach Microsoft to write software for the upcoming personal computer, the IBM PC.

Although Microsoft was initially contracted to write a BASIC interpreter for the IBM PC, the company was instead eventually hired to write the operating system for the upcoming computer when negotiations with Digital Research, another company, fell through.

Pivot to operating systems and corporate dominance

This was the start of Microsoft's long-term success as a software company. Microsoft invented the MS-DOS operating system, which was eventually used for many other PCs created by different manufacturers.

The company's growth skyrocketed ; Microsoft expanded into developing applications software, eventually building a GUI-based operating system called Microsoft Windows to compete with the newly released Macintosh Apple Computer.

Windows was a huge success, and each successive operating system version was based on its original version (MS-DOS) until Windows XP.

By 1986, Microsoft went public to create more capital for expansion. It was a huge success; the company took in $61 million, and Bill Gates became one of the wealthiest people in the United States in a single night.

Related: Bill Gates ' Solution to Income Inequality

What did Bill Gates invent?

Technically, Bill Gates didn't invent anything genuinely new. Instead, he and Paul Allen created two high-quality products that computer companies could use: the BASIC programming language for the Altair 8800 and the MS-DOS operating system for the IBM PC.

Bill Gates "invented" these things because he physically wrote the code for many of them. As the years progressed and Microsoft became more popular and successful, however, Gates transitioned from more of a front-line role into an executive role.

That's where he is today, heading Microsoft from afar rather than writing code as he did in his youth. In this sense, Bill Gates is less of an inventor and more of a savvy businessman .

He was especially successful because he showed enough innovation and tenacity in the early computer market to dominate competitors as they grew alongside his company.

How old is Bill Gates ?

As of 2023, Bill Gates is 67 years old . He was born on October 28, 1955. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, he often spoke about the benefits of masks for older individuals.

What is Bill Gates ' net worth ?

At the time of this writing in spring of 2023,, Bill Gates' net worth is $107.9 billion . This combines his assets, stock options, portfolio values and estates.

He is currently the fourth richest person in the world, behind Bernard Arnault, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

Related: Bill Gates : Bitcoin is 'Better Than Currency'

What are Bill Gates ' primary investments?

Many entrepreneurs and future business owners may wish to grow their wealth by copying some of the primary stock investments Bill Gates has made over the years. Though he is no longer the CEO of Microsoft, Gates has continued to grow much of his wealth through savvy stock market movements.

Bill Gates' current primary stock market investments include:

• Microsoft Corporation (MSFT). Bill Gates maintains a sizable ownership percentage of the company he helped to found. He owns about 1.3% of the company, reflecting that he isn't nearly as hands-on as in previous decades.
• Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. (BRK.A, BRK.B). This is the holding company of Bill Gates' friend and fellow billionaire, Warren Buffett. It's the second-largest stockholding used by the Gates Foundation Trust. Microsoft and Berkshire make up about 47% of the Trust's portfolio, and there's no doubt that Gates himself also maintains a sizable holding.
• Canadian National Railway Co. (CNI). This is the stock for the fourth-largest North American railroad overall. Gates, the Gates Foundation and Cascade collectively hold over 64 million shares of CNI stock, worth approximately $7.5 billion.
• Deere & Co. (DE). As the world's largest producer of farm equipment, Deere is a surefire stock purchase for many, including Bill Gates. Over the years, he gifted over 3 million shares of Deere to the Foundation. In conjunction with Cascade and his Foundation, he still holds 23,700,000 shares of Deere stock, worth more than $10 billion, as of July 2022.
• Waste Management, Inc. (WM). Waste Management offers waste management and environmental services to various customers and locations. The Gates Foundation invested heavily in this company in the third quarter of 2002, which was wise, as the stock has generated returns of almost 1000% since that year. Currently, the Gates Foundation holds nearly 5.2 million WM stock shares worth approximately $5.52 billion.
• Republic Services, Inc. (RSG). This is another waste disposal services company and one of the most significant Gates holdings. As of February 2022, Cascade revealed that Bill Gates had added over 360,000 shares to his stake. This brings up Cascade's total holdings of RSG to approximately 109 million shares, collectively worth $14 billion.
• Ecolab, Inc. (ECL). ECL offers energy, hygiene and water technologies end-services for many markets, like the hospitality and healthcare industries. Gates has purchased millions of shares in this organization over the years. Today, the Gates Foundation holds 5.2 million shares of this stock, collectively worth nearly $760 million.
• EarthNow. EarthNow is a Seattle-based startup company. Its mission is to cover the planet with live satellite video, and Gates is a substantial financial backer.

As you can see, Bill Gates has built up his portfolio of investments by focusing on technology companies and clean energy firms. These are smart investments, as they are likely only to increase in value soon as these companies become more valuable.

Related: Why What Bill Gates Said About the Internet in 1996 is Truer Than Ever Today

Where did Bill Gates receive his education?

Although Bill Gates has been massively successful and attended Harvard, he doesn't have the most extensive or robust educational record.

Gates' real educational history begins at 13 when he was enrolled in a private Lakeside prep school. That's where he wrote the first software program and developed his interest in computer science.

By the eighth grade, he purchased blocks of computer time using a General Electric computer reserved for students. His first computer program was a version of tic-tac-toe that let students play the game against the machine.

Gates later attended Lakeside High School, where he met his longtime friend, Paul Allen. Then he enrolled in Harvard University after being inspired by his father, William Henry Gates II.

He dropped out of Harvard to focus on Microsoft full-time and never completed his bachelor's degree. Nevertheless, Harvard later awarded Gates an honorary doctorate.

Related: How Bill Gates Become a Leadership Legend

Who is in Bill Gates ' family?

Bill Gates has a large family that he is still in contact with. He has two sisters, one of which is older than him (Kristianne) and one of which is younger (Libby). Gates' father was a lawyer, and his mother was a successful American entrepreneur.

The most crucial member of Gates' family is his former wife, Melinda French Gates . The couple met in 1987 when Melinda first started working at Microsoft. The marriage lasted for 27 years, producing three children: Jennifer, Rory and Phoebe.

Although the couple managed to do a lot of good with their combined wealth and philanthropic spirit, they divorced in August 2021.

What kind of donations, charity and philanthropic efforts has Bill Gates pursued?

Bill Gates is well known for founding Microsoft and being a shrewd, relentless businessman. But he's also known for his philanthropic efforts.

The most well-known is undoubtedly the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , a charitable organization created in 2000 by combining three previously existing family foundations and donated stock. The new Foundation started with assets of over $84.6 billion.

Over the years, the Foundation has donated billions of dollars to charity, relief and human development resources and organizations. By 2007, Bill and Melinda Gates were the second most generous philanthropists in the United States, having donated over $28 billion. Both have gone on record stating that they plan to donate 95% of their wealth to charity.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is currently organized into five primary program areas:

• Global development division.
• Global health division.
• United States division.
• Global policy division.
• Advocacy division.

Many of these divisions fund or spearhead projects such as Alzheimer's research, breakthrough energy tech to avoid a climate disaster and means to reduce carbon emissions. With Microsoft co-founder and friend Paul Allen and fellow billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Gates continues to make a difference with non-profits and the next generation.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supports many programs and efforts, particularly public health projects. Over the years, it has provided financial and other aid to fight transmissible diseases like AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. It has also contributed to vaccine distribution programs to eliminate polio worldwide.

Furthermore, the Foundation's agricultural division supports the International Rice Research Institute in developing Golden Rice, a new genetically modified rice species that can help combat vitamin A deficiency. The Foundation also focuses on providing over 120 million women and girls with high-quality contraceptive services, resources and education.

Other charitable organizations and efforts

Aside from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, both titular founders have made substantial personal donations for other philanthropic effects. For example, Bill Gates provided personal donations to many educational institutions over the years, including his old Lakeside school. In 1999, he donated $20 million to MIT and $50 million to the Dementia Discovery Fund in November 2017.

In June 2018, Bill Gates offered various free e-books to new graduates of US universities and colleges and free e-books to all college and university students worldwide. Bill Gates has previously cited the philanthropic efforts of David Rockefeller as one of his significant inspirations.

In terms of wealth inheritance, Bill and Melinda Gates stated that they intend to leave each of their children only $10 million each. By the time of their deaths, they will have donated approximately 99.96% of their wealth to charity.

Related: Bill Gates Says Unhappy Customers Are Good for Your Business. Here's Why

Is Bill Gates a robber baron?

A robber baron is a businessman who becomes rich using business practices broadly perceived as ruthless, exploitative or manipulative. Because Bill Gates rose to such massive success so quickly, many have likened him to a modern-day robber baron .

However, it's essential to know that Gates never did anything illegal. Though, as Microsoft rose in the computer science industry, he engaged in ruthless business practices.

For example, he would purchase up-and-coming companies, then dissolve them thoroughly to prevent them from competing with Microsoft in any way. But this isn't illegal; it's a business practice that constantly occurs across every industry.

Whether or not Bill Gates is a robber baron is largely up to the individual. Although Microsoft may have ruined the business dreams of other entrepreneurs, it was only ever through those individuals' choices.

Furthermore, Bill Gates has contributed much of his money to charity and needful organizations throughout his career, even signing the Giving Pledge in 2010. It's easy to imagine that these positive contributions far outweigh any minor damage he may have done while accumulating his wealth.

Related: 'Will All Americans Become Vegetarians?' Bill Gates Weighs in on Method for Fighting Climate Change

What are the best Bill Gates quotes?

Bill Gates is one of the richest people in the world — not solely due to his net worth but also because of his insights and wisdom. Here are a few of Gates' most impactful quotes:

• "We all need people who will give us feedback. That's how we improve."
• "Everyone needs a coach. It doesn't matter whether you're a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast or a bridge player."
• "Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning."
• "It's fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure."
• "Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one."
• "Don't compare yourself with anyone in this world. If you do so, you are insulting yourself."

What can you learn from Bill Gates ' story?

Bill Gates isn't the only successful tech businessman. Still, he's one of the most successful overall. Everyone can gain something by learning about the history and investments of the Microsoft founder.

Check out Entrepreneur's other articles for more information about business leaders and other financial topics.

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Biography Online

Biography of Bill Gates

Early life of Bill Gates

His father William Gates Sr was a senior lawyer, and his mother, Mary, served as an executive for a major bank. The family were wealthy but, remembering the challenges of the Great Depression, they encouraged their children to work hard and take nothing for granted.

Aged 13, Gates attended the private Lakeside school. It was here that Gates had his first introduction to computers. He taught himself to programme in Basic, making a simple ‘Tic-Tac-Toe’ game. Gates enjoyed the process of working with computers and arranged with a company Computer Center Corporation (CCC) to spend time on their computers – learning source code, such as Fortran, Machine Code and Lisp.

In 1973, Gates enrolled at Harvard, where he studied mathematics and computer science. However, Gates was more interested in pursuing his own coding, and when he saw an opportunity to found his own company, he dropped out of Harvard without finishing his course.

Bill Gates foundation of Microsoft

Altair 8800 computer

Bill Gates founded Microsoft in 1976 when he formed a contract with MITS (Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems) to develop a basic operating system for their new microcomputers. In the early days, Bill Gates would review every line of code. He was also involved in several aspects of Microsoft’s business such as packing and sending off orders.

Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1981

The big break for Microsoft came in 1980 when IBM approached them for a new BASIC operating system for its new computers. In the early 1980s, IBM was by far the leading PC manufacturer. However, increasingly, there developed many IBM PC clones; (PCs produced by other companies compatible with IBM’s). Microsoft worked hard to sell its operating system to these other companies. Thus Microsoft was able to gain the dominant position of software manufacture just as the personal computer market started to boom. Since its early dominance, other companies have struggled to displace Microsoft as the dominant provider of computer operating software. Programs like Microsoft Word and Excel have become the industry standard.

Bill Gates – Windows

Throughout his time in office, Bill Gates has been keen to diversify the business of Microsoft. For example, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer became the dominant web browser, although this was primarily because it came pre-installed on most new computers. In recent years, Internet Explorer has seen its market share slip.

One area where Microsoft has never been successful is in the area of search engines. MSN live search has struggled to gain more than 5% of market share. In this respect, Microsoft has been dwarfed by Google. Nevertheless, the success of Microsoft in cornering various aspects of the software market has led to several anti-trust cases. In 1998 US v Microsoft, Microsoft came close to being broken up into three smaller firms. However, on appeal, Microsoft was able to survive as a single firm. Although Microsoft was the dominant computer firm of the 1980s, and 1990s, they are now seen as an ageing and declining company – compared to the more dynamic Google and Apple.

Philanthropic Activities – Bill Gates

“This leads to the paradox, that because the disease (malaria) is only in the poor countries, there is not much investment. For example, there is more money put into baldness drugs, than are put into malaria. Now, baldness, it is a terrible thing [audience laughter] and rich men are afflicted, so that is why that priority is set.”

From 2008 Gates has worked full time on his philanthropic interests. It is estimated Gates and his wife Melinda have given away $28 billion via their charitable foundation – including $8 billion to improve global health.

Gates has said that he has no use for money, and will only leave a small percentage of his wealth to his children. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Gates states:

“I’m certainly well taken care of in terms of food and clothes,” he says, redundantly. “Money has no utility to me beyond a certain point. Its utility is entirely in building an organisation and getting the resources out to the poorest in the world.” ( 1 )

His main areas of interest in philanthropy have been improving health, and in particular helping to reduce diseases, such as polio which affect young children. He has also given more focus on environmental issues. In 2015, he gave $1 billion to a clean energy project, as he sees supporting new ‘greener’ technologies as a way to help deal with global warming. Asked about the motivation of his giving, Gates replies:

“It doesn’t relate to any particular religion; it’s about human dignity and equality,” he says. “The golden rule that all lives have equal value and we should treat people as we would like to be treated.” – Gates

Bill Gates has often warned about the potential dangers of a global pandemic. In 2015, Gates gave a warning that the world is not ready for the next pandemic, which could lead to the deaths of millions of people. When COVID-19 became a threat to global health, Gates devoted time and money to co-ordinating efforts to provide a global vaccine. He spent millions of pounds in getting ready to mass-produce one of the many potential vaccinations.

“Humankind has never had a more urgent task than creating broad immunity for coronavirus. It’s going to require a global cooperative effort like the world has never seen. But I know we’ll get it done. There’s simply no alternative.” – Bill Gates, Twitter, 30 April 2020

He criticised the response of the US administration under Trump for being behind the curve and allowing the virus to spread, in particularly he criticised Trump’s decision to stop funding for WHO, in the middle of the pandemic.

Religion of Bill Gates

Bill Gates is not overtly religion and has not specifically stated he follows a particular belief system. He has expressed the view that he approaches life from a scientific point of view, though he has participated in services of the Catholic Church (which is wife attends).

Also, when asked whether he believed in God, Gates replied.

“The moral systems of religion, I think, are superimportant. We’ve raised our kids in a religious way; they’ve gone to the Catholic church that Melinda goes to and I participate in. I’ve been very lucky, and therefore I owe it to try and reduce the inequity in the world. And that’s kind of a religious belief. I mean, it’s at least a moral belief.” – March 27, 2014. “I think it makes sense to believe in God, but exactly what decision in your life you make differently because of it, I don’t know.”

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “Biography of Bill Gates”, Oxford, UK.  www.biographyonline.net , 25th Feb. 2015. Last updated 20 April 2020.

Bill Gates: The Life and Business Lessons of Bill Gates

Bill Gates: The Life and Business Lessons of Bill Gates at Amazon

Who is Bill Gates?

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116 Comments

Wow the world greatest in IT

• March 03, 2019 6:27 PM

Wow i want to be the real man just like u

• March 03, 2019 4:47 PM

AM STUDYING IT AND I REALLY WANT TO BE LIKE HIM HE REALLY INSPIRES ME I WISH

• February 08, 2019 11:52 AM
• By TREVOR MUFAYA

Wow,,, it has been my dream to become exactly a successful person like you… And make an amazing thing in the whole world, please if you may open doors for me to be like you,, I’ll be so greatful

• January 12, 2019 8:28 PM
• By Stephen mulwa

Wowwww Bill Gates opens the gate to my inspiration

• December 29, 2018 6:55 PM

Bill Gates — Complete Biography, History and Inventions

• by history tools
• November 8, 2023

Bill Gates is one of the most iconic business leaders and influential technology pioneers of the modern digital era. As the co-founder of Microsoft, he helped bring the power of personal computing to millions of people worldwide and made computers an indispensable part of everyday life. This article explores Gates‘ upbringing, the growth of Microsoft, his philanthropic endeavors, and his lasting impact on technology and society.

Early Life: Shaping One of the Great Minds in Tech

Born on October 28, 1955 in Seattle, Washington, Gates‘ showed an early interest in computers. His parents William H. Gates Sr. and Mary Maxwell Gates created a competitive, encouraging environment. His father was a prominent lawyer while his mother served on various corporate boards. She helped choose the lakeside school Gates attended, which had access to computers in 1968, still a rarity at the time.

During 8th grade in lakeside, the Mothers Club donated $3,000 to purchase computer time for students. Gates and his fellow students, including Paul Allen who became Microsoft‘s co-founder, got hooked to programming. At 13, Gates even created a software program for scheduling classes and testing schedules for students.

Growing up among Seattle‘s blossoming tech scene, dominated by companies like Boeing, shaped Gates‘ ambition. He gained a reputation as the math and science whiz kid. Outside of computers, he also enjoyed sports like water skiing.

Gates‘ parents supported his interests, like his mother helping him get computer time from local companies. This early exposure instilled in Gates a belief that computers could change the world.

Dropping Out Of College To Pursue His Vision

In 1973, Gates enrolled at Harvard University, originally thinking he would follow his lawyer father‘s footsteps. But he remained more drawn to computing and skipped classes to spend time at the computer lab.

Then in late 1974, Popular Electronics magazine featured the MITS Altair 8800, considered the first personal computer that hobbyists could build at home. Gates immediately knew he and Allen could develop software for it. He called MITS and claimed he was working on a BASIC software program, convincing them to give him a chance. Gates and Allen then vigorously developed the interpreter in a few weeks, created a company called Micro-Soft, and licensed their software to run on MITS‘ hardware.

This success convinced Gates to leave Harvard in 1975 and join Allen in New Mexico where MITS was based. They relocated Micro-Soft to Bellevue, Washington the same year. Their first office had only three employees including Gates doing both software development and business management.

Gates oversaw the completion of software programming languages for various systems while handling Microsoft‘s business details. He proved to be a tough negotiator in licensing Microsoft‘s products even at this early stage.

By 1979, Microsoft had grossed over $2.5 million. But Gates still had even bigger ambitions.

Deal With IBM And Rise Of Microsoft

In 1980, IBM approached Microsoft since they needed an operating system for their upcoming personal computer, the IBM PC. Microsoft didn‘t have one but negotiated a deal to license them an operating system called 86-DOS owned by Seattle Computer Products. Microsoft adapted 86-DOS to create PC-DOS and later MS-DOS, designing it for any hardware so non-IBM computers could also use it.

This flexible licensing model was the opposite of IBM‘s restrictive approach and the key to Microsoft‘s future dominance. It paved the way for Gates to license MS-DOS to any computer manufacturer, enabling incredible growth for Microsoft. By 1987, one third of the world‘s computers were running Microsoft software.

Capitalizing on increasing user-friendliness of graphical interfaces, Gates spearheaded the development of the Windows operating system. Though initially just an add-on to DOS, Windows paired the GUI with multitasking capabilities. The first Windows release came in 1985 but it was the 1990s release of Windows 95 that truly propelled Microsoft into a household name.

Leveraging the success of Windows, Microsoft also created applications like Word, Excel and PowerPoint as part of the Office productivity suite. By the early 1990s, Microsoft controlled 90% of the operating systems market and over 50% of the office suite applications market. Annual revenues soared from around $1 million in Microsoft‘s early days to $8 billion by 1994.

Leadership And Management Of Tech Juggernaut

Gates exhibited a driven, competitive spirit and intense work ethic as he built Microsoft. He became President in 1983 and CEO in 1986, remaining in that role until 2000.

Known for his sharp, intensely focused mind, Gates was respected and feared within Microsoft. He could be confrontational and blunt, grilling employees in meetings to force out original ideas. Gates looked for self-directed workers who shared his competitiveness. He was deeply involved in technical elements of product development, reviewing every line of code.

But he could also adapt based on feedback, like when colleagues convinced him to take a less combative approach to working with external partners. Under Gates‘ leadership, Microsoft captured 95% of the operating systems market share. But it drew scrutiny for monopolistic practices that Gates fiercely defended.

Gates mentored and elevated talented leaders including Steve Ballmer who eventually succeeded him as CEO in 2000, while Gates took the role of Chief Software Architect. He officially stepped down as Chairman in 2014, but remained a board member and technology advisor focused on product development until 2020.

Wealth Beyond Imagination And Turn To Philanthropy

Microsoft‘s astronomical success made Gates a billionaire by age 31. At one point in the late 1990s, his net worth exceeded $100 billion. He topped the Forbes richest people list for over a decade.

But he grew interested in how software could tackle inequity. After reading about rotavirus killing children in developing countries in 1997, Gates channeled more energy into philanthropy. In 2000, he stepped down from his day-to-day role at Microsoft and co-founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation alongside his wife, ex-Microsoft executive Melinda French.

The foundation quickly became the world‘s largest transparent private foundation. With Melinda, Gates pioneered a new hands-on model for philanthropic engagement, strategically investing their wealth in global health, poverty reduction, education and other causes.

Some highlight initiatives include:

• Donating over $1.75 billion towards COVID-19 relief
• Committing $300 million to develop new tuberculosis diagnostics and treatments
• Pledging $2 billion towards developing renewable energy solutions for developing nations
• Granting over $1 billion to improve high school education in the U.S.
• Distributing over 100,000 computers to 11,000 libraries across the U.S. and Canada

To date, Gates has donated $45.5 billion to the foundation. He also joined The Giving Pledge, vowing to give away most of his fortune.

Accolades And Continued Impact

Among other honors, Gates received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 and an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 2005.

He has authored two books focusing on technology‘s role in business and society – The Road Ahead (1995) and Business @ The Speed Of Thought (1999). More recently in 2021, he published How To Avoid A Climate Disaster, supporting policies to eliminate greenhouse gases and investing $1 billion into climate change solutions through his foundation.

After retiring from day-to-day Microsoft involvement, Gates continues to shape technology and philanthropy. Though Bill and Melinda announced their divorce in 2021, they plan to co-lead the foundation. Gates also regularly participates in ask-me-anything forums on Reddit where users pose wide-ranging questions for him to answer.

Through his visionary leadership and generosity, Bill Gates embodies both the amazing potential and responsibilities of technology pioneers to change the world.

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The Biography of Bill Gates: Secrets Behind the Success of the Microsoft Billionaire (Biographies of Famous People Series) Kindle Edition

Find out the best of bill gates and learn deep insights and great life lessons, in this bill gates book, we will explore and probe the life of microsoft founder, bill gates, and his fascinating journey to life and success:.

• Early Life of William Henry "Bill" Gates III
• Microsoft’s Beginnings
• The Rise of Microsoft
• Microsoft Windows
• From Millionaire to Billionaire
• Personal Life
• Gates’ Philanthropy
• Bill Gates’ Famous Quotes
• …and much more!
• Print length 31 pages
• Language English
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• Publication date January 15, 2014
• File size 726 KB
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• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00HTWCFMS
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 15, 2014
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 726 KB
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Bill Gates (Former CEO of Microsoft) Biography

January 1, 2024 by Sophia Leave a Comment

Bill Gates  (born October 28, 1955, Seattle, Washington, U.S.) American computer programmer and entrepreneur who cofounded Microsoft Corporation, the world’s largest personal-computer software company.

Gates wrote his first software program at the age of 13. In high school he helped form a group of programmers who computerized their school’s payroll system and founded Traf-O-Data, a company that sold traffic-counting systems to local governments. In 1975 Gates, then a sophomore at Harvard University, joined his hometown friend Paul G. Allen to develop software for the first microcomputers.

Table of Contents

Bill Gates Information

They began by adapting BASIC, a popular programming language used on large computers, for use on microcomputers. With the success of this project, Gates left Harvard during his junior year and, with Allen, formed Microsoft. Gates’s sway over the infant microcomputer industry greatly increased when Microsoft licensed an operating system called MS-DOS to International Business Machines Corporation—then the world’s biggest computer supplier and industry pacesetter—for use on its first microcomputer, the IBM PC (personal computer). After the machine’s release in 1981, IBM quickly set the technical standard for the PC industry, and MS-DOS likewise pushed out competing operating systems. While Microsoft’s independence strained relations with IBM, Gates deftly manipulated the larger company so that it became permanently dependent on him for crucial software. Makers of IBM-compatible PCs, or clones, also turned to Microsoft for their basic software. By the start of the 1990s he had become the PC industry’s ultimate kingmaker.

Being the largest individual stakeholder in Microsoft, Gates accumulated a substantial paper wealth mostly due to the company’s success. In 1986, he became a paper billionaire, and ten years later, his net worth had climbed into the tens of billions of dollars, making him, by some accounts, the richest private person in the world. Originally content to keep out of the spotlight and manage humanitarian and civic activities through one of his foundations, Gates had few interests outside of software and the promise of information technology. Nevertheless, Gates reluctantly became more well-known as Microsoft’s influence and standing increased, particularly as it caught the interest of the antitrust section of the US Justice Department. Competitors depicted him as, especially those at Silicon Valley rival companies.

motivated, cunning, and committed to making money off of almost every electronic transaction ever made. Conversely, his admirers praised his extraordinary commercial sense, adaptability, and insatiable curiosity about discovering novel approaches to enhance the functionality of computers and other electronics via software.

Early Life And Education

William Henry Gates III, the sole child of William H. Gates Sr. (1925–2020) and his first wife Mary Maxwell Gates (1929–1994), was born in Seattle, Washington, on October 28, 1955. He has German, Irish/Scots-Irish, and English ancestry. His mother was on the boards of United Way of America and First Interstate BancSystem, and his father was a well-known attorney. J. W. Maxwell was the president of a big bank and Gates’ maternal grandfather. He also has a younger sister named Libby and an elder sister named Kristi (Kristianne). Despite being the fourth person in his family with that name, he goes by William Gates III or “Trey” (i.e., three) because his father had the suffix “II” added to his name. The family occupied a home in Seattle’s Sand Point neighborhood.

Gates claims that his parents encouraged him to become a lawyer when he was younger. His family belonged to the Protestant Reformed Congregational Christian Churches, which he frequently attended as a child. Gates was teased as a child because he was undersized for his age. The visitors mentioned that “it didn’t matter whether it was hearts or pickleball or swimming to the dock; there was always a reward for winning and there was always a penalty for losing” indicating that the family promoted competitiveness.

He started attending the exclusive Lakeside prep school at the age of 13, where he also built his first piece of software. When he was in eighth grade, the school’s Mothers’ Club purchased a Teletype Model 33 ASR terminal and a block of computer time for the children on a General Electric (GE) computer with the money they raised from a rummage sale at Lakeside School. Gates was allowed to skip math classes in order to pursue his passion in programming the GE system in BASIC. On this system, he built his first computer program, which was an application that let people play games against the computer in the style of tic tac toe. The machine’s flawless execution of software code always captivated Gates. Following the Mothers Club contribution, Weary, Gates and the other students tried to get some more time on computers, such as DEC PDP minicomputers. One of these systems was a PDP-10 owned by Computer Center Corporation (CCC), which, upon discovering that Gates, Paul Allen, Ric Weiland, and his closest friend and first business partner, Kent Evans, were abusing operating system flaws to get free computer time, suspended them for the summer.

To earn money, the four students founded the Lakeside Programmers Club. When the prohibition ended, they offered more computer time in exchange for finding vulnerabilities in CCC’s software. Gates went to CCC’s headquarters and studied the source code for different programs that ran on the system, such as Fortran, Lisp, and machine language, instead of utilizing the system remotely via Teletype. The agreement with CCC persisted until the business’s demise in 1970.

The next year, a Lakeside teacher hired Gates and Evans in exchange for computer time and royalties to automate the school’s class scheduling system. The two put a lot of effort into getting the program ready for their senior year. Evans passed away in a mountain climbing accident near the conclusion of their junior year; Gates has called it one of the worst days of his life. Gates turned to Allen at that point, and Allen helped him complete the Lakeside system.

When Gates was seventeen, he and Allen founded Traf-O-Data, a company that produced traffic counters built on the Intel 8008 CPU. He was a congressional page in the House of Representatives during 1972. When he graduated from Lakeside School in 1973, he was named a National Merit Scholar. In the fall of 1973, he entered at Harvard College after receiving a SAT score of 1590 out of 1600.38 Despite taking graduate-level computer science classes and mathematics (including Math 55), he decided to major in pre-law. He made the acquaintance of future Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer as a student at Harvard. Ballmer continued at Harvard and received a magna cum laude degree, whereas Gates left after two years. Years later, Ballmer took over from Gates as CEO of Microsoft and stayed in that role. from 2000 until his resignation in 2014.

Paul Allen stayed in touch with Gates, who spent the summer of 1974 working with him at Honeywell. When the Intel 8080 CPU-based MITS Altair 8800 was introduced in 1975, Gates and Allen recognized an opportunity to launch their own computer software business. In the same year, Gates left Harvard University. When his parents realized how much he wanted to launch his own business, they became supportive of him. He gave his reasoning for quitting Harvard, saying, “I could have always returned to school if things hadn’t worked out. Officially, I was on leave.

Microsoft Career

Gates’s entire business career has involved Microsoft in some way. The company was co-founded with Steve Ballimer in 1975 when Gates and Ballimer contracted with Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems to develop a BASIC emulator for the MITS. Gates and Ballimer programmed the first emulator, but as the company grew, he became the company’s Chief Executive Officer. Despite this, Gates remained intimately involved in the computing programming of the company, programing games as late as 1981.

Microsoft and Gates would next move into the creation of operating systems with IBM, working with the company to program and license 86-DOS, the main operating system for that program. This, eventually, would evolve into Microsoft’s greatest commercial success: The development of Windows, a brand new, graphically-based operating system. The first version of Windows was released in 1985, and the operating system has now become an industry standard and the most popular of computer operating systems. 

Microsoft’s success propelled Gates into wealth beyond his wildest dreams. At the age of 31, he was a billionaire. Microsoft would get intimately involved in a variety of other programs, including business programming, internet use, word processing, computer games, entertainment, and more. Gates would step down as CEO of the company in 2000, paving the way for Steve Ballimer to run the company. However, he has remained actively involved with the company, stepping down from its board in March of 2020 to continue to focus on his philanthropy.

IBM Partnership

IBM first contacted Microsoft in 1980 to develop a BASIC interpreter for the IBM PC, the company’s future personal computer. Gates sent IBM’s officials to Digital Research (DRI), the company that created the popular CP/M operating system, when they noted that they needed an operating system. IBM and Digital Research were unable to come to a licensing deal as a result of their bad talks. In a later discussion with Gates, IBM representative Jack Sams brought up the licensing issues and instructed him to obtain a suitable operating system. A few weeks later, Gates suggested running an operating system called 86-DOS (QDOS), which was created for PC-like hardware by Tim Paterson of Seattle Computer Products and was akin to CP/M. In order to become the sole license agency, Microsoft struck a contract with SCP, and 86-DOS’s eventual complete owner, but omitted to name IBM as a possible client.

Founder Gary Kildall of DRI allegedly “went flying” at an IBM visit, a charge that Kildall and other DRI staff members would subsequently refute. Gates never understood why DRI had backed out of the transaction. Microsoft supplied PC-DOS to IBM after customizing the operating system for the platform in exchange for a one-time payment. Because Gates thought other hardware makers would replicate IBM’s operating system, he requested that IBM allow Microsoft to preserve the copyright.They did, and Microsoft became a significant participant in the market thanks to the sales of MS-DOS.

What Is Bill Gates Best Known For?

Microsoft corporation.

There is no question that Gates is best known for the founding of Microsoft, now one of the most profitable and impactful corporations in the world. Microsoft is responsible for a slew of computer innovations.

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is the most popular operating system in the world and standard to most commercially available computers. Its graphical interface has evolved considerably over time, becoming sharper and more intuitive. Windows was first invented in 1985.

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office is a suite of programs designed for personal and business use. It includes word processing, spreadsheet software, presentations support, communications, and more. The first version of Office came out in 1995, and like most Microsoft products, the program has changed repeatedly over time.

Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer is one of the first graphics-based internet browsers. Some form of the program has been available since 1994, and its successor remains one of the most popular ways to browse the internet to date. 

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

The foundation was created in 1994 as a way to combat a variety of societal ills that Gates saw. Much of the original money for the foundation came from Gates personally, but other individuals – including Warren Buffet and Bono – donated substantial amounts of money to the Foundation. Its assets grew immediately, and to date, it is believed to have an endowment of $49.8 billion. The money raised by the foundation is invested in a variety of ways, including healthcare, education, and anti-poverty efforts. It has also been involved extensively in a variety of areas related to pandemic reduction.

Bill Gates: Net Worth, Marriage, Children, and Divorce

Gates’ net worth is estimated to be $132.1 billion, although it has ranged over $150 billion at various points, with much of the reduction of Gates’ net worth believed to be associated with his charitable giving to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. While it is not a title he currently holds, Gates was once the richest man in the world.

Gates married his now ex-wife, Melinda French, in 1994. The two met while they were working together at Microsoft. 

Like his father, Bill Gates has three children in his family. All three come from his marriage to Melinda: Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe. Bill and Melinda have both discussed their attempts to ensure that their daughters and son have the most “normal” upbringing possible, which included limiting their screen time when they were kids. 

In May 2021, Bill and Melinda Gates took to Twitter and announced that they would be looking to divorce. The Twitter announcement took the world by surprise, but later reports indicate that one of the sources of tension in their marriage was Bill Gates’ relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the American businessman who was arrested and convicted of multiple sex crimes. According to reports, Melinda Gates began speaking with divorce attorneys as early as 2019, with Gates’ relationship with Epstein serving to spur the end of their relationship. The exact nature of Bill Gates’ relationship with Epstein has been speculated on repeatedly both before and after the divorce.

The divorce moved very quickly and was finalized in August 2021. According to its terms, there will be an unknown division of assets. The two will also continue to work together on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

Bill Gates: Awards and Achievements

Turing award.

The Turing Award is given to computer engineers, innovators, and inventors who have “shaped the foundations” of computing. It is named after  Alan Turing , the famed mathematician and computer scientist. 

Presidential Medal of Freedom

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is one of the highest civilian honors an individual can win, given to individuals by the President of the United States in recognition of major contributions to the United States. Gates won the award in 2016 and was awarded it by then-President Barack Obama.

Padma Bhushan Award

The Padma Bhushan Award is given by the Indian government to individuals who have made major contributions to India. Bill and Melinda Gates were given this award in 2015 in recognition of their philanthropic work.

Bill Gates: Published Works and Books

Gates has written numerous articles, columns, and speeches during the course of his successful business career. He also maintains an active social media presence, has a Twitter account, and has participated in an Ask Me Anything on Reddit. Gates has written three books. 

The Road Ahead

Written in 1995, The Road Ahead discusses the future of the internet, personal computer and technology. Many of its predictions came true, particularly in terms of predicting the impact of the internet on information exchange.

Business @ the Speed of Thought

Business @ the Speed of Thought, from 1999, was written by Gates and Collins Hemmingway. It detailed the increasing intersections and integration of business and technology, noting in particular that newer businesses were relying more heavily on booming technological fields.

How to Avoid a Climate Disaster

How to Avoid a Climate Disaster is Gates’ most recent book. Written in 2021, showcases his increasingly global and philanthropic bent. It reviews the current climate change disaster that is looming and lays out a plan to get to net-zero carbon emissions. 

Bill Gates: Quotes

• “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.”
• “I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.”
• “We have to find a way to make the aspects of capitalism that serve wealthier people serve poorer people as well.”
• “Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.”

After studying the works of John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie, Gates contributed a portion of his Microsoft stock to establish the “William H. Gates Foundation” in 1994. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was established in 2000 through the merger of three family foundations and the donation of $5 billion worth of stock. In 2013, the Funds for NGOs company recognized the Gates Foundation as the largest charitable foundation globally, with assets estimated to be worth over $34.6 billion. Unlike other large charitable organizations like the Wellcome Trust, the foundation lets benefactors see how their money is being spent. Additionally, Gates gave Carnegie Mellon University $20 million through his foundation to construct a new structure that would be known as the Gates Center for Computer Science which opened in 2009.

Gates has credited the generosity and extensive philanthropy of David Rockefeller as a major influence. He and his father met with Rockefeller several times, and their charity work is partly modeled on the Rockefeller family’s philanthropic focus, whereby they are interested in tackling the global problems that are ignored by governments and other organizations.

The Global Development Division, Global Health Division, United States Division, and Global Policy & Advocacy Division are the foundation’s five program areas. It provides funding for a variety of public health initiatives, including large-scale vaccination campaigns to end polio and the fight against infectious diseases including AIDS, TB, and malaria. It provides funding for educational institutions, libraries, and university scholarships. In order to offer sustainable sanitation services in developing nations, the foundation launched a program focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene.

Its agriculture branch helps the International Rice Research Institute create Golden Rice, a GM rice variety meant to help prevent vitamin A insufficiency. The foundation wants to give contraception-related information and assistance to women and girls in underdeveloped nations. and, in the end, free and universal access to family planning by consent.In The Los Angeles Times attacked the organization in 2007 for allegedly allocating its funds to businesses that have been linked to increased levels of pollution, poverty, and dismal sales of pharmaceuticals to developing nations. Despite announcing that it will review its investments to evaluate social responsibility, the foundation later discontinued this evaluation and reaffirmed its approach of investing for maximum return while influencing company behavior through voting rights.

In a virtual fireside chat, Gates discussed “Building Infrastructure for Resilience: What the COVID-19 Response Can Teach Us About How to Scale Financial Inclusion” on December 8, 2020, at the Singapore FinTech Festival. The conversation was facilitated by journalist and news anchor Shereen Bhan.

The purpose of governments is to plan ahead for potential disasters. Not enough was done in the event of the COVID-19 epidemic. We must remember that there will be another pandemic and that we will need to make the necessary investments to be ready for it. At the same time, we must acknowledge that we were unprepared and that we will need to make the necessary financial investments, much like a fire department, to model potential outcomes and ensure that we are ready for them.

What Is Bill Gates IQ?

From Elon Musk to Warren Buffet, the richest people in the world have always shown exemplary intelligence; and Bill Gates is no different. For 15 consecutive years, i.e., from 1995 to 2010 and later from 2013 to 2017, he topped the Forbes list of the richest people in the world. His main achievement, however, was joining the self-made billionaires’ club at 31, making him the youngest person in the three-comma club at the time.

Many know him as the founder of Microsoft, the company behind several computer solutions, including the Windows operating system, office applications, browsers, gaming consoles, computers, and more. What is interesting is that he supervised the programming of all the products. In fact, he stepped down in 2008 from running the company to being its product’s chief architect.

Relationship With Jeffrey Epstein

According to a 2019 New York Times article, Gates and financier Jeffrey Epstein had a relationship that began in 2011, not too long after Epstein was found guilty of obtaining a child for prostitution. The relationship lasted for a few years, during which time Gates’s wife visited Epstein’s home in the fall of 2013, despite her claims of discomfort. “His lifestyle is very different and kind of intriguing although it would not work for me,” stated Gates in 2011 in regards to Epstein.

Although Gates frequently remarks, “I met him,” it is unclear how close of a buddy he is to Epstein. I didn’t have a friendship or business relationship with him. Gates did, however, see Epstein “many times, despite [Epstein’s] past” Epstein and Gates “discussed the Gates Foundation and philanthropy,” according to reports. Gates, however, categorically refuted in a 2019 interview any relationship between Epstein and the Gates Foundation or his generosity in general. Though the plan never materialized, Gates stated in August 2021 that he met with Epstein because he believed the latter may provide funds for charitable endeavors. Gates continued, “It was a huge mistake to spend time with him, to give him the credibility of being there.” Gates faced additional scrutiny after it became known that he had taken a flight on Epstein’s private jet; nevertheless, additional allegations regarding Gates’s visit to Little St. James were found to be unfounded.

It has also been stated that in March 2013, Epstein and Gates met with Thorbjørn Jagland, the chair of the Nobel Committee, at his home in Strasbourg, France, to talk about the Nobel Prize. Representatives from the International Peace Institute, which has been awarded millions of dollars by the Gates Foundation, including a $2.5 million grant for “community engagement” in October 2013, were also there. According to reports in 2023, Epstein made a threat to reveal Gates’ purported relationship with a Russian bridge player.

Controversies

While serving as Microsoft’s CEO, Gates gave his approval to numerous choices that resulted in antitrust lawsuits regarding the company’s business operations. Gates provided deposition testimony in the 1998 United States v. Microsoft case that a number of journalists described as evasive. He debated the meaning of words like “compete,” “concerned,” and “we” in context with examiner David Boies. When the videotaped deposition was played back in court later that year, the judge could be heard shaking his head and smiling. According to BusinessWeek

During the initial rounds of his deposition, he provided evasive responses and used the phrase “I don’t recall” so frequently that the presiding judge had to laugh. Even worse, prosecutors used fragments of emails that Gates sent and received to explicitly disprove several of the technology chief’s claims of ignorance and denials.

Later, Gates maintained that he had just fought Boies’s attempts to distort his words and deeds. “Have I fenced against Boies? I enter a guilty plea for the first-degree rudeness toward Boies. The judge found that Microsoft had violated the Sherman Antitrust Act by monopolizing, tying, and preventing competition, despite Gates’s denials.

Video and film Clips

• 1983: Steve Jobs hosts Gates and others in the “Macintosh dating game” at the Macintosh pre-launch event (a parody of the television game show The Dating Game)
• 1991: Gates spoke to the Berkeley Macintosh Users Group lively weekly Thursday night meeting with questions and answers in PSL Hall (renamed Pimentel Hall in 1994) at University of California, Berkeley
• 2007: Steve Jobs and Bill Gates Together at the D5 Conference on YouTube, All Things Digital
• Since 2009, Gates has given numerous TED talks on current concerns such as innovation, education and fighting global diseases.

Bill Gates May Launch Climate Health Initiative At COP28 Summit Today

The health-themed day will draw a cast of headliners, including Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, who is expected to join the United Arab Emirates in launching a climate health initiative.

Dubai:  After two days of back-to-back speeches by world leaders, the COP28 climate summit turns its attention on Sunday to the reality of climate change fuelling more sickness and disease. It will be the first time that the annual UN talks feature public health on the agenda. With malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress all on the rise – and threatening to stretch already-struggling health services – countries and businesses both are anxious for more ways to protect people as temperatures continue to climb for decades.

The health-themed day will draw a cast of headliners, including Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, who is expected to join the United Arab Emirates in launching a climate health initiative. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will also visit the sprawling COP28 compound, where more than 70,000 people from across the world have gathered for the two-week conference. Clinton was due to take part in an event on women and climate change.

COP28 will also see an appearance from former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, who shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for their work to increase public knowledge about global warming. On Saturday, current U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris sought to promote Washington’s global climate leadership, saying her country had once again become “a global leader in the fight against the climate crisis

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Bill Gates says AI makes it the best time to be a student, except for learning math

Bill gates lauds the adoption of ai tools in education and the access to quality online education, but raises concerns about significant gaps in math education..

Listen to Story

• Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says this is the best time to be a student.
• Gates talked about access to quality education through online courses.
• He also acknowledged significant gaps in math education.

When ChatGPT launched in 2022, it was looked down upon by the education sector and many schools as well as universities banned usage of the AI tool. However, as time passed, schools and colleges warmed up to the AI tool and some even started using it to enhance learning experience for students. And Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates feels this is the best time to be a student since many have access to high-quality education. However, this isn't the case with Math.

In December last year, during a discussion revolving around AI at an Economic Club of New York dinner, Gates weighed in on the state of education today, shedding light on both its remarkable advancements and persistent challenges. Gates expressed his enthusiasm about the unprecedented access students now have to high-quality education through a number of online courses taught by renowned professors from around the globe.

“If you are a student, this is the best time ever," Gates had said.

Addressing the audience during the livestreamed event, Gates emphasised that this era offers unparalleled opportunities for students. With the world's best professors covering an extensive range of subjects, the breadth of knowledge available online is staggering, he said. The former Microsoft chief also lauded the depth of expertise these educators bring to their respective fields, underscoring the richness of learning resources accessible to learners today.

However, amidst the optimism, Gates didn't shy away from acknowledging the significant learning gaps that persist, particularly in math education. Despite concerted efforts by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to address these gaps through teacher training initiatives and innovative curriculum approaches, Gates admitted that the impact thus far has fallen short of their aspirations.

The foundation's commitment to improving math education was underscored by grants exceeding USD 1 billion as part of a comprehensive plan aimed at enhancing math teaching over a span of four years.

Gates had also raised thought-provoking questions about the effectiveness of current educational approaches, particularly in the realm of mathematics. He pondered whether students today, even before the pandemic, are more proficient in math compared to previous generations. Unfortunately, Gates conceded that the answer to this question is a resounding no.

During the same discussion, Gates had also mentioned Google's new AI model and said that AI is going to change everything even more than the internet did.