Bill Gates

From ArticleWorld

Bill Gates is the co-founder, chairman, and chief software architect of the Microsoft Corporation. His networth is estimated at around $51 billion. He is famous not only for Microsoft but also for his huge charitable donations and unconventional path to success.

Biography

William Henry Gates III was born on October 28, 1955 in Seattle Washington. He was born into an educated and well-off family, included his lawyer father, William H. Gates II, and his teacher mother, Mary Maxwell. His maternal grandfather, J.W. Maxwell, was a bank vice president.

Gates’ parents sent their son to Lakeside, a very elite prep school in British Columbia. In 1967, the cost to attend was $5,000 per a year (with Harvard tuition being $1,760 per a year). Math and science were Gates’ areas of success and interest. Gates was also an avid Boy Scout, earning the rank of Life Scout.

In high school, Gates met up with Paul Allen. The two created Traf-O-Data, which sold data systems to state governments and produced COBOL, a payroll system, for a Portland-based company.

In 1973, Gates began his undergraduate career at Harvard University seeking a degree in computer science. Rumors estimate his SAT score at 1590. During his second year at Harvard, Gates worked with Allen, Steve Ballmer, and Monte Davidoff to write Altair BASIC, the first computer language for the Altair 8800, the first personal computer. Gates’ success led him to drop out of Harvard during his third year.

Life after Microsoft

Gates and Allen co-founded Micro-Soft (later renamed to the current Microsoft Corporation) in 1975. In the 1980s, the company released Microsoft Windows OS, a graphical user interface. The release of Microsoft Windows 3.0 gained worldwide attention and acceptance. The operating system sold more than 10 million units and has dominated the personal computer ever since and making Gates billions.

Gates married Melinda French on January 1, 1994 in Dallas, Texas. The couple lives on a $113-million property, which overlooks Lake Washington. They pay about $1 million a year in property taxes.

Gates’ estate includes the Codex Leicester, original writings by Leonardo da Vinci estimated at $30.8 million, and a Gutenberg Bible.

In 2000, the Gates founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The organization awards scholarships, sponsors AIDS education, and sponsors relief efforts in third-world countries. It’s rumored that that Gates donate about 51 percent of their income.

Gates holds two honorary doctorates, one from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden and one from Waseda University. He was named one Times Magazine’s 2005 Person of the Year, along with his wife and Bono. Also in 2005, Gates was given the title of Knight Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.

Gates is also known for his awkward social skills; some claim he is afflicted with Asperger’s syndrome, a mild form of autism. This, however, has never been confirmed. Other famous names associated with Asperger’s include Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, and Woody Allen.