bill gates education

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 He was doing well in school, but he seemed bored and withdrawn at times, and his parents worried he might become a loner.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

Education of Bill Gates

• Updated on  
• Jan 28, 2020

One of the renowned successful tech entrepreneurs of the 21st century, Bill Gates brought a much-needed revolution in the software industry through Microsoft. Having been accoladed amongst the richest men on earth, Gates has been credited as a digital demagogue and visionary who transformed a two-man start-up into a multi-billion dollar empire. Along with Paul Allen, he co-founded Microsoft and dropped out of Harvard University to devote himself fully as he found himself bewildered by the massive potential of personal computers! Though you might have heard Gates’ dropout story many times, it was his academic journey that laid the right foundation for his interest in computers which later made him passionate about the possibilities computer software can bring to the digital world. Through this blog, let’s take you through the quest of education of Bill Gates, his academic milestones as well as how he manifested his love towards computers into what we today call as “Microsoft”!

“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.”

Unravelling the Story Behind “Microsoft”

The most unique thing about Bill Gates’ success story is that not only that he strived towards innovating new technologies but also by adapting the existing technologies to a specific market and then paving his path through inventive promotional strategies as well as keen business acumen. Working with the vision of creating “a computer for every desktop and which can be found in every home” which many called farfetched, Gates along with his childhood friend Paul Allen established the world’s software giant, Microsoft. He envisioned the place of personal technology in the future and brought it to life in the present century. The education of Bill Gates played an incremental role in actualising his passion for technology, so let’s delve deeper on how his academic journey actually began.

“I really had a lot of dreams when I was a kid, and I think a great deal of that grew out of the fact that I had a chance to read a lot.”

Born on October 28, 1955, in an upper-middle-class family to William H. Gates and Mary Maxwell, William Henry Gates III a.k.a Bill Gates was brought up in Seattle, Washington with two sisters, the older Kristianne and younger Libby. Both William and Mary encouraged the kids towards a healthier competition and nurtured within them a strive for excellence. One of the key features of the education of Bill Gates is that he was a voracious reader. As an 11-year old, he loved reference books, especially the world encyclopedia. Also, he used to organise family athletic games at their summer home. He was always close to his mother, who started as a teacher but then decided to spend more time with the kids and focusing on civic affairs and getting involved with charities. Mary Maxwell also was a part of various corporate boards such as the First Interstate Bank in Seattle and International Business Machines (IBM). Bill would seldom accompany his mother when she volunteered at several community organisations and schools.

Learn the Important Lessons from Inspirational World Leaders, check out our List of Great Personalities !

“We make the future sustainable when we invest in the poor, not when we insist on their suffering.”

As the young Bill stayed all by himself during his early years in school, bored and withdrawn which worried his parents about his tendency to become a loner. So, when he turned 13, they enrolled him into city’s famed preparatory Lakeside School which is where he found himself getting inclined towards computer programming when he spent most of his time on a General Electric computer in BASIC away from the regular classes. At this stage of the education of Bill Gates, he shined as an excellent student with high scores in almost every discipline, especially Math, Science and English. 

“Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.”

During his years at Lakeside school, he created his first computer program which was actually a unique version of Tic Tac Toe in which one could compete against the computer. Later on, he met Paul Allen, and they were given the task to locate bugs in the PDP-10 system at the Computer Center Corporation. With two other students, Allen and Gates also prepared a payroll program for the school’s Department of Information Sciences in order to facilitate an exchange for computer time and royalties. Since he was already a brilliant student, at this point of the education of Bill Gates, his school nurtured his passion towards programming and they asked him to make a program for scheduling classes for students.

“I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.”

At the age of 15, Gate and Allen were ready to kick into their business shoes. Together they created Traf-O-Data which is a program that measured and assessed the traffic flow in the city of Seattle. Moving on towards the concluding stage of the education of Bill Gates, he scored a whopping 1590 out of 1600 in his SAT exam and went on to join Harvard University in Autumn of 1973 to study law as he wished to follow his father’s footsteps. He later admitted that he preferred playing video games and poker while bunking classes.

“Intellectual property has the shelf life of a banana.”

Just a year later during the college education of Bill Gates, Allen came across a magazine article which talked about the first microcomputer, i.e. the Altair 8800. He showed the article to Gates and they found it as a shining opportunity to utilise their knack of programming. The two called the computer’s manufacturer, MITS which was situated in New Mexico, and proposed the idea of providing their version of BASIC for the microcomputer. He actually agreed but the only issue was that this version was not yet created. So, Gates and Allen started their work in Harvard’s computer lab and since they weren’t familiar with how Altair operated, they focused on preparing the program by simulating it on different computers. Then, once the program was finished, they went to Albuquerque to the head office to test if it worked on the Altair.

Though they were oblivious if it would run. But it actually turned out well and it was at this point that Gates made his decision to drop out of Harvard. He and Allen came to live in Albuquerque which is the city where Microsoft came into being. One interesting fact about their time here was that both Gates and Allen wrote software for varied start-ups such as Tandy Cop, Commodore as well as Apple.

Take A Look At Steve Jobs Education !

“The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow.”

Career Lessons to Learn from Bill Gates

Imagine a 13-year old boy hunched over the computer entranced by the world inside it! Fast-forward to a decade later, the same boy with his best friend founded the computer phenomena which they called Micro-soft, a brilliant amalgamation of the two words, Microcomputer and Software. Now that you know what the journey of education of Bill Gates was like, let’s dive into the pool of wisdom he imparted to the world through his incredible story!

Always Keep Your Eyes on The Goal Once in his interview with Daily Mail , Gates said that he never actually took a day-off during his twenties. Moreover, he has always emphasised the importance of perseverance in the journey to achieve success. That’s why having a persistent attitude towards one’s goals is amongst the perfect approach to actualise them.

Don’t Be Afraid of Risks One of the key milestones in the education of Bill Gates happened when he took a major risk to leave Harvard and work towards creating a computer program for the Altair. If he hadn’t taken that risk, the invention of Microsoft would not have followed that. So, taking risks can not only make you learn something new but will also teach you to always strive towards the extraordinary things in life.

Focus on Collaboration, Not Competition! Another significant lesson to learn from Bill Gates’ success story is the power of partnerships! It was his collaboration with Paul Allen that they both followed their love towards computers and further, proposing their ideas to the Altair actually helped them learn more about microcomputers. Thus, rather than running the rat race, find those who share your goals and facilitate amazing collaborations that can change the world!

There is No Shortcut to Success Gates grew up at a time when people were still understanding emerging computing technologies. The school education of Bill Gates actually encouraged his curiosity towards computers but he still had to work exhaustively to bring his vision of personal computers to reality. Hence, everyone has to follow a long journey to manifest their dreams and amidst all of it, you must remember that there is no shortcut and the only thing that will get you through it all is your unrelenting strive towards your goal!

Inspired by Bill Gates’ Amazing Success Story? Let’s Explore What It Takes for a Career in Computer Science Engineering !

10 Lesser-Known Facts about Bill Gates

Now that we know all about the education of Bill Gates, how he founded Microsoft with Paul Allen and the phenomenal career lessons he has for the young people, let’s check out the surprising facts about Bill Gates:

• With his foundation working closely on bringing inexpensive medications and stopping the spread of infectious diseases, Bill Gates actually predicted that “a pandemic caused by an alien pathogen” would spread around the world in 2018 and the Covid-19 frighteningly happened just two years ago in 2020!
• Gates is an avid reader and reads a total of 50 books every year. Check out his summer reading list for 2020 here!
• Bill Gates also said that if Microsoft hadn’t been successful, he would have been working in research in Artificial Intelligence.
• One of the biggest regrets of Bill Gates is that he hasn’t learned any foreign languages.
• Gates used to monitor his employees at Microsoft by memorizing their number plates and keeping an eye on when they come and leave.
• Bill Gates revealed in an interview that he is colour-blind.
• He was arrested twice, once for speeding and driving without a license and another time for skipping a red signal in 1975 and 1997 respectively.
• Gates met his wife Melinda when she was a product marketing manager at Microsoft.
• Bill Gates lives an extremely scheduled life and has a minute-by-minute schedule for every day.
• Last but not the least, another key Bill Gates prediction for 2021 is that the world will get back to normal possibly by Spring 2021.

Thus, we hope that this blog elaborating the quest of education of Bill Gates has helped you glance into his journey from being a skinny teen in love with computers to envisioning the revolution that personal computers would bring to the digital world. We at Leverage Edu also aim to nurture future world leaders by providing them with the much-needed career guidance that can help them strive towards their passions. Sign up for a 30-minute free career counselling session with our experienced counsellors and let us assist you in making an informed decision to actualise your dream career!

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Bill Gates’ Education: Academic Background of the Microsoft Founder

by Ian | Jun 4, 2024

Bill Gates , the co-founder of Microsoft and one of the most influential figures in the world of technology, is renowned for his unparalleled success and philanthropy. While many are familiar with his achievements in the business world and his philanthropic efforts through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, few are aware of the academic journey.

A path that laid the foundation for his groundbreaking career. In this in-depth exploration, we will cover the educational background of Bill Gates, tracing his steps from childhood to the formation of Microsoft and beyond.

Early years and education

Bill Gates, born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington, showed an early interest in computers. His parents, William H. Gates Sr. and Mary Maxwell Gates recognized his potential and enrolled him in Lakeside School, a private preparatory school in Seattle. It was at Lakeside that Gates had his first exposure to computers, sparking a lifelong passion.

At Lakeside, Gates discovered his love for programming and had access to a teletype terminal, which connected to a mainframe computer in downtown Seattle. Alongside his close friend Paul Allen, Gates spent countless hours exploring the world of computing, learning programming languages like BASIC and FORTRAN. Despite being a voracious learner, Gates was known for his mischievous side, exploiting bugs in the school’s computer system to gain extra computing time.

Harvard University years

Gates’ academic journey took a significant turn when he entered Harvard University in 1973. Although his passion for computers remained steadfast, he initially pursued a broad academic path, enrolling in mathematics and law courses. However, his destiny was about to change.

In 1975, while still at Harvard, Gates and Paul Allen formed a partnership that would alter the course of computing history. The duo spotted an opportunity to develop a version of the BASIC programming language for the Altair 8800, one of the first microcomputers. This venture marked the birth of Microsoft, a name that would soon become synonymous with the personal computer revolution.

Despite the burgeoning success of Microsoft, Gates faced a pivotal decision in 1975: to continue his education at Harvard or devote himself entirely to his newfound business. Recognizing the immense potential of their venture, Gates and Allen made the bold choice to leave Harvard and focus on building Microsoft.

The birth of Microsoft

Microsoft’s early years were marked by innovation, determination, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Gates, along with Allen and a small team of programmers, worked tirelessly to develop software for various computer platforms. Their breakthrough came in 1980 when they signed a contract with IBM to provide an operating system for their upcoming personal computer, the IBM PC.

Gates and his team scrambled to deliver an operating system, eventually purchasing an existing product known as 86-DOS and modifying it to meet IBM’s requirements. This modified operating system, renamed MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System), became the cornerstone of Microsoft’s success. The IBM PC, powered by MS-DOS, became a massive success, propelling Microsoft into the forefront of the software industry.

Education in the School of Hard Knocks

While Bill Gates left Harvard without completing his degree, his departure was not indicative of a lack of education. Rather, Gates embarked on a different kind of learning journey – one that involved navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship, business strategy, and the ever-evolving world of technology.

Microsoft faced numerous challenges, from legal battles over software licensing to the fierce competition from other tech giants. Gates, known for his relentless work ethic and strategic acumen, steered the company through these challenges. His ability to adapt to market dynamics, foresee trends, and make strategic acquisitions played a crucial role in Microsoft’s continued success.

Gates has often emphasized the importance of continuous learning. In interviews and public appearances, he has spoken about his voracious reading habits and the valuable lessons he has gleaned from diverse sources. While his formal education might have been cut short, Gates’ commitment to self-education has been a driving force in his career.

Philanthropy and education

As Microsoft continued to thrive, Bill Gates and his then-wife Melinda began to focus on philanthropy. In 2000, they established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to addressing global health, education, and poverty. The foundation has become one of the world’s largest private charitable foundations, with a focus on leveraging technology and innovation to create positive change.

One of the foundation’s key initiatives is improving education globally. Based on his personal experiences, Gates understands the transformative power of education in influencing people’s lives and advancing society. The foundation has invested heavily in initiatives aimed at improving access to quality education, particularly in underserved communities.

Gates’ commitment to education extends beyond traditional schooling. He has been an advocate for education technology and innovative approaches to learning. In various interviews and writings, he has emphasized the need to adapt education systems to the rapidly changing demands of the modern world, incorporating technology and personalized learning experiences.

Criticism and controversies

Despite his significant contributions to technology and philanthropy, Bill Gates has not been immune to criticism and controversies. Some critics argue that Microsoft’s business practices in the past were anti-competitive, leading to legal battles and regulatory scrutiny. Additionally, Gates has faced criticism for his views on certain global health issues, such as vaccine development and deployment.

In the realm of education, Gates’ support for standardized testing and the Common Core State Standards has sparked debates. While he advocates for data-driven approaches to education, emphasizing the need for measurable outcomes, critics argue that such methods may oversimplify the complex landscape of learning and teaching.

Gates’s role in the development and promotion of charter schools has also been a subject of contention. While some view these efforts as positive steps toward improving education, others express concerns about the potential impact on public education systems and the influence of private entities in shaping educational policies.

Legacy and impact

As we examine Bill Gates’ education and career, it becomes evident that his legacy extends far beyond the founding of Microsoft. Gates has played a pivotal role in shaping the technology landscape, influencing the way we work, communicate, and access information. His commitment to philanthropy has had a profound impact on global health, education, and poverty alleviation.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s initiatives, including the Global Health Program and the Global Development Program, have made significant strides in tackling diseases like malaria and polio. They’ve also made progress in improving healthcare infrastructure, and addressing the root causes of poverty. The foundation’s commitment to education reflects Gates’ belief in the transformative power of learning and its potential to create a more equitable world.

Lessons entrepreneurs can grasp from Bill Gates’ education

While Gates’ decision to leave Harvard and pursue his passion for software development is well-known, there are several key lessons entrepreneurs can grasp from Bill Gates’ education:

1. Balancing risk and prudent decision-making

Gates took a calculated risk in leaving Harvard to start Microsoft. Entrepreneurs can learn the importance of balancing risk with prudent decision-making. While entrepreneurship inherently involves risk, strategic and informed decisions can mitigate potential downsides.

2. Prioritize vision over immediate success

Bill Gates had a long-term vision for the role of computers in everyday life, prioritizing that vision over immediate success. Entrepreneurs can grasp the importance of having a clear vision and mission for their ventures, understanding that long-term success often requires perseverance and commitment to a larger goal.

3. Focus on solving real problems

Microsoft’s success was built on solving real-world problems, from creating the BASIC programming language to developing the MS-DOS operating system. Entrepreneurs can learn that focusing on addressing genuine needs and providing solutions to problems can lead to sustainable success.

4. Networking and collaboration are key

Gates’ early collaboration with Paul Allen at Lakeside School and the subsequent partnership in founding Microsoft emphasizes the importance of networking. Entrepreneurs can recognize the value of building strong professional relationships, seeking mentorship, and collaborating with like-minded individuals to foster innovation and business growth.

5. Embrace a lifelong learning mindset

Despite leaving college early, Bill Gates is a strong advocate for lifelong learning. Entrepreneurs can adopt a mindset of continuous learning, staying curious, and seeking new knowledge. In the rapidly evolving business landscape, the ability to adapt and acquire new skills is a competitive advantage.

6. Real-world experience trumps classroom learning

Gates believed in the value of practical experience over traditional classroom learning. Entrepreneurs can grasp the importance of gaining hands-on experience, whether through internships, side projects, or starting their ventures. Real-world challenges often provide invaluable lessons that textbooks cannot fully capture.

7. Adaptability and seizing opportunities

Bill Gates was quick to recognize the potential of personal computers and seized the opportunity to establish Microsoft. Entrepreneurs can learn the importance of adaptability and the ability to identify and capitalize on emerging trends. Being open to change and quick to adapt can be a crucial factor in entrepreneurial success.

8. Early exposure to technology sparks innovation

Gates’ exposure to computers at a young age, especially during his time at Lakeside School, ignited his interest in technology. Entrepreneurs can recognize the importance of early exposure to their field of interest, as it can provide a unique perspective and a head start in understanding industry dynamics.

9. Passion and persistence matter more than degrees

Bill Gates’ decision to drop out of Harvard underscores the importance of following one’s passion. While education is valuable, Gates believed that real-world experience and pursuit of his vision were more critical to his success. Entrepreneurs can learn that passion and persistence can outweigh the traditional path of acquiring degrees.

In conclusion, Bill Gates’ education journey, though unconventional, has been a testament to the power of passion, innovation, and continuous learning. From his early days at Lakeside School to the founding of Microsoft and beyond, Gates has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

While his decision to leave Harvard may have raised eyebrows at the time, it marked the beginning of a remarkable journey that has left an indelible mark on the world. Gates’ legacy extends beyond the technology industry. It encompasses his philanthropic efforts, advocacy for education reform, and contributions to global health.

As we reflect on the life and career of Bill Gates , it becomes clear that education, in its various forms, has been a guiding force. Whether through formal education, self-directed learning, or philanthropic initiatives, Gates continues to emphasize the transformative power of knowledge and its potential to shape a better future for individuals and communities worldwide.

What was Bill Gates’ major at Harvard?

While at Harvard, Bill Gates pursued a major in mathematics and computer science. His academic interests aligned with his passion for programming, and this period at Harvard played a crucial role in shaping his technical skills and mindset.

How did Bill Gates learn programming?

Bill Gates’ early exposure to computers at Lakeside School laid the foundation for his interest in programming. He, along with Lakeside School friends, was granted computer time on a General Electric computer and later on a Computer Center Corporation (CCC) PDP-10. Gates also gained experience through programming tasks assigned to him at Lakeside, solidifying his skills before attending Harvard.

Did Bill Gates finish his degree after dropping out of Harvard?

No, Bill Gates did not return to complete his degree at Harvard. His decision to drop out and pursue entrepreneurial endeavors marked a turning point in his life, as he and his childhood friend, Paul Allen, founded Microsoft shortly afterward. Gates believed that the practical experience he gained through building and running Microsoft was more valuable than a college degree.

Did Bill Gates receive any honorary degrees?

Yes, despite not completing his college education, Bill Gates has been awarded several honorary degrees from universities around the world. These honorary degrees recognize his contributions to technology and philanthropy. Some of the institutions that conferred honorary degrees upon Gates include Harvard University, Cambridge University, and Tsinghua University.

Did Bill Gates regret dropping out of college?

In interviews, Bill Gates has stated that he does not regret dropping out of college. He believes that his decision to leave Harvard and pursue his passion for software development was instrumental to his success. Gates emphasizes the importance of seizing opportunities and learning through real-world experiences, even if they diverge from traditional educational paths.

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When was Bill Gates born?

How did bill gates become famous, where did bill gates go to college, what are bill gates’s major accomplishments.

Bill Gates (born October 28, 1955, Seattle , Washington , U.S.) is an 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 . 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.

Largely on the strength of Microsoft’s success, Gates amassed a huge paper fortune as the company’s largest individual shareholder. He became a paper billionaire in 1986, and within a decade his net worth had reached into the tens of billions of dollars—making him by some estimates the world’s richest private individual. With few interests beyond software and the potential of information technology , Gates at first preferred to stay out of the public eye, handling civic and philanthropic affairs indirectly through one of his foundations. Nevertheless, as Microsoft’s power and reputation grew, and especially as it attracted the attention of the U.S. Justice Department ’s antitrust division, Gates, with some reluctance, became a more public figure. Rivals (particularly in competing companies in Silicon Valley ) portrayed him as driven, duplicitous, and determined to profit from virtually every electronic transaction in the world. His supporters, on the other hand, celebrated his uncanny business acumen, his flexibility, and his boundless appetite for finding new ways to make computers and electronics more useful through software.

All of these qualities were evident in Gates’s nimble response to the sudden public interest in the Internet . Beginning in 1995 and 1996, Gates feverishly refocused Microsoft on the development of consumer and enterprise software solutions for the Internet , developed the Windows CE operating system platform for networking noncomputer devices such as home televisions and personal digital assistants, created the Microsoft Network to compete with America Online and other Internet providers, and, through Gates’s company Corbis, acquired the huge Bettmann photo archives and other collections for use in electronic distribution.

In addition to his work at Microsoft, Gates was also known for his charitable work. With his then wife, Melinda , he launched the William H. Gates Foundation (renamed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 1999) in 1994 to fund global health programs as well as projects in the Pacific Northwest . During the latter part of the 1990s, the couple also funded North American libraries through the Gates Library Foundation (renamed Gates Learning Foundation in 1999) and raised money for minority study grants through the Gates Millennium Scholars program. In June 2006 Warren Buffett announced an ongoing gift to the foundation, which would allow its assets to total roughly $60 billion in the next 20 years. At the beginning of the 21st century, the foundation continued to focus on global health and global development, as well as community and education causes in the United States . After a short transition period, Gates relinquished day-to-day oversight of Microsoft in June 2008—although he remained chairman of the board—in order to devote more time to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In February 2014 he stepped down as chairman but continued to serve as a board member until 2020. During this time he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016). The documentary series Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates appeared in 2019. Two years later Gates and his wife divorced.

It remains to be seen whether Gates’s extraordinary success will guarantee him a lasting place in the pantheon of great Americans. At the very least, historians seem likely to view him as a business figure as important to computers as John D. Rockefeller was to oil. Gates himself displayed an acute awareness of the perils of prosperity in his 1995 best seller , The Road Ahead , where he observed, “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.”

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William h. gates iii, co-founder, microsoft corporation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He stepped down as chair of the Microsoft board in 2014, and in 2020 gave up his seats on the boards of both Microsoft and investment giant Berkshire Hathaway.  In May 2021, Bill and Melinda Gates announced the end of their 27-year marriage, although they plan to continue their philanthropic work together. In May 2024, Bill Gates had a net worth of $128 billion, primarily from his shares in Microsoft. Despite being nearly as wealthy as he had ever been, Gates ranked lower on the wealth index than he had since 1992 due to fierce competition at the top, a costly 2021 divorce, and his substantial charitable contributions totaling $59 billion. The Microsoft co-founder was the world’s richest person for 18 of the 23 years from 1995 to 2017.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bill Gates: Actually, no.

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

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

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

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

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Bill Gates Biography

Birthday: October 28 , 1955 ( Scorpio )

Born In: Seattle, Washington, United States

Bill Gates is an American business magnate and computer programmer who is the co-founder of Microsoft, the world’s largest PC software company. Since the company’s formation in 1975, Gates has held several positions including those of the chairman, CEO and chief software architect. One of the most famous entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution, he has been consistently ranked among the world’s wealthiest people starting from 1987. Born as the son of a successful lawyer, Bill Gates was encouraged from a young age to be competitive. Bright and curious, he developed an interest in computers while in school and wrote his first computer program as a young teenager. After completing his schooling, he enrolled at the prestigious Harvard College though he did not stay there long enough to complete his studies. He dropped out to pursue his passion in computers and teamed up with Paul Allen, a former schoolmate, to form Microsoft. The company proved to be highly successful and within years Gates became an internationally known entrepreneur. Among the wealthiest persons in the world, Bill Gates is a renowned philanthropist and along with his ex-wife, he has created the charity organization Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation . He has also authored and co-authored several books.. He has also authored and co-authored several books.

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Also Known As: William Henry Gates III

Age: 68 Years , 68 Year Old Males

Spouse/Ex-: Melinda Gates (m. 1994; div. 2021)

father: William H. Gates Sr.

mother: Mary Maxwell Gates

siblings: Kristi Gates, Libby Gates

children: Jennifer Katharine Gates , Phoebe Adele Gates , Rory John Gates

Born Country: United States

College Dropouts CEOs

Height: 5'10" (178 cm ), 5'10" Males

Personality: INTP

U.S. State: Washington

City: Seattle, Washington

Ancestry: British American, German American

Notable Alumni: Lakeside School

Founder/Co-Founder: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft Corporation, Corbis, bgC3, Cascade Investment, Microsoft Research, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

education: Lakeside School

awards: 1992 - National Medal of Technology and Innovation 2013 - Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award 2013 - Bambi - Millennium Award

2010 - Silver Buffalo Award 1997 - Satellite Special Achievement Award for Outstanding Contribution to Entertainment New Media 1994 - Distinguished Fellow of the British Computer Society Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science 2010 - Bower Award for Business Leadership

You wanted to know

What is bill gates known for.

Bill Gates is known as the co-founder of Microsoft, a leading technology company that revolutionized the personal computing industry.

What philanthropic work is Bill Gates involved in?

Bill Gates is actively involved in philanthropy through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which focuses on global health, education, and poverty alleviation.

How did Bill Gates become successful?

Bill Gates achieved success through his innovative approach to software development, strategic business decisions, and his role in shaping the technology landscape.

What is the current focus of Bill Gates' work?

Currently, Bill Gates is focused on addressing global challenges such as climate change, healthcare research, and promoting sustainable development through his foundation.

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Bill Gates met Melinda French, a young woman working at Microsoft, in 1989. The couple grew close over a period of time and got married in 1994. They have three children: Rory John Gates, Jennifer Katharine Gates, Phoebe Adele Gates. Bill and Melinda divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage.

Along with his then-wife, Melinda, Bill Gates formed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF or the Gates Foundation) in 2000. It is the largest private foundation in the world and aims to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty worldwide.

See the events in life of Bill Gates in Chronological Order

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Bill Gates   Biography

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION

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

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

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

SOME AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

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

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Luciano Benetton

Luciano Benetton Biography

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

FAMILY AND BEGINNINGS

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

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

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

LUCIANO BENETTON’S PATH

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

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

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

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

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton Biography

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

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

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

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

Peter Drucker

Peter Drucker biography

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paul Allen biography

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nik Powell biography

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Introduction

William Henry Gates III was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington , U.S. His father was a lawyer, and his mother was a community volunteer. He had two sisters, one older and one younger. Known as Trey to his family, Bill was a bright and competitive child who loved math and reading. At age 8, he began reading encyclopedias for fun. But in grade school, he was bored. His parents decided to send him to Lakeside, a private middle and high school.

At Lakeside, Bill became an excellent student. He also discovered computers. When he was 13, he wrote his first software program: a tic-tac-toe game. Bill and some friends later wrote programs for their school and for companies.

In 1973 Gates entered Harvard University. While at Harvard, he and his friend Paul Allen developed software for the first microcomputers. (Microcomputers were smaller and more affordable than earlier computers.) The friends were so successful that Gates left Harvard before graduating. With Allen, he founded Microsoft.

In 1981 the company IBM included Microsoft software in its new personal computers (PCs). Other companies soon began making PCs, and they also depended on Microsoft software.

Microsoft offered the first version of Windows in 1985. Windows was based on earlier programs, such as the system that Apple had created for its Macintosh computers ( see Steve Jobs ). Information was displayed in multiple tiles, called “windows,” on the computer screen. Soon nearly every PC used Windows. In the 1990s Microsoft began focusing on software related to the Internet .

By the 1990s, Gates had a fortune worth tens of billions of dollars. He decided to give away a large portion of it. In 1994 he and his wife, Melinda, started a foundation that gave money to many projects around the world. For example, the foundation supported efforts to end the disease polio . The couple also funded libraries and scholarships in the United States. In 2008 Gates retired from running Microsoft to work more with his foundation.

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Journey of Bill Gates as The Co-founder of Microsoft

Rishabh Rathi , Piyush Mishra

A successful entrepreneur strives to change society for good. Making money is an equally important dimension for them. Moreover, entrepreneurship, if done right, leaves an everlasting legacy. One of the founder of Microsoft, "Bill Gates" is an individual who is deified as one of the most successful entrepreneurs. Bill Gates along with Paul Allen is a co-founder of Microsoft . Microsoft recently surpassed the trillion-dollar market cap. Bill Gates is synonymous with the tag of the world’s richest person.

Bill Gates's net worth is $132.10 billion as of March 2021. He’s in a rarefied section of billionaires that many can’t even imagine. Let's have a look into the Journey & Life Story of Bill Gates , Bill Gates Biography, his Ideology, Quotes, How he founded Microsoft and more in the post ahead!

Bill Gates - Biography

Bill Gates - Latest News Bill Gates - Life Story Bill Gates - Education Bill Gates - Microsoft Bill Gates - Ideology Bill Gates - Quotes Bill Gates - An Inspiration Bill Gates - FAQs

Bill Gates - Latest News

August 10, 2021 - Bill Gates is joining in with Mukesh Ambani's Reliance New Energy Solar Ltd (RNESL), Paulson & Co Inc, and others to invest in US-based Ambri Inc. The investment will be $144 million in total.

June 4, 2021 - Power companies run by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have chosen Wyoming to launch the first Natrium nuclear reactor project on the site of a retiring coal plant.

This is an important step in the U.S. clean energy transition. I’m excited to see @TerraPower working with @PacifiCorp , @GovernorGordon , and @Energy to bring this project to life with the workforce of Wyoming. https://t.co/AYeFV5aO5b — Bill Gates (@BillGates) June 4, 2021

May 4, 2021 - Bill Gates and Melinda Gates are splitting up after after 27 years of marriage. They've reached an agreement on how to divide their assets but didn't divulge any particular details.

The couple stated, "The marriage is irretrievably broken" i n a joint petition for dissolution of marriage filed in King County Superior Court in Seattle.

Bill Gates - Life Story

A software developer, investor , and philanthropist, Microsoft Co-founder, Bill Gates is an icon in the computer industry. His wealth and success allows him to perform humanitarian acts through the "Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation" - world’s largest private charity.

On top of that, Bill along with Warren Buffett has also founded "The Giving Pledge" , where the couple and other billionaires have pledged to donate half of their wealth for philanthropy and they have achieved the goal like- eradication of polio.

After the COVID pandemic, in the month of May 2020, the Gates Foundation said that it would spend $300 million to fight the coronavirus pandemic . They will be funding treatment, detection and vaccines. Right from the Windows operating system to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates has been integral to many radical transformations we enjoy today.

Bill Gates, Paulson & Co Inc, Mukesh Ambani's Reliance New Energy Solar Ltd (RNESL), and others will be investing around $144 mn in Ambri Inc, a renewable energy storage company based in the US. The company was founded in 2010 and is aiming to commercialize an innovative long-duration battery technology. This new cutting-edge technology is believed to cut electricity costs, enable power systems and thereby empower the usage of renewable sources of energy.    

Bill Gates - Education

Writing a computer program at the age of 13 wasn’t as mainstream in the sixties and seventies like it is today. Hell, most of the computer science graduates in the modern age aren’t able to write a simple program!

Microsoft founder, Bill Gates was an exceptional programmer since his teenage . He went on to develop a tic-tac-toe game in BASIC programming language.

He is a national merit scholar from the Lakeside School in 1973. He scored an unbelievable 1590 out of 1600 in the prestigious Scholastic Aptitude Test(SAT) and got enrolled in Harvard University in the autumn of 1973. He dropped out of Harvard to start his own company and later became a Microsoft Founder .

Bill Gates - Microsoft

After reading about Altair 8800 (a microcomputer based on the Intel 8080 CPU) in the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics, Bill reached out to Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) to let them know about the BASIC interpreter he and Paul Allen were building for the platform. The duo wanted to draw attention to showcase their capabilities; they contacted MITS even though no code had been developed. After receiving a confirmation from the president of MITS, they developed a BASIC interpreter for the platform. This encouraged Bill and Paul to scale new heights and bring a change in the world of technology. They were hired by MITS and took a leave of absence from Harvard University.

Paul Allen named their partnership as “Micro-Soft”, derived from “microcomputer” and “software” . Later on, they dropped the hyphen from the coined term and rebranded it Microsoft.

After discovering that a pre-market copy of Microsoft Altair BASIC was leaked and distributed in the market, he wrote an open letter to Hobbyists in the MITS newsletter that he and Paul Allen did not receive anything significant from the sales. This letter did not receive any attention from the public, and Microsoft separated from MITS. Its headquarters was shifted from Albuquerque to Bellevue in 1979.

On November 20 th 1985, Microsoft launched its first version of Windows and then secured a deal with IBM to develop a separate operating system. This collaboration didn’t materialize due to conflict of opinions.

Bill Gates - Ideology

The best creations revolve around what people actually care about. Bill was fond of computers and wanted to do something within the field. As he wrote the MS-DOS program for IBM , an industry behemoth was in the making.

The most vital quality that budding entrepreneurs can learn from Gates is consistency in hard work. Success cannot be achieved without hard work. And hard work isn’t a one time activity, one needs to uphold the momentum as situations get tougher. In spite of being talented, he worked tirelessly. He knew that both go hand-in-hand.

Evolution is never ending. To keep up with the flow is imperative. Even when Microsoft became popular in the eighties and nineties, Bill Gates was everything but complacent. Reinventing Microsoft with new products and offerings was on top of his priorities . Satya Nadella walks on Bill’s footsteps, and this is evident by Microsoft Azure’s dominance in the cloud segment .

Bill Gates - Quotes

The name itself is an inspiration for all. Some of quotes by the Microsoft founder are:

"Success is a lousy teacher, It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose."

"The internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow."

"As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others."

Bill Gates - An Inspiration

Leading the list of richest men since decades, leading massive philanthropic initiatives, guiding others on how to run businesses, and giving lessons on entrepreneurship. These traits make him a leader both on and off the field. In 2007, the Bill Gates and his wife Melinda decided to give 95% of their wealth for charitable causes . The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, aims at providing 120 million women and girls the gift of high-quality education, healthcare, and family planning.

A leader acts as a role model for their organization, is a source of emulation of rival organizations, and the torch-bearer for many. As a child, Bill’s parents encouraged him to think out of the box and opt for the road not taken. Learning from mistakes and growing is what made Bill Gates the man we are inspired from and the legend he is.

Being receptive to feedback helped him connect with consumers and conceive products that people find intuitive and accessible. Bill Gates was a hardcore workaholic in Microsoft’s initial years and expected the same from his employees. Though he has mellowed out over the years, Bill says that craze for work was a major reason for the success he enjoyed. He however, doesn’t recommend people to focus only on work.

Not just budding entrepreneurs but anyone who wants to make it big in life should read about Bill Gates. The takeaways from this man’s journey are numerous!

Bill Gates - FAQs

What is bill gates iq.

Bill Gates IQ is 160.

What is Bill Gates net worth?

Bill Gates' net worth is $136.5 Billion.

What is Bill Gates' educational qualifications?

Bill Gates is a Harvard University dropout.

What is Bill Gates' age?

Bill Gates was born in 1955. He is 66 years old right now.

Who is Bill Gates wife?

Bill Gates's was married to Melinda French (1994 - 2021)) who is an American philanthropist and a former general manager at Microsoft.

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What Is Bill Gates’ Educational Background

Published: November 3, 2023

Early Education

Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft and one of the wealthiest individuals in the world, started his educational journey like most children. Born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington, Gates attended a public elementary school in his hometown before moving on to Lakeside School, a prestigious private school known for its academically challenging curriculum.

At Lakeside, Gates quickly exhibited an exceptional aptitude for mathematics and computer programming. His parents recognized his potential and nurtured his passion by enrolling him in programming classes at the nearby University of Washington. This early exposure to computers sparked Gates’ interest and set him on a path towards technological innovation.

During his time at Lakeside, Gates also formed a close friendship with Paul Allen, another gifted programmer. Together, they worked on various projects and discovered their shared love for computer programming, forming a dynamic partnership that would shape the future of the tech industry.

Despite his passion for technology, Gates did not neglect his other subjects. He excelled academically, displaying his intelligence and dedication in various areas, including English, history, and science.

Gates’ educational background at Lakeside School laid the foundation of his future success. It provided him with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities necessary to pursue his passion for technology and set him apart from his peers. His experience at Lakeside School played a pivotal role in molding him into the exceptional innovator and entrepreneur that he would become.

Harvard University

After graduating from Lakeside School in 1973, Bill Gates was accepted into one of the most prestigious universities in the world: Harvard University. His exceptional academic record and undeniable intellect earned him a place at this renowned institution.

At Harvard, Gates initially intended to pursue a degree in law. However, his passion for computer programming soon took center stage. He devoted much of his time to exploring the emerging world of computing and honing his programming skills.

Gates immersed himself in the vibrant computer culture at Harvard, spending hours in the computer lab and engaging in intellectual discussions with like-minded individuals. This exposure to cutting-edge technology and the brilliant minds around him fueled his ambition and nurtured his entrepreneurial spirit.

While at Harvard, Gates took full advantage of the academic resources available to him, attending a wide variety of classes to broaden his knowledge and intellectual horizons. He delved into subjects such as mathematics, physics, and economics, expanding his understanding of the world and acquiring a multidisciplinary perspective that would prove invaluable in his future endeavors.

During his time at Harvard, Gates also met Steve Ballmer, who would later become Microsoft’s CEO. Their friendship and shared passion for technology ultimately led to the formation of a partnership that played a pivotal role in the rise of Microsoft.

Gates’ experience at Harvard University undoubtedly contributed to his intellectual growth and provided him with a strong academic foundation. His immersion in the university’s vibrant intellectual environment and access to cutting-edge technology laid the groundwork for his future success in the tech industry.

Dropping Out of Harvard

One of the most pivotal moments in Bill Gates’ educational journey came when he made the daring decision to drop out of Harvard University. In 1975, only two years into his studies, Gates chose to leave behind the traditional path of a college education and instead embark on a remarkable entrepreneurial journey.

Gates’ decision to drop out was not made lightly. He had a clear vision of the potential impact that technology could have on society, and he believed that pursuing his entrepreneurial ambitions was the best way to bring about that change.

With the encouragement of his parents and the unwavering support of his business partner, Paul Allen, Gates made the bold move to leave academia and fully commit to building his own company. In April 1975, he co-founded Microsoft, a company that would revolutionize the world of personal computing and shape the future of technology.

Gates’ decision to drop out of Harvard was a testament to his unwavering determination, resolute belief in his abilities, and unmatched entrepreneurial spirit. It was a calculated risk that would ultimately pay off, propelling him towards unparalleled success and establishing him as one of the most influential figures in the tech industry.

Although Gates dropped out of Harvard, he remained deeply connected to the university throughout his career. He maintained a close relationship with the faculty and continued to collaborate with researchers and students on various projects. In recognition of his contributions to the field of technology, Harvard later awarded Gates an honorary degree, highlighting the significant impact he had made in the industry.

Gates’ decision to forgo a traditional college education and pursue his entrepreneurial dreams showcases the power of passion, determination, and a willingness to take risks. It serves as a reminder that success does not always follow a conventional path and that sometimes, the most extraordinary achievements can come from stepping outside the boundaries of traditional education.

Continued Education

Although Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard University, his thirst for knowledge and intellectual curiosity did not diminish. Despite not having a formal college degree, Gates continued to pursue education and expand his knowledge through various avenues.

One of the notable ways Gates continued his education was through extensive reading. He has been known to devour books on a wide range of subjects, from science and technology to history and philosophy. Gates has often credited his reading habits as a crucial source of inspiration and learning, allowing him to stay informed about the latest advancements and broaden his perspectives.

Furthermore, Gates has actively sought opportunities to learn directly from experts and visionaries in different fields. He has attended conferences, seminars, and workshops, engaging in discussions and absorbing knowledge from renowned experts in various domains. By interacting with leaders in different industries, Gates has been able to gain insights and stay at the forefront of advancements in technology, business, and innovation.

Gates also understands the value of continuous learning within his own organization. He fostered a culture of learning at Microsoft, encouraging employees to engage in professional development activities and providing resources for ongoing education and training. This commitment to continuous learning has helped Microsoft thrive as a company and stay at the forefront of technological innovation.

In addition to self-directed learning, Gates has pursued formal education through online courses and programs. He has taken advantage of the digital age to access high-quality educational resources and expand his knowledge in specific areas of interest. Through platforms like Khan Academy and Coursera, Gates has been able to engage in structured learning, acquiring new skills and deepening his understanding of various subjects.

Gates’ commitment to continued education serves as a powerful reminder that learning is not confined to the boundaries of a formal degree. His relentless pursuit of knowledge through reading, engagement with experts, and participation in online courses showcases the importance of lifelong learning and the impact it can have on personal and professional growth.

Honorary Degrees

In recognition of his immense contributions to the field of technology and his philanthropic endeavors, Bill Gates has been bestowed with numerous honorary degrees from esteemed institutions around the world. These honorary degrees serve as a testament to Gates’ impact and influence, despite his decision to drop out of college.

One of the first honorary degrees awarded to Gates came from his alma mater, Harvard University, in 2007. The university recognized his extraordinary achievements in the field of technology and his dedication to improving global health through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The honorary degree symbolized not only Gates’ personal accomplishments but also the transformative legacy he had created through his work.

Since then, Gates has received honorary degrees from other prestigious institutions, including Cambridge University, Tsinghua University, and the Karolinska Institute. Each of these degrees acknowledges Gates’ profound impact on technology, business, and philanthropy, and his commitment to solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

These honorary degrees not only recognize Gates’ individual achievements but also serve as a testament to the importance of innovation and technology in our modern society. They highlight the impact that a single individual can have in reshaping the world through dedication, vision, and unwavering commitment.

Gates’ receipt of multiple honorary degrees also reflects the changing perception of formal education and the acknowledgment of non-traditional paths to success. He serves as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators, demonstrating that one’s educational journey does not have to be limited to the confines of a college degree. Instead, the pursuit of knowledge and the ability to effect positive change can transcend traditional educational boundaries.

Overall, Gates’ collection of honorary degrees reflects the recognition and admiration of his accomplishments, innovation, and dedication to making a difference in the world. These degrees stand not only as a testament to his own success but also as a reminder that education can take many different forms and that true impact can be achieved through relentless pursuit, passion, and a commitment to lifelong learning.

Education Philanthropy

Bill Gates’ commitment to education extends far beyond his own personal journey. Through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates has made education philanthropy a cornerstone of his efforts to improve lives around the world.

One of the key areas of focus for Gates’ education philanthropy is improving access to quality education for all. He believes that every individual, regardless of their background or circumstances, should have the opportunity to receive a high-quality education. Gates and his foundation have invested significant resources in initiatives aimed at reducing educational inequities and bridging the digital divide.

Gates also recognizes the importance of innovative teaching methods and empowering educators. His foundation has supported research and initiatives focused on improving teaching practices, developing innovative curricula, and leveraging technology to enhance learning outcomes. By investing in teacher training, curriculum development, and technology integration, Gates aims to equip educators with the tools they need to inspire and engage students in the learning process.

Furthermore, Gates is a strong advocate for data-driven decision-making in education. He believes that accurate and comprehensive data can help identify areas for improvement and inform effective policies and practices. His foundation has invested in data collection and analysis systems to help schools and educational institutions gain insights into student performance, evaluate instructional approaches, and drive positive change.

Another aspect of Gates’ education philanthropy is supporting initiatives that prepare students for success in the workforce. He recognizes the importance of fostering skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity, which are essential in an ever-evolving job market. Through partnerships with educational institutions and industry leaders, Gates aims to bridge the gap between education and employment, ensuring that students have the skills and knowledge necessary for successful careers.

Gates’ dedication to education philanthropy is driven by his belief that education is a fundamental right and a powerful tool for social and economic empowerment. Through his foundation’s initiatives, he seeks to create a world where every individual has access to quality education and the opportunity to reach their full potential.

By supporting efforts to improve educational access, enhance teaching practices, leverage technology for learning, and bridge the gap between education and employment, Gates is working towards creating a future where education is inclusive, equitable, and transformative.

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K-12 Education

At a glance.

• Too many K-12 students in the U.S.—especially Black and Latino students and students from low-income backgrounds—experience math as a barrier to success rather than as a gateway.
• We believe that all students can develop the knowledge, skills, and agency to thrive in their communities and in the workforce, and that race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status should not be predictors of educational attainment or economic mobility and security.
• We support the development and use of high-quality math instructional materials and invest in strong teacher preparation and support programs.
• We work with partners that help districts and schools implement practices, protocols, and systems changes that support strong math instruction.
• We invest in research and partnerships to develop new tools that can be translated into high-quality math instruction.

Our strategy

One of the most powerful ways for students to be able to take charge of their own future is through success in math. Math teaches students to make sense of the world and how to be better problem solvers and critical thinkers. Building on our two decades of work in helping to improve K-12 teaching and learning in the U.S., we have made a 10-year commitment to focus on math instruction and outcomes as the cornerstone of student success.

We envision math instruction that is tailored to student needs. The teacher uses digital tools to personalize learning and ensures that students get the help and practice they need to master key concepts. The classroom is an inclusive environment where all students see their interests reflected in the work they are doing. Teachers receive valuable preparation, mentoring, and professional learning aligned to the instructional materials, and they are part of a broader community of math educators who work together to tailor instruction and spread best practices.

Every student deserves this type of classroom, and every teacher deserves this kind of support. This is already happening in some schools across the country. But we want this to be the rule rather than the exception.

We look forward to a time when all students can see themselves as “math kids,” learn in the math classroom they deserve, and use math as a tool to prepare them for the future they envision for themselves.

Visit our U.S. Program website

Our U.S. Program works to ensure that everyone in the U.S. can learn, grow, and get ahead, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or family income.

Areas of focus

Educators deserve better teaching materials that are academically rigorous, engaging, and motivating to students. We work with partners to develop high-quality materials that are complemented by digital resources that offer maximum personalization for different student learning needs.

Even the best instructional materials can’t have an impact without accompanying support for the teachers who use them. We invest in strong teacher preparation and support programs that align with high-quality math curricula.

We help school districts implement practices, protocols, and systems changes that are most essential for supporting strong math instruction for all students. We also work with the U.S. Program’s Pathways team to create stronger alignment between high school and college math curricula, and we invest in R&D to bridge the gap between research and practice.

Allan Golston

Allan Golston, president of the foundation’s U.S. program, shares his excitement (in the video below) to help more students see the joy of math through our K-12 strategy over the next decade. We believe math is for everyone. Through high quality instructional materials, teacher supports, and working with school districts to implement better practices, our goal is to increase student engagement to support their life and career goals.

Why focus on K-12 education?

While many factors affect outcomes for K-12 students, research shows that those who pass Algebra 1 by 9th grade are twice as likely to graduate from high school and are more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree and go on to a well-paid career.

But too many K-12 students in the U.S.—especially Black and Latino students and students from low-income backgrounds—experience math as a barrier to success rather than as a gateway. Many feel out of place in the math

classroom and experience instruction that doesn’t show the relevance of math to their lives. Unfinished learning brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has added to these challenges, widening learning gaps among those with inequitable access to math learning supports.

That’s why we have made a 10-year commitment to focus our K-12 grantmaking on supporting teachers, schools, and districts in their efforts to improve math outcomes.

The Math Classroom All Students Deserve

Strategy leadership

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Related programs

The Postsecondary Success team supports colleges and universities in making institutional reforms that eliminate race, ethnicity, and income as predictors of educational success. 

The Economic Mobility and Opportunity team works to help the U.S. economic system better meet the needs of those experiencing poverty and significantly increase their opportunities to achieve economic success.

The Washington State team works with partners to ensure equitable opportunities for children and families in Washington, where the Gates family has lived for generations.  

• Occupation: Entrepreneur, Chairman of Microsoft
• Born: October 28, 1955 in Seattle, Washington
• Best known for: Founder of Microsoft, one of the richest men in the world

• Bill's nickname as a child was "Trey" which was given to him by his grandmother.
• He scored a 1590 out of 1600 on the SAT.
• At first Microsoft had a hyphen in the name "Micro-soft". It was a combination of microcomputer and software.
• When Microsoft first started out, Gates would look at every line of code before a new software product shipped.
• In 2004, Gates predicted that email spam would be gone by 2006. He was wrong on that one!
• He was dubbed an honorary knight by Queen Elizabeth. He does not use the title "Sir" because he is not a citizen of the United Kingdom .
• Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

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K-12 Education

We believe all students deserve the opportunity to succeed in school and in life. One of the most powerful ways for students to be able to take charge of their own futures is success in math. Math teaches students to make sense of the world and how to be better problem solvers and critical thinkers.

Building on the work we’ve done over the last 20 years working with partners to drive improvements in teaching and learning, the Gates Foundation is deepening our work in math in our K-12 Education to help improve math instruction and outcomes.

We look forward to a time when all students can see themselves as “math people” and see math as a tool to prepare them for the futures they envision for themselves.

The math classroom all students deserve

Why math why now.

Unfinished learning brought on by the pandemic has added to these existing challenges, exacerbating learning and outcome gaps and contributing to a decline in math achievement across the country. This is especially true for Black and Latino students and students from low-income backgrounds who even before the pandemic frequently experienced inequitable access to a variety of math learning supports.

Supporting teachers to improve student outcomes in math

That’s why over the next 10 years, the Gates Foundation is going deeper in math, building on the work we’ve done alongside our partners for the past 20 years to support teachers, schools, and districts in their efforts to improve student outcomes. We’ll be focusing our efforts in a few key areas:

High-quality digital instructional math materials

Educators deserve better instructional math materials that are academically rigorous, engaging and motivating to students and complemented by aligned, quality digital resources that offer maximum personalization for different student learning needs. The math classroom is full of possibility and potential. We’ll work with partners to improve math instruction through the development of high-quality instructional materials that increase student motivation, engagement, and persistence.

Teacher support in pre-service and in the classroom

Even the best materials can’t have an impact without supporting the educators who rely on these tools. We’ll continue to invest in strong teacher prep programs, high-quality teacher supports, and ongoing job-embedded professional learning for teachers that align with high-quality math curriculum.

Instructional coherence in school districts

Our work with Networks for School Improvement underscored how critical it is for an aligned instructional vision across a school district. We will work with US school districts to help implement the practices, protocols, and system changes most essential for supporting strong math instruction for all students.

The Gates Foundation will also continue to work alongside our education pathways partners to create stronger alignment between high school and college math course pathways to increase student success and support their career goals, as well as invest in R&D to bridge the gap between research and practice. We are focused on listening to, empowering, and enabling teachers to do ambitious math and to provide students with the math classrooms they deserve.

We believe that math is for all students. Learn why we are excited for the day when all students have the math skills to achieve their dreams.

Latest news and insights

Request for information: ai-powered innovations in mathematics teaching and learning, what we’re learning: math you can grab, run and feel, wwl: new research shows overwhelming support for improving math education, the math classroom all students deserve, k-12 momentum october 2022, math is for everyone, sign up for our newsletter.

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Billionaires’ Education Qualifications: From Bill Gates to Elon Musk, here’s where and what the world’s 10 richest men studied

This diverse educational background illustrates that while some of the world’s wealthiest individuals achieved success through traditional academic paths, others forged their own entrepreneurial journeys early on..

Not all billionaires quit college to start a business in a garage. Would Bill Gates truly be Bill Gates if he hadn’t attended Harvard University — where he had access to the best computer equipment and resources in the market — for some time at least? META CEO Mark Zuckerberg replicated Gates’ passion (and his decision to drop out of an Ivy League), but let’s not forget that Facebook was birthed within the very dorms of Harvard. On the other hand, Elon Musk hosted large, ticketed house parties at the University of Pennsylvania, so he could pay for its tuition fees.

The one thing Gates, Zuckerberg, and Musk have in common, other than being the world’s top billionaires, are fascinating stories from their university days. However, let’s first take a look at where they were enrolled, the degrees they pursued, and, in some cases, when they decided to drop out.

1. Bernard Arnault

Bernard Arnault, who recently overtook Elon Musk to become the richest person in the world, has a staggering net worth of $221 billion (approximately Rs 18 lakh crore). The chairman and CEO of LVMH, the global luxury goods conglomerate, has an engineering degree from École Polytechnique, one of France’s premier engineering institutions.

2. Elon Musk

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the second-richest person in the world with a net worth of $1.98 billion (approximately Rs 16 lakh crore), first enrolled at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario in 1990. Two years later, he transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics and a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the university’s Wharton School. In 1995, he was accepted into a Ph.D. programme in materials science at Stanford University but ended up dropping out two days later to cash in on the internet boom.

3. Jeff Bezos

When Jeff Bezos and his former wife MacKenzie Scott founded Amazon in a rented garage in Bellevue, little did he know that he’d be running one of the largest businesses in the world that would make him the second-richest person across the globe with a $193.9 billion (approximately Rs 16 lakh crore) net worth. In 1982, Bezos enrolled at Princeton University, where he initially majored in physics but later switched to electrical engineering and computer science. Bezos was also awarded an honorary doctorate in science and technology from Carnegie Mellon University in 2008.

4. Mark Zuckerberg

As indicated in The Social Network, a fictional retelling of how Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook, the META CEO was pursuing his bachelor’s in psychology and computer science at Harvard University when he came up with the idea for Facebook. While the social network was initially limited to users from the university, Zuckerberg and his co-founders soon realised its potential, leading the former to drop out of Harvard in 2005.

5. Larry Ellison

Another prominent name in the list of the world’s top 10 billionaires, Larry Ellison, co-founder and executive chairman of Oracle, has a staggering net worth of $143.8 billion (approximately Rs 11 lakh crore). Ellison first enrolled in the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign as a premed student, where he was named ‘science student of the year’. However, he had to leave the university before taking his finals for personal reasons, following which he completed his remaining term at the University of Chicago where he studied physics and mathematics and dabbled in computer design.

6. Warren Buffett

Did you know that Warren Buffet, one of the richest people in the world, was once rejected by Harvard Business School? Back in 1947, Buffett matriculated at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied for two years before transferring to the University of Nebraska. He graduated from here with a bachelor of science degree in business administration at the age of 19. After being rejected by Harvard, Buffet got himself enrolled in Columbia Business School for a master of science degree in economics, after learning that Benjamin Graham, the ‘father of the stock market ’ held classes there. Following this, the billionaire attended the New York Institute of Finance.

7. Bill Gates

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates was already a National Merit Scholar when he graduated from Lakeside School in 1973. He enrolled in Harvard University for a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and graduate-level computer science in the same year but dropped out after two years to join forces with childhood friend Paul Allen and kick-start their own computer software company.

8. Larry Page

Google co-founder Larry Page, the eighth-richest person in the world with a net worth of $123.3 billion (approximately Rs 10 lakh crore), had been playing around with computers since he was six. Page completed his bachelor’s in computer engineering from the University of Michigan in 1995 and his master’s in computer science from Stanford University in 1998.

9. Steve Ballmer

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO from 2000 to 2014, stayed in a dorm room down the hall from Bill Gates while they were both at Harvard University. Ballmer, who graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and economics in 1977, made quite a name for himself at the university, becoming the manager of the Harvard Crimson football team, and a prominent presence on The Harvard Crimson newspaper as well as the Harvard Advocate. Later, he attended Stanford Graduate School of Business for his MBA but then dropped out in 1980 to tie up with Gates and join Microsoft.

10. Sergey Brin

The other Google co-founder Sergey Brin hails from a family of academics. In September 1990, the billionaire who has a current net worth of $118.2 billion (Rs 9 lakh crore) enrolled in the University of Maryland, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics. He then enrolled in a computer science graduate study at Stanford University on a graduate fellowship from the National Science Foundation, securing a master’s in the subject in 1995. He even enrolled in a Ph.D. programme in computer science at Stanford, but left it midway to start Google with fellow co-founder Larry Page.

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Bill Gates visits IU School of Medicine to learn about Alzheimer’s disease research programs

Pulling on a white lab coat and protective gloves, Bill Gates was ready to get a hands-on feel for some of the most leading-edge Alzheimer’s disease research happening in the world.

The co-founder of Microsoft spent Tuesday afternoon touring labs at the Indiana University School of Medicine and meeting with key faculty members, looking to learn more about the sweeping scope of the Alzheimer’s disease research taking place in Indianapolis.

“Indiana University is home to one of the most comprehensive Alzheimer’s disease research programs in the world, with our researchers focusing on areas ranging from basic science to drug discovery,” said IU President Pamela Whitten, who welcomed Gates to the Indianapolis campus during his visit. “A deeply collaborative environment is at the heart of our research enterprise at IU, and this approach has helped to ensure that our team of scientists are working together to answer the most difficult questions about Alzheimer’s. We were proud to give a visionary like Bill Gates a firsthand look at that work.”

That comprehensive approach to Alzheimer’s research — paired with the IU School of Medicine’s deep roots of collaboration with industry leaders like Eli Lilly and Company and the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, along with its health system partner IU Health — was what drew Gates to visit the medical school’s Indianapolis campus. A leading global health philanthropist, Gates has set his sights on Alzheimer’s disease.

“Bill and his team asked to visit IU because of the breadth of Alzheimer’s research we have here. He is most interested in learning about biorepositories, biomarkers, challenges in the early phases of target development and the challenges of clinical trials,” said Tatiana Foroud, executive associate dean for research affairs at IU School of Medicine, adding that screening and implementation of therapies were also on the agenda during his visit. “These are the issues he wants to learn more about, and here at IU School of Medicine we’ve got it all — the total package.”

More than 6.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias, with millions more worldwide. The IU School of Medicine has more than 100 faculty experts focused on researching these diseases, supported by $87 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health in 2023. These experts work collaboratively across disciplines and focus areas, ranging from basic science to translational research, from drug development to delivery of care.

During his visit, Gates toured the National Centralized Repository for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias, a central biobank that serves as the primary resource of samples for all National Institutes of Aging-funded dementia studies. Led by Foroud, the repository is home to more than 2 million biological samples, including DNA, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, brain tissue and cell lines.

Following his tour of the NCRAD labs, Gates met with other leading IU Alzheimer’s disease researchers for a presentation that painted a vivid picture of the breadth and connectivity of programs at the school, and the challenges they face in making significant progress developing diagnostics and therapeutics. Around a conference room table, the researchers took turns talking through their respective work in four key areas: the biology of Alzheimer’s disease; innovations, enrollment and bottlenecks in clinical trials; early detection and diagnosis; and clinical treatment.

Read more about the IU School of Medicine’s groundbreaking Alzheimer’s research.

The interest Gates showed in the work being done at the IU School of Medicine serves as a recognition of the world-class strength of Alzheimer’s disease research happening in Indianapolis.

“We spent an inspiring afternoon hearing from our outstanding team of researchers, who are doing some of the most impactful work on Alzheimer’s disease” said Dr. Jay L. Hess, dean of the IU School of Medicine and IU’s executive vice president for university clinical affairs. “Bill’s interest in our institution is recognition of the leading stature of our program, and the urgency of the work we are doing.”

IU Health President and CEO Dennis Murphy also met with Gates during his visit. 

Katie Duffey

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The path forward

A community college in California is streamlining the journey from high school to higher education to the workforce.

In April, I sat inside a computer lab at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, California and talked with students—some too young to drive—about cybersecurity. Many seemed as fascinated by technology as I’ve always been. One even taught himself to build computers during the pandemic. Despite their different backgrounds and ambitions, they were all there for the same reason: They’re part of the cybersecurity track, or pathway, at Chaffey.

If you spend time working on education in the United States, there’s a decent chance you’ll hear the word “pathways” tossed around. Most likely, you’ll hear it in discussions about the journey from high school to higher education to fulfilling career—a journey that, for many Black and Latino students and those from low-income backgrounds, is often anything but smooth. For a disproportionate percentage of them, it’s never completed. There are too many speed bumps, roadblocks, and detours along the way and not enough direction to guide them.

But integrated, intentionally-designed programs and structures that span K-12, college, and work can help, by creating high-quality pathways for students—from education to employment—that are seamless, structured, and commonsensical. That’s why pathways are the core of our education work at the Gates Foundation. We don’t just want students to graduate from high school. We don’t even just want them to complete college. We want to make sure they have paths to follow—and finish—from classroom to commencement to career that align with their interests, and to feel supported at every step along the way. That means addressing the transition points in the educational journey that often turn into those speed bumps, roadblocks, and detours.

At the Foundation, we believe there are four key components to creating these pathways. The first is providing quality advising to students that helps them identify the right college and career plan. The second is giving them access to (and credit for) college-level coursework—so they can see themselves as successful college students and save time and money getting that degree. The third is ensuring those credits are transferable between institutions and count toward their degrees. And the fourth is helping them have career-connected learning experiences, like project-based assignments, internships, and job shadows; that way, they can understand what it’s like to actually do the work they’re interested in, gain relevant skills and experience, and make connections in the field.

There are other organizations and initiatives that approach pathways differently. But the goal—for students to graduate with valuable credentials and transition successfully to the workforce—is the same.

And it’s becoming increasingly urgent. As I’ve written about before , by 2025 two thirds of all jobs in the United States will require some education beyond high school. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a lot of students to put off that postsecondary education; many had no other choice. But the data tells us that people who don’t start college within two years of getting their high school diplomas are less likely to persist and eventually get that postsecondary degree or credential. So the best way to get people graduating from college, so they can get the best jobs for themselves and make the most out of their careers, is to reach them early and ensure they have what they need to stay on the path.

That brings me back to my day in Rancho Cucamonga, where Chaffey has established pathways that align with the Foundation’s approach to providing the structure and support students need for the education they need to build a great career.

As a community college, Chaffey has an incredibly diverse student population that comes from largely underserved communities. Sixty-seven percent are Hispanic or Latino, eight percent are Black, and many are parents, veterans, and returning students. As one of Chaffey’s leaders, Dr. Laura Hope, put it, none of them are in the position to take an extended “vow of poverty” for the sake of education. While community colleges often emphasize exploration above all else, endless exploration that doesn’t result in skills, degrees, and jobs for students doesn’t actually serve students.

So Chaffey’s job is to help students first understand and then attain the credentials and degrees required, either to land a certain job or to transfer to a four-year college, as efficiently as possible.

As I saw firsthand, Chaffey’s pathways are increasingly focusing on just that. Rather than ask what people want to do with their careers—a mammoth question for both 18-year-olds and older students alike, and one that limits them only to professions they already know about—Chaffey’s advising program asks what they’re interested in, what their strengths are, what they care about, and, critically, how much time they have.

As a result, a student interested in technology who feels called to helping others might discover, for instance, that it’s cybersecurity—and not medicine—she wants to pursue. Then, Chaffey provides the student with a “map” that guides them and supplies them with all the information they need to succeed: the exact coursework they have to complete, the degree they need and can expect to attain (including both career-related certificates and associates degrees), the credits they can bring with them if they choose to transfer to a four-year university, the universities Chaffey has those matriculation agreements with, the jobs they’ll be qualified for upon completion, even the salary they can expect to earn. The school shows them there’s a path, and then helps shorten it.

But Chaffey doesn’t just show that path to “traditional” community college students. Through its dual enrollment program, which has grown from around 20 people to around 3,500 in the past four years, Chaffey is also reaching high school students and helping them find a path to post-secondary and professional success. I met some of them in the cybersecurity class I sat in on, and I was impressed by them, and by what Chaffey is doing for them. While dual enrollment programs that allow high school students to earn college credits exist throughout the United States, not enough schools encourage them to take courses that are intentionally designed to relate to their interests and expose them to potential future careers. Instead, students often end up attaining a random assortment of unrelated credits that are irrelevant to them later on. Chaffey’s pathways approach is one way to address this problem.

This benefits students at every age and stage of their educational journey in obvious ways, helping them avoid wasted credits—and wasted time and money. But it also benefits the economy, both locally in the Inland Empire region where Chaffey is located and statewide. When the school decided to become a leader in cybersecurity, one impetus was the region’s emerging cyber and tech industries, which were growing so fast that they couldn’t find enough qualified people to hire. With its cybersecurity pathway, Chaffey is filling a local need, serving as a regional economic engine, and preparing students for success in a field with around 72,000 job openings—many of them six-figure—in California alone. Thanks to internship opportunities with regional partners, also part of the pathways approach, some of the students I met already have jobs waiting for them once they graduate.

According to Dr. Hope, the number one thing colleges like Chaffey have to teach students is belief: belief in themselves, and belief that their education is really supporting them and setting them up for success. That’s easier said than done. But with a pathway to follow, students are less likely to feel lost and more likely to find their way—through school and to a fulfilling career. The more high-quality pathways we can create for them, the better.

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Bill Gates Reading Comprehension Activities | Year 3 or Year 4

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

14 August 2024

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A reading comprehension passage with an informational text, a teacher presentation, comprehension and grammar questions, a multiple choice quiz, a crossword puzzle and a wordsearch about the founder of Microsoft and one of the richest people in the world, Bill Gates.

The NO PREP informational text worksheets are perfect for students in Year 3 or Year 4. Students will learn key facts about the famous figure whilst working on their comprehension skills.

Included in this PDF printable resource:

• A teacher presentation to introduce the subject
• An informational text
• A comprehension activity with ten questions
• Two grammar questions about the text
• An extension writing activity
• A multiple choice quiz with seven questions
• An answer sheet for self-assessment or teacher use
• A crossword puzzle to consolidate learning
• A wordsearch puzzle

⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻

This resource is great for:

• In class learning
• Independent work
• Guided reading sessions
• Assessment practice
• Reading interventions
• Emergency sub plans

The activity requires NO PREP; it has a body of text that students need to read through thoroughly; then they can use the text to find the comprehension and grammar answers. All texts then have an extension activity for those fast finishers and answers, for teacher use, are on the final page of the document.

⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚

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A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

LKS2 Bill Gates Reading Comprehension & Biography Bundle

Two great activities that would span five lessons about the founder of Microsoft and one of the richest people in the world, Bill Gates. Perfect for students in Year 3 or Year 4. NO PREP is needed! Firstly, there is a reading comprehension activity where children need to read through an informational text, and then answer comprehension and grammar questions, before completing an extension activity. Secondly, there is a biography writing unit which has been split into four separate lessons of reading, sorting and writing. Included in the reading comprehension activity: * An informational text * A comprehension activity with ten varied questions * Two grammar questions about the text * An extension writing activity * An answer page for self-assessment or teacher use Included in the biography writing unit: * Three fact sheets which students need to cut out and sort into paragraphs * Writing templates for four draft paragraphs * Two prompt sheets for students to write their introduction and conclusion * A template for students to write up their neat biography text This resource is great for: * In class learning * Independent work * Homework * Creative writing sessions * Guided reading sessions * Reading & writing interventions * Assessment practice * Emergency sub plans ⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻ ⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚ For more great resources check out my store ⇉⇉ [CLICK HERE](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/CreativePrimaryLit)

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With their massive resources, corporations could be champions of racial equity but often waiver

Reckoning donations.

NEW YORK (AP) — Forward Through Ferguson has made its mark on its community and the St. Louis region by focusing on justice and education, racial equity and policing reform.

The Missouri nonprofit was founded in 2015 to enact the societal changes outlined in the Ferguson Commission report to address the issues that contributed to the police shooting death of Michael Brown Jr. and the riots that followed in Ferguson, Missouri.

The new nonprofit and similar organizations looking to support the community saw money pour in from corporations like St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch and major philanthropic organizations ranging from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to the NBA Players Association Foundation.

It didn’t last, Annissa McCaskill, Forward Through Ferguson’s executive director, told The Associated Press.

She doesn’t want to dwell on the negative because so many have generously helped the organization. But she won’t forget the community group that pledged her nonprofit multiyear support and then decided after the first year that they didn’t want to pay anymore. “Our priorities have shifted,” the group said. Local companies that initially supported the group also stopped, “shifting priorities” again.

It’s not like her organization was ever getting the million-dollar donations that many businesses like to tout. In fact, experts say following where money from corporations and their foundations goes is very difficult.

“In many instances, it is piecemeal,” McCaskill said. “But when you put pennies in a jar, it starts to add up. Sure, I think, ’How many things do I need to do in order to get this fund endowed?'”

That lament is common throughout philanthropy, especially among organizations that rely on public donations each year rather than those, like Ivy League colleges, for example, that have large endowments that generate steady annual income. It’s also not unusual for nonprofits to see a surge in giving while their cause, from protests to weather events, is in the spotlight, only to see donations quickly dry up.

However, the racial reckoning sparked in Ferguson was supposed to be different.

This story is part of an AP ongoing series exploring the impact, legacy and ripple effects of what is widely called the Ferguson uprising, sparked a decade ago by Brown’s death.

Emerson Electric, a Fortune 500 company headquartered 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) from where Brown was killed, announced its “Ferguson Forward” initiative a month after the protests. The initiative allocated about $4 million over five years to improve education, offer scholarships to colleges and trade schools and provide business development for people in the community, hoping other area companies would match it. In 2014, Emerson earned about $2.1 billion in profit on sales of $25 billion.

Experts say there is a wide variety of reasons companies get involved with community donations, from altruistic, civic-minded ones to business-related ones including employee retention and building a stronger customer and employee base.

Recent trends suggest more corporations are providing goods and services at a reduced rate in addition to donations, rather than solely giving money to communities, said Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas, managing director and chief operations officer for Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose, a coalition that advises companies on sustainability and corporate responsibility issues.

According to CECP research, a wide-ranging definition of giving including volunteerism, community donations and providing services and products to nonprofits has jumped from 24% of a company’s overall corporate or social responsibility budgets in 2021 to 35% of those budget in 2023, Niedfeldt-Thomas said.

But the current backlash against anything that could be perceived as a diversity, equity or inclusion program is making it more difficult to measure corporate commitments, even if companies are dedicating more resources toward them, she said.

Earl Lewis, a professor and director of the Center for Social Solutions at the University of Michigan, found that lack of transparency especially striking after the outpouring of corporate pledges and statements following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

Along with his research team, Lewis, who formerly led the Mellon Foundation, designed a database to make information about the commitments and actions taken by major U.S. corporations around racial equity more accessible.

“Maybe there was a way to actually take people at their word, that they were going to do something and then, try to figure out whether in the public domain, we could find data that would support their claims,” Lewis said, explaining they reached out to all the companies on their list and will update the results if they respond with public information.

There are few requirements for companies to make this information public, though if they give through a corporate foundation they will report outgoing grants on tax forms.

Lewis’ team, led by data scientist Brad Bottoms, searched for statements and reports from 51 of the largest U.S. companies from 2020. Just over half, or 27 of the 51 companies, made a public pledge around racial equity that year. Of the companies that didn’t make a pledge, the researchers found 10 mentioned racial equity when reporting about their donations.

Six companies that made pledges did not report in detail about how they fulfilled them, which Lewis and his team thought was a priority.

One of those companies, AT&T, did not respond to questions about whether it has fulfilled its $10 million pledge to historically Black colleges and universities.

The social media giant Meta said it fulfilled its promise to give $10 million to organizations that work on racial equity. The company also said it granted $20 million in cash and $12 million in advertising credits to 400 nonprofits serving Black communities, which Meta had not previously publicly disclosed.

Consumer giant Johnson & Johnson said by the end of 2023 it had spent $80 million out of a pledged $100 million to “community-led organizations and programs” to improve racial health inequities but did not specify what organizations.

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy .