Bill Gates
Co-founder of Microsoft and one of the world’s leading philanthropists
- Age
- 71 yrs
- Birthday in 357 days
- Works listed
- 3
- Book, Memoir
- Honours
- 4
- Most recent 2016
- Profile views
- 0
- 0 followers
Bill Gates is an American businessman who co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975 and led it to dominate personal computer software with MS-DOS, Windows and Office. For many years the world’s richest person, he now devotes most of his time to the Gates Foundation, focused on global health and poverty.
Biography
Early life
Gates grew up in Seattle; his father was a lawyer and his mother a businesswoman. At Lakeside School he met Paul Allen and they programmed on a time-sharing terminal. He entered Harvard in 1973.
Founding Microsoft
After seeing the Altair 8800 on a magazine cover in 1975, Gates and Allen wrote a BASIC interpreter for it and founded Microsoft in Albuquerque. Gates left Harvard.
DOS and Windows
In 1980 Microsoft agreed to supply an operating system for the IBM PC, buying 86-DOS and licensing it as MS-DOS while keeping the right to sell to other makers. Windows, launched in 1985, and Windows 95 made Microsoft dominant, along with Office. A 1998 US antitrust case found Microsoft had abused its monopoly.
Philanthropy
Gates stepped down as CEO in 2000 and from full-time work in 2008. The foundation he co-founded with Melinda French Gates has spent tens of billions on vaccines, malaria, polio eradication and education. In 2025 he announced the foundation would spend nearly all its money and close by 2045.
Timeline
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1955
Born in Seattle, Washington, United States
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1975
Co-founds Microsoft
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1980
Deal to supply DOS for the IBM PC
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1985
Windows 1.0
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1986
Microsoft goes public
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1995
Windows 95
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2000
Steps down as CEO; foundation formed
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2008
Leaves daily work at Microsoft
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2020
Leaves Microsoft’s board
Notable works
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1995
The Road Ahead Book
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2021
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster Book
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2025
Source Code: My Beginnings Memoir
Awards and honours
-
National Medal of Technology
1992
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Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
2005
-
Padma Bhushan
2015
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Presidential Medal of Freedom
2016
Did you know?
-
1
He scored 1590 out of 1600 on the SAT.
-
2
His 1995 “Internet Tidal Wave” memo redirected Microsoft towards the internet.
-
3
He was arrested for a traffic violation in 1977; the mugshot is famous.
Connections
Also born on 28 October
Frequently asked
Who is Bill Gates?
Bill Gates is an American businessman who co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975 and led it to dominate personal computer software with MS-DOS, Windows and Office. For many years the world’s richest person, he now devotes most of his time to the Gates Foundation, focused on global health and poverty.
How old is Bill Gates?
Bill Gates is 71 years old, born on 28 October 1955 in Seattle, Washington, United States.
Where is Bill Gates from?
Bill Gates was born in Seattle, Washington, United States.
What is Bill Gates known for?
Bill Gates is best known for Co-founding Microsoft (1975); MS-DOS and Windows; the Gates Foundation.
What awards has Bill Gates received?
Notable honours include National Medal of Technology (1992), Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2005), Padma Bhushan (2015), Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016).
References
- Bill Gates — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Bill Gates — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Bill Gates — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Bill Gates — Goodreads author page. Goodreads. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Bill Gates — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Official website. www.thegatesnotes.com. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Bill Gates (Q5284) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Bill Gates”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Bill Gates.” TrackFame, last updated 4 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/bill-gates
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