Updated: Aug. 3, 2011
William
(Bill) H. Gates is chairman of Microsoft Corporation, the worldwide
leader in software, services and solutions that help people and
businesses realize their full potential.
On June
27, 2008, Gates transitioned out of a day-to-day role in the company to
spend more time on his global health and education work at the Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation. He shares his thoughts about the
foundation and other topics on Gates Notes, a Web site launched in
January 2010. Gates continues to serve as Microsoft's chairman and as an
advisor on key development projects. In June 2006, Craig Mundie assumed
the new title of chief research and strategy officer at Microsoft and
is responsible for the company's research and incubation efforts.
Born
on Oct. 28, 1955, Gates grew up in Seattle with his two sisters. Their
father, William H. Gates II, is a Seattle attorney. Their late mother,
Mary Gates, was a schoolteacher, University of Washington regent, and
chairwoman of United Way International.
Gates
attended public elementary school and the private Lakeside School.
There, he discovered his interest in software and began programming
computers at age 13.
In 1973, Gates entered
Harvard University as a freshman, where he lived down the hall from
Steve Ballmer, now Microsoft's chief executive officer. While at
Harvard, Gates developed a version of the programming language BASIC for
the first microcomputer - the MITS Altair.
In
his junior year, Gates left Harvard to devote his energies to Microsoft,
a company he had begun in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen.
Guided by a belief that the computer would be a valuable tool on every
office desktop and in every home, they began developing software for
personal computers. Gates' foresight and his vision for personal
computing have been central to the success of Microsoft and the software
industry.
Under Gates' leadership, Microsoft's
mission has been to continually advance and improve software technology,
and to make it easier, more cost-effective and more enjoyable for
people to use computers. The company is committed to a long-term view,
reflected in its industry-leading investment in research and development
each year.
In 1999, Gates wrote "Business @ the
Speed of Thought", a book that shows how computer technology can solve
business problems in fundamentally new ways. The book was published in
25 languages and is available in more than 60 countries. "Business @ the
Speed of Thought" has received wide critical acclaim, and was listed on
the best-seller lists of the "New York Times", "USA Today", "The Wall
Street Journal" and on Amazon.com. Gates' previous book, "The Road
Ahead", published in 1995, was at the top of the "New York Times"
bestseller list for seven weeks.
Gates has
donated the proceeds of both books to non-profit organizations that
support the use of technology in education and skills development.
In addition to his love of computers and software, Gates founded Corbis,
which is developing one of the world's largest resources of visual
information - a comprehensive digital archive of art and photography
from public and private collections around the globe. He is also a
member of the board of directors of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which
invests in companies engaged in diverse business activities.
Philanthropy
is very important to Gates. He and his wife, Melinda, started a
foundation in 2000 to help reduce inequities in the United States and
around the world. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supports
philanthropic initiatives in the areas of global health and learning,
with the hope that in the 21st century, advances in these critical areas
will be available for all people. To learn more about the foundation,
visit www.gatesfoundation.org
Gates
was married on Jan. 1, 1994, to Melinda French Gates. They have three
children. Gates is an avid reader, and enjoys playing golf, tennis and
bridge.
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