Bill Gates: Difference between revisions

From Tardis Wiki, the free Doctor Who reference
No edit summary
(Undo revision 180523 by 82.28.241.19 (talk))
Line 2: Line 2:


[[Category:Real people|Gates, Bill]]
[[Category:Real people|Gates, Bill]]
<!--
This page is monitored regularly for nonsense and vandalism. People who vandalize articles repeatedly will be blocked from editing.
If you would like to experiment with Wikipedia, please copy the following address into your browser's address bar:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Sandbox
It will take you to a page where new users can try out the editing features!
-->
{{otherpeople}}
{{pp-semi-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Infobox Person
| name        = Bill Gates
| image      = Bill Gates - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Davos 2008 number3.jpg
| imagesize  = 255px
| caption    = Bill Gates at the [[World Economic Forum]] in [[Davos]], 2008
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1955|10|28}}
| birth_place = [[Seattle]], [[Washington]]
| occupation  = Chairman of [[Microsoft]]<br>Co-Chair of [[Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]]
| networth    = {{gain}}[[United States dollar|US$]]58 [[1,000,000,000 (number)|billion]] (2008)<ref name="networth">{{cite web
  | title = The World's Billionaires #3 William Gates III
  | publisher = [[Forbes]]
  | date = 2008-03-05
  | url = http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/10/billionaires08_William-Gates-III_BH69.html
  | accessdate = 2008-03-06 }}</ref>
| spouse      = [[Melinda Gates]] (1994–present)
| children    = Jennifer Katharine Gates (1996), Rory John Gates (1999) and Phoebe Adele Gates (2002)
| residence = [[Seattle]], [[Washington]], [[United States]]
| alma_mater = Harvard University (dropped out in 1975, honorary degree in 2007)<ref> {{cite news
  | last = Lombardi
  | first = Candace
  | title = Bill Gates "graduates" from Harvard 30 years after dropping out
  | publisher = CNET News.com
  | date = 2007-06-08
  | url = http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/Bill-Gates-graduates-from-Harvard-30-years-after-dropping-out/0,130061733,339278363,00.htm
  | accessdate = 2008-08-04}}</ref>
| website    = [http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/billg/default.mspx Bill Gates]
|signature    = BillGates Signature.svg
| footnotes  =
}}
''' William Henry''' "'''Bill'''" '''Gates III''' <!--See talk page regarding the non-inclusion of the UK knighthood title in the lead [[KBE]]-->(born October 28, 1955)<ref>{{harv|Manes|1994|p=11}}</ref> is an [[United States|American]] [[business magnate]], [[philanthropist]], [[author]], the [[List of the 100 wealthiest people|world's third richest person]] (as of February 8, 2008),<ref name="networth" /> and [[chairman of the board|chairman]]<ref name="chapman">{{cite news
|url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i8aV1bK5vmwLaw9wYr9nY5bFc4YA
|first=Glenn
|last=Chapman
|title=Bill Gates Signs Off
|date=2008-06-27
|work=Agence France-Presse
}}</ref> of [[Microsoft]], the software company he founded with [[Paul Allen]]. Gates was the richest person in the world for 15 consecutive years.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSN1748882920080917
|title=Bill Gates tops U.S. wealth list 15 years in a row
|first=Phil
|last=Wahba
|date=2008-09-17
|accessdate=2008-11-06
|publisher=Reuters}}</ref> During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions of [[chief executive officer|CEO]] and [[software architecture|chief software architect]], and remains the largest individual shareholder with more than 8 percent of the [[common stock]].<ref>Gates regularly documents his share ownership through public SEC form 4 filings.</ref> He has also authored or co-authored several books.
Gates is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the [[personal computer]] revolution. Although he is admired by many, a large number of industry insiders criticize his business tactics, which they consider anti-competitive, an opinion which has in some cases been upheld by the courts.<ref>{{harv|Manes|1994|p=459}}</ref><ref>{{harv|Lesinski|2006|p=96}}</ref> In the later stages of his career, Gates has pursued a number of [[philanthropy|philanthropic]] endeavors, donating large amounts of money to various charitable organizations and scientific research programs through the [[Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]], established in 2000.
Bill Gates stepped down as chief executive officer of Microsoft in January, 2000. He remained as chairman and created the position of chief software architect. In June, 2006, Gates announced that he would be transitioning from full-time work at Microsoft to part-time work and full-time work at the [[Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]]. He gradually transferred his duties to [[Ray Ozzie]], [[chief software architect]] and [[Craig Mundie]], chief research and strategy officer. Gates's last full-time day at [[Microsoft]] was June 27, 2008. He remains at Microsoft as non-executive chairman.
==Early life==
Gates was born in [[Seattle]], [[Washington]], to [[William H. Gates, Sr.]] and [[Mary Maxwell Gates]]. His family was upper middle class; his father was a prominent lawyer, his mother served on the board of directors for [[First Interstate BancSystem]] and the [[United Way of America|United Way]], and her father, J. W. Maxwell, was a [[National bank#United States|national bank]] president. Gates has one elder sister, Kristi (Kristianne), and one younger sister, Libby. He was the fourth of his name in his family, but was known as William Gates III or "Trey" because his father had dropped his own "III" suffix.<ref>{{harv|Manes|1994|p=15}}</ref> Early on in his life, Gates's parents had a law career in mind for him.<ref>{{harv|Manes|1994|p=47}}</ref>
At 13 he enrolled in the [[Lakeside School]], an exclusive preparatory school.<ref>{{harv|Manes|1994|p=24}}</ref> When he was in the eighth grade, the Mothers Club at the school used proceeds from Lakeside School's rummage sale to buy an [[ASR-33]] [[teletype]] [[computer terminal|terminal]] and a block of computer time on a [[General Electric]] (GE) computer for the school's students.<ref>{{harv|Manes|1994|p=27}}</ref> Gates took an interest in programming the GE system in [[BASIC programming language|BASIC]] and was excused from math classes to pursue his interest. He wrote his first computer program on this machine: an implementation of [[tic-tac-toe]] that allowed users to play games against the computer. Gates was fascinated by the machine and how it would always execute software code perfectly. When he reflected back on that moment, he commented on it and said, "There was just something neat about the machine."<ref name = "dlzsnr">{{harv|Gates|1996|p=12}}</ref> After the Mothers Club donation was exhausted, he and other students sought time on systems including [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] [[Programmed Data Processor|PDP]] [[minicomputer]]s. One of these systems was a [[PDP-10]] belonging to Computer Center Corporation (CCC), which banned four Lakeside students—Gates, [[Paul Allen]], [[Ric Weiland]], and Kent Evans—for the summer after it caught them exploiting bugs in the [[operating system]] to obtain free computer time.<ref>{{harv|Manes|1994|p=34}}</ref>
At the end of the ban, the four students offered to find bugs in CCC's software in exchange for computer time. Rather than use the system via teletype, Gates went to CCC's offices and studied [[source code]] for various programs that ran on the system, including programs in [[FORTRAN]], [[LISP]], and [[machine language]]. The arrangement with CCC continued until 1970, when it went out of business. The following year, Information Sciences Inc. hired the four Lakeside students to write a payroll program in [[COBOL]], providing them computer time and royalties. After his administrators became aware of his programming abilities, Gates wrote the school's computer program to schedule students in classes. He modified the code so that he was placed in classes with mostly female students. He later stated that "it was hard to tear myself away from a machine at which I could so unambiguously demonstrate success."<ref name = "dlzsnr"/> At age 17, Gates formed a venture with Allen, called [[Traf-O-Data]], to make [[traffic counter]]s based on the [[Intel 8008]] processor.<ref>{{harv|Gates|1996|p=14}}</ref>. In early 1973, Bill Gates served as a congressional page in the U.S. House of Representatives.<ref>[http://www.ushpaa.org/history.php "Congressional Page History"], The United States House Page Association of America. "The Page Program has produced many politicians, Members of Congress, as well as other famous men and women. Some of these include: the Honorable John Dingell, the longest serving Member of Congress, Bill Gates, founder and CEO of the Microsoft Corporation, and Donnald K. Anderson, former Clerk of the House."</ref>
Gates graduated from Lakeside School in 1973. He scored 1590 out of 1600 on the [[SAT]]<ref>{{harv|Lesinski|2006|p=25}}</ref> and subsequently enrolled at [[Harvard College]] in the fall of 1973.<ref name = "wzxoxv">{{harv|Gates|1996|p=15}}</ref> Prior to the mid-1990s, an SAT score of 1590 corresponded roughly to an [[intelligence quotient|IQ]] of 170,<ref>http://www.eskimo.com/~miyaguch/MCReport/mcreport.html</ref> a figure that has been cited frequently by the press.<ref>http://www.forbes.com/forbes/1997/1013/6008040a_2.html</ref> While at Harvard, he met his future business partner, [[Steve Ballmer]], whom he later appointed as CEO of Microsoft. He also met computer scientist [[Christos Papadimitriou]] at Harvard, with whom he collaborated on a paper about [[pancake sorting]].<ref name="gatespapadimitriou">{{cite journal | last=Gates | first=William | year=1979 | title=Bounds for sorting by prefix reversal | journal=[[Discrete mathematics]] | volume=27 | pages=47–57 | doi=10.1016/0012-365X(79)90068-2}}</ref> He did not have a definite study plan while a student at Harvard<ref name = "lmxgxg">{{harv|Gates|1996|p=19}}</ref> and spent a lot of time using the school's computers. He remained in contact with Paul Allen, joining him at Honeywell during the summer of 1974.<ref>{{harv|Wallace|1993|59}}</ref> The following year saw the release of the [[MITS Altair 8800]] based on the [[Intel 8080]] [[CPU]], and Gates and Allen saw this as the opportunity to start their own computer software company.<ref>{{harv|Gates|1996|p=18}}</ref> He had talked this decision over with his parents, who were supportive of him after seeing how much Gates wanted to start a company.<ref name = "lmxgxg"/>
==Microsoft==
{{main|History of Microsoft|Microsoft}}
===BASIC===
[[Image:Altair 8800 Computer.jpg|thumb|200px|right|MITS Altair 8800 Computer with 8 inch floppy disk system]]
After reading the January 1975 issue of ''[[Popular Electronics]]'' that demonstrated the [[Altair 8800]], Gates contacted [[Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems]] (MITS), the creators of the new microcomputer, to inform them that he and others were working on a [[BASIC]] interpreter for the platform.<ref name="keyevents">{{cite paper | title=Microsoft Visitor Center Student Information: Key Events in Microsoft History | url=http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/3/0/130dd86a-a196-4700-b577-521c4cf5cec1/key_events_in_microsoft_history.doc | publisher=[[Microsoft]] | format=.DOC |accessdate=2008-02-18}}</ref> In reality, Gates and Allen did not have an Altair and had not written code for it; they merely wanted to gauge MITS's interest. MITS president [[H. Edward Roberts|Ed Roberts]] agreed to meet them for a demo, and over the course of a few weeks they developed an Altair [[emulator]] that ran on a minicomputer, and then the BASIC interpreter. The demonstration, held at MITS's offices in Albuquerque, was a success and resulted in a deal with MITS to distribute the interpreter as [[Altair BASIC]]. Paul Allen was hired into MITS,<ref name="thocp1">{{cite web | title=Microsoft history|publisher=The History of Computing Project | url=http://www.thocp.net/companies/microsoft/microsoft_company.htm | accessdate=2008-03-31 }}
</ref> and Gates took a [[leave of absence]] from Harvard to work with Allen at MITS in Albuquerque in November 1975. They named their [[partnership]] "Micro-Soft" and had their first office located in Albuquerque.<ref name=thocp1/> Within a year, the hyphen was dropped, and on November 26, 1976, the trade name "Microsoft" was registered with the Office of the Secretary of the State of New Mexico.<ref name=thocp1/>
[[Microsoft]]'s BASIC was popular with computer hobbyists, but Gates discovered that a pre-market copy had leaked into the community and was being widely copied and distributed. In February 1976, Gates wrote an [[Open Letter to Hobbyists]] in the MITS newsletter saying that MITS could not continue to produce, distribute, and maintain high-quality software without payment.<ref>{{harv|Manes|1994|p=81}}</ref> This letter was unpopular with many computer hobbyists, but Gates persisted in his belief that software developers should be able to demand payment. Microsoft became independent of MITS in late 1976, and it continued to develop programming language software for various systems.<ref name="thocp1" /> The company moved from Albuquerque to its new home in [[Bellevue, Washington]] on January 1, 1979.<ref name="keyevents">{{cite web | title=Key Events In Microsoft History | url=http://www.microsoft.com/visitorcenter/student.mspx | accessdate=2008-04-04 }}</ref>
During Microsoft's early years, all employees had broad responsibility for the company's business. Gates oversaw the business details, but continued to write code as well. In the first five years, he personally reviewed every line of code the company shipped, and often rewrote parts of it as he saw fit.<ref name="waterloo">{{cite speech|url=http://www.microsoft.com/billgates/speeches/2005/10-13Waterloo.aspx|last=Gates|first=Bill|title=Remarks by Bill Gates|date=2005-10-13|location=Waterloo, Ontario|accessdate = 2008-03-31}}</ref>
===IBM partnership===
In 1980, [[IBM]] approached Microsoft to write the BASIC interpreter for its upcoming personal computer, the [[IBM PC]]. When IBM's representatives mentioned that they needed an [[operating system]], Gates referred them to [[Digital Research]] (DRI), makers of the widely used [[CP/M]] operating system.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2002/1223/258_print.html|title=Pioneers Die Broke|publisher=[[Forbes]]|author=Maiello, John Steele Gordon Michael |date=2002-12-23|accessdate =2008-03-31}}</ref>
IBM's discussions with Digital Research went poorly, and they did not reach a licensing agreement. IBM representative Jack Sams mentioned the licensing difficulties during a subsequent meeting with Gates and told him to get an acceptable operating system. A few weeks later Gates proposed using [[86-DOS]] (QDOS), an operating system similar to CP/M that [[Tim Paterson]] of [[Seattle Computer Products]] (SCP) had made for hardware similar to the PC. Microsoft made a deal with SCP to become the exclusive licensing agent, and later the full owner, of 86-DOS. After adapting the operating system for the PC, Microsoft delivered it to IBM as [[IBM PC-DOS|PC-DOS]] in exchange for a one-time fee of $50,000. Gates insisted that IBM let Microsoft keep the [[copyright]] on the operating system, because he believed that other hardware vendors would clone IBM's system.<ref>{{harv|Gates|1996|p=54}}</ref> They did, and the sales of [[MS-DOS]] made Microsoft a major player in the industry.<ref>{{harv|Manes|1994|p=193}}</ref>
===Windows===
Gates oversaw Microsoft's company restructuring on June 25, 1981, which re-incorporated the company in [[Washington]] and made Gates President of Microsoft and the Chairman of the Board.<ref name="keyevents" /> Microsoft launched its first retail version of [[Microsoft Windows]] on November 20, 1985, and in August, the company struck a deal with [[IBM]] to develop a separate operating system called [[OS/2]]. Although the two companies successfully developed the first version of the new system, mounting creative differences undermined the partnership. Gates distributed an internal memo on May 16, 1991 announcing that the OS/2 partnership was over and Microsoft would shift its efforts to the [[Windows NT]] [[kernel (computer science)|kernel]] development.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bralyn.net/etext/literature/bill.gates/challenges-strategy.txt | title=May 16, 1991 internal strategies memo from Bill Gates | publisher=Bralyn|accessdate=2008-04-04}}</ref>
===Management style===
[[Image:Billgates.JPG|thumb|250px|right|Bill Gates giving his deposition at Microsoft on August 27, 1998]]
From Microsoft's founding in 1975 until 2006, Gates had primary responsibility for the company's product strategy. He aggressively broadened the company's range of products, and wherever Microsoft achieved a dominant position he vigorously defended it.
As an executive, Gates met regularly with Microsoft's senior managers and program managers. Firsthand accounts of these meetings describe him as verbally combative, berating managers for perceived holes in their business strategies or proposals that placed the company's long-term interests at risk.<ref name="rensin">{{cite journal|first=David|last=Rensin|title=The Bill Gates Interview|year=1994|journal=Playboy}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/steve/churchillclub.mspx | title=Steve Ballmer Speech Transcript&nbsp;— Church Hill Club | first=Steve|last=Ballmer | date=1997-10-09 | publisher=[[Microsoft]] | accessdate=2008-03-31}}</ref>
He often interrupted presentations with such comments as, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"<ref name="time GOS">{{cite web | url=http://www.time.com/time/gates/gates5.html | first=Walter | last=Isaacson | title=The Gates Operating System | publisher=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] | date=1997-01-13 | accessdate=2008-03-31}}</ref> and, "Why don't you just give up your [[Option (finance)|options]] and join the [[Peace Corps]]?"<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.breakingwindows.net/1link3.htm | title=Breaking Windows | publisher=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | author= Bank, David|date=1999-02-01 | accessdate=2008-03-31}}</ref> The target of his outburst then had to defend the proposal in detail until, hopefully, Gates was fully convinced.<ref name="time GOS" /> When subordinates appeared to be procrastinating, he was known to remark sarcastically, "I'll do it over the weekend."<ref name="chapman"/><ref name="pdc97">{{cite speech | url=http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/billg/speeches/1997/pdc.aspx | first=Bill | last=Gates | title=Remarks by Bill Gates | location=[[San Diego, California]] | date=1997-09-26 | accessdate=2008-03-31}}</ref><ref name="herbold">{{cite book|first=Robert|year=2004|last=Herbold|title=The Fiefdom Syndrome: The Turf Battles That Undermine Careers and Companies - And How to Overcome Them}}</ref>
Gates's role at Microsoft for most of its history was primarily a management and executive role. However, he was an active software developer in the early years, particularly on the company's [[programming language]] products. He has not officially been on a development team since working on the [[TRS-80 Model 100 line]], but wrote code as late as 1989 that shipped in the company's products.<ref name="pdc97"/> On June 15, 2006, Gates announced that he would transition out of his day-to-day role over the next two years to dedicate more time to philanthropy. He divided his responsibilities between two successors, placing [[Ray Ozzie]] in charge of day-to-day management and [[Craig Mundie]] in charge of long-term product strategy.<ref name="mscorpnews">{{cite news | url=http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/jun06/06-15CorpNewsPR.mspx | title=Microsoft Announces Plans for July 2008 Transition for Bill Gates | publisher=[[Microsoft]]|date=2006-06-15}}</ref>
===Antitrust litigation===
{{see|United States Microsoft antitrust case|European Union Microsoft competition case}}
Many decisions that led to [[United States antitrust law|antitrust]] litigation over Microsoft's [[business practices]] have had Gates's approval. In the 1998 ''[[United States v. Microsoft]]'' case, Gates gave deposition testimony that several journalists characterized as evasive. He argued with examiner [[David Boies]] over the contextual meaning of words like "compete," "concerned," and "we."<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-03-30|url=http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9811/17/judgelaugh.ms.idg/index.html|title=Gates deposition makes judge laugh in court|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=1998-11-17}}</ref> ''BusinessWeek'' reported:
{{quotation|Early rounds of his deposition show him offering obfuscatory answers and saying 'I don't recall,' so many times that even the presiding judge had to chuckle. Worse, many of the technology chief's denials and pleas of ignorance were directly refuted by prosecutors with snippets of e-mail Gates both sent and received.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-03-30|url=http://www.businessweek.com/1998/48/b3606125.htm|title=Microsoft's Teflon Bill|publisher=[[BusinessWeek]]|date=1998-11-30}}</ref>}}
Gates later said that he had simply resisted attempts by Boies to mischaracterize his words and actions. As to his demeanor during the deposition, he said, "Did I fence with Boies? ... I plead guilty. Whatever that penalty is should be levied against me: rudeness to Boies in the first degree."<ref name="truth">{{cite journal|last=Heilemann|first=John|title=The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing But The Truth|date=2000-11-01|journal=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|url=http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.11/microsoft_pr.html|accessdate = 2008-03-31|month=May|author=Chen, Hy; Wu, Js; Hyland, B; Lu, Xd; Chen, Jj|volume=|issue=|pages=|pmid=18509686|doi=10.1007/s11517-008-0355-6}}</ref> Despite Gates's denials, the judge ruled that Microsoft had committed monopolization and tying, blocking competition, in violation of the [[Sherman Antitrust Act]].<ref name="truth" />
===Appearance in ads===
Bill Gates decided in 2008 to appear in at least one commercial in a series of ads to promote [[Microsoft]]. This commercial, co-starring [[Jerry Seinfeld]], is a 90-second talk between strangers as Seinfeld walks up on a discount shoe store (Shoe Circus) in a mall and notices Bill Gates buying shoes inside. The salesman is trying to sell Mr. Gates shoes that are a size too big. Mr. Seinfeld begins to inform him about a pair of shoes called Conquistadors that run "a little tight" and sells him on them in a size 10 (whereas the store clerk was attempting an 11). As Mr. Gates is buying the shoes he holds up his discount card, this card uses a slightly altered version of his own mugshot of his arrest in New Mexico in 1977 for a traffic violation.<ref> http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/gatesmug1.html </ref> As they are walking out of the mall, Jerry Seinfeld asks Bill Gates if he has melded his mind to other developers, after getting a yes, he then asks if they are working on a way to make computers edible, again getting a yes. Some say that this is an homage to Mr. Seinfeld's own show about "nothing" (''[[Seinfeld]]'').<ref> http://adblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/09/08/1362333.aspx</ref>
==Personal life==
Gates married [[Melinda Gates|Melinda French]] from [[Dallas, TX|Dallas]], [[Texas]] on January 1, 1994. They have three children: Jennifer Katharine(1996), Rory John(1999) and Phoebe Adele(2002).
[[Bill Gates' house|The Gateses' home]] is an [[earth sheltering|earth-sheltered house]] in the side of a hill overlooking [[Lake Washington]] in [[Medina, Washington|Medina]], [[Washington]]. According to [[King County, Washington|King County]] public records, as of 2006 the total assessed value of the property (land and house) is $125 million, and the annual property tax is $991,000. Also among Gates's private acquisitions is the [[Codex Leicester]], a collection of writings by [[Leonardo da Vinci]], which Gates bought for $30.8 million at an auction in 1994.<ref>{{harv|Lesinski|2006|p=74}}</ref> Gates is also known as an avid reader, and the ceiling of his large home library is engraved with a quotation from [[The Great Gatsby]].<ref>{{cite news
  | last = Paterson
  | first = Thane
  | title = Advice for Bill Gates: A Little Culture Wouldn't Hurt
  | publisher = Business Week
  | date = 2000-06-13
  | url = http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/june2000/nf00613b.htm
  | accessdate = 2008-04-28}}</ref> He also enjoys playing [[bridge (card game)|bridge]], [[tennis]], and [[golf]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/billg/default.aspx?tab=biography|title=Bill Gates: Chairman|publisher=Microsoft Corporation|year=2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Profile: Bill Gates|publisher=BBC news|year=2004|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3428721.stm}}</ref>
Gates was number one on the "[[Forbes 400]]" list from 1993 through to 2007 and number one on ''Forbes'' list of "[[Lists of billionaires|The World's Richest People]]" from 1995 to 2007. In 1999, Gates's wealth briefly surpassed $101 billion, causing the media to call him a "centibillionaire".<ref>{{harv|Fridson|2001|p=113}}</ref> Since 2000, the nominal value of his Microsoft holdings has declined due to a fall in Microsoft's stock price after the [[dot-com bubble]] burst and the multi-billion dollar donations he has made to his charitable foundations. In a May 2006 interview, Gates commented that he wished that he were not the richest man in the world because he disliked the attention it brought.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bolger|first=Joe|date=2006-05-05|title=I wish I was not the richest man in the world, says Bill Gates|publisher=[[The Times]]|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/markets/united_states/article713434.ece|accessdate = 2008-03-31}}</ref> Gates has several investments outside Microsoft, which in 2006 paid him a salary of $616,667, and $350,000 bonus totalling $966,667.<ref>{{cite web | title=Microsoft 2006 Proxy Statement | url=http://www.microsoft.com/msft/reports/proxy2006.mspx | publisher=[[Microsoft]] | date=2007-10-06 | accessdate=2008-02-14}}</ref> He founded [[Corbis]], a digital imaging company, in 1989. In 2004 he became a [[Board of directors|director]] of [[Berkshire Hathaway]], the investment company headed by long-time friend [[Warren Buffett]].<ref>{{cite news | last=Fried | first=Ina | date=2004-12-14 | title=Gates joins board of Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway | url=http://www.news.com/Gates-joins-board-of-Buffetts-Berkshire-Hathaway/2100-1014_3-5491312.html | publisher=[[CNET]] | accessdate=2008-03-31}}</ref>
===Philanthropy===
{{see| Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation}}
Gates began to realize the expectations others had of him when public opinion mounted that he could give more of his wealth to charity. Gates studied the work of [[Andrew Carnegie]] and [[John D. Rockefeller]] and in 1994 sold some of his Microsoft stock to create the William H. Gates Foundation. In 2000, Gates and his wife combined three family foundations into one to create the charitable [[Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]], which is the largest [[Transparency (humanities)|transparently]] operated [[charitable foundation]] in the world.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-04-01|url=http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6919139|title=Flat-pack accounting |publisher=[[The Economist]]|date=2006-05-11 }}</ref> The foundation is set up to allow benefactors access to how its money is being spent, unlike other major [[charitable organization]]s such as the [[Wellcome Trust]].<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-04-01|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3913581.stm|title=Bill Gates: billionaire philanthropist |publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=2005-01-25|author=Cronin, Jon }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-04-01|url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/AboutUs/OurWork/OurApproach/|title=Our Approach to Giving |publisher=[[Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]] }}</ref> The generosity and extensive philanthropy of [[David Rockefeller]] has been credited as a major influence. Gates and his father have met with Rockefeller several times and have modeled their giving in part on the [[Rockefeller family]]'s philanthropic focus, namely those global problems that are ignored by governments and other organizations.<ref name="bill foundation">{{cite paper | title=2005 Annual Report | format=.PDF | publisher=[[Rockefeller Brothers Fund]] | url=http://www.rbf.org/usr_doc/2005_Annual_Review.pdf | date=2006-01-01 | accessdate=2008-02-14|format=PDF}}</ref> As of 2007 Bill and Melinda Gates were the second most generous philanthropist in America, having given over $28 billion to charity.<ref>[http://bwnt.businessweek.com/interactive%5Freports/philanthropy%5Findividual/ The 50 most generous Americans] </ref>
The foundation has also received criticism because it invests the assets that it has not yet distributed, with the exclusive goal of maximizing the [[return on investment]]. As a result, its investments include companies that have been criticized for worsening poverty in the same developing countries where the Foundation is attempting to relieve poverty. These include companies that pollute heavily and pharmaceutical companies that do not sell into the developing world.<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gatesx07jan07,0,6827615.story Dark cloud over good works of Gates Foundation], Los Angeles Times, 7 January 2006</ref>
In response to press criticism, the foundation announced in 2007 a review of its investments to assess social responsibility.<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003517601_gatesinvest10.html Gates Foundation to review investments], The Seattle Times, 10 January 2007</ref> It subsequently cancelled the review and stood by its policy of investing for maximum return, while using voting rights to influence company practices.<ref>[http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/nation/01/14/14gates.html Gates Foundation to maintain its investment plan], The Austin Statesman, 14 January 2007</ref>
===Recognition===
''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine named Gates one of the 100 people who most influenced the 20th century, as well as one of the 100 most influential people of 2004, 2005, and 2006. ''Time'' also collectively named Gates, his wife [[Melinda Gates|Melinda]] and alternative rock band [[U2]]'s lead singer [[Bono]] as the 2005 [[Person of the Year|Persons of the Year]] for their humanitarian efforts.<ref>{{harv|Lesinski|2006|p=102}}</ref> In 2006, he was voted eighth in the list of "Heroes of our time".<ref>{{cite news | author= Cowley, Jason | title=Heroes of our time&nbsp;— the top 50 | url=http://www.newstatesman.com/200605220016 | publisher=[[New Statesman]] | date=2006-06-22 | accessdate=2008-02-17}}</ref> Gates was listed in the ''[[The Sunday Times (UK)|Sunday Times]]'' power list in 1999, named CEO of the year by ''Chief Executive Officers magazine'' in 1994, ranked number one in the "Top 50 Cyber Elite" by ''Time'' in 1998, ranked number two in the ''[[Upside (magazine)|Upside]]'' Elite 100 in 1999 and was included in ''[[The Guardian]]'' as one of the "Top 100 influential people in media" in 2001.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-03-30|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/457951.stm|title=Gates 'second only to Blair' |publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=1999-09-26}}</ref>
Gates has received [[honorary degree|honorary doctorates]] from [[Nyenrode Business Universiteit]], [[Breukelen]], [[The Netherlands]] in 2000,<ref>{{cite press release | language=[[Dutch language|Dutch]]| title=''Eredoctoraat Universiteit Nyenrode voor Wim Kok'' | url=http://www.nyenrode.nl/news/news_full.cfm?publication_id=599 | publisher=[[Nyenrode Business Universiteit]] | date=2003-08-13 | accessdate=2008-02-18}}</ref> the [[Royal Institute of Technology]], [[Stockholm]], [[Sweden]] in 2002, [[Waseda University]], [[Tokyo]], Japan in 2005, [[Harvard University]] in June 2007,<ref>{{cite news | author= Hughes, Gina | title=Bill Gates Gets Degree After 30 Years | url=http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/hughes/13653 | publisher=[[Yahoo!]] | date=2007-06-08 | accessdate=2008-02-18}}</ref> and from [[Karolinska Institutet]], Stockholm, in January 2008.<ref>{{cite web | author= Svärd, Madeleine | title=Bill Gates honored with a doctor's cap | url=http://ki.se/ki/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=130&a=47838&l=en&newsdep=130 | publisher=[[Karolinska Institutet]] | date=2008-01-24 | accessdate=2008-02-18}}</ref> Gates was also made an [[British honours system#Honorary Awards|honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (KBE) by [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] in 2005,<ref>{{cite news | title=Knighthood for Microsoft's Gates | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3428673.stm | publisher=[[BBC News]] | date=2005-03-02 | accessdate=2008-02-18}}</ref> in addition to having [[entomology|entomologists]] name the Bill Gates flower fly, ''[[Bill Gates' flower fly|Eristalis gatesi]]'', in his honor.<ref>{{cite web | author= Thompson, F. Christian | title=Bill Gates' Flower Fly ''Eristalis gatesi'' Thompson | url=http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/Diptera/syrphid/gates.htm | publisher=The Diptera Site | date=1999-08-19 | accessdate=2008-02-18}}</ref>
In November 2006, he and his wife were awarded the [[Order of the Aztec Eagle]] for their philanthropic work around the world in the areas of health and education, particularly in Mexico, and specifically in the program "''Un país de lectores"''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://diariooficial.segob.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=4936346|accessdate=2008-03-30|publisher=[[Diario Oficial de la Federación]]|title=Proclamation of the Award}}</ref>
===Investments===
*[[Cascade Investments LLC]], a [[private investment]] and [[holding company]], incorporated in United States, is controlled by Bill Gates, and is headquartered in the city of [[Kirkland, WA]].
*[[bgC3]], a new think-tank company founded by Bill Gates.
==Bibliography==
Gates has authored two books:
*''[[The Road Ahead]]'' (1995)
*''[[Business @ the Speed of Thought]]'' (1999)
==Notes==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==References==
* {{citation|title=How to be a Billionaire: Proven Strategies from the Titans of Wealth|first=Martin|last=Fridson|year=2001|publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]]|isbn=0471416177}}
* {{citation|title=The Road Ahead|last=Gates|first=Bill |year=1996 |publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |isbn=0140260404 }}
* {{citation|title=Bill Gates (Biography (a & E))|first=Jeanne M.|last=Lesinski|year=2006|publisher=[[A&E Television Networks]]|isbn=0822570270}}
* {{citation|title =Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry and Made Himself The Richest Man in America|isbn = 0671880748|year =1994|publisher =[[Touchstone Pictures]]|last=Manes|first=Stephen}}
* {{citation|first=James|last=Wallace|year=1993|title=Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers|location=New York}}
== Further reading ==
* [http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11622119 "The Meaning of Bill Gates: As his reign at Microsoft comes to an end, so does the era he dominated"], ''[[The Economist]]'', June 28, 2008.
==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Bill Gates}}
*[http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/billg/bio.mspx Biography of Bill Gates at Microsoft.com]
*[http://www.forbes.com/static/bill2005/LIRBH69.html Forbes: World's Richest People]
*[http://www.gatesfoundation.org/ Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]
*[http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/30/news/newsmakers/gates_howiwork_fortune/index.htm How I Work: Bill Gates]
*[http://www.ted.com/talks/bill_gates_unplugged.html TED: Bill Gates: How I'm trying to change the world now]
<!-- I couldn't site the source for Bill Gates resuming his position as the wealthiest man because someone semi-protected the site page.  The link is http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/09/16/richest-american-billionaires-lists-400list08-cx_mm_dg_0917richintro.html -->
{{start box}}
{{s-hon}}
{{succession box|
before=[[Warren Buffett]]|
title=[[Lists of billionaires|World's Richest Person]]|
years=1996–2007|
after= [[Warren Buffett]]}}
{{end box}}
{{Microsoft Executives}}
{{Time Persons of the Year 2001-2025}}
{{Berkshire Hathaway}}
{{Persondata
|NAME=Gates, William Henry, III
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Gates, Bill
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=Business entrepreneur
|DATE OF BIRTH={{Birth date and age|1955|10|28|mf=y}}
|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Seattle]], [[Washington]]
|DATE OF DEATH= N/A
|PLACE OF DEATH= N/A
}}
{{Lifetime|1955|LIVING|Gates, Bill}}
[[Category:American billionaires]]
[[Category:American businesspeople]]
[[Category:American chief executives]]
[[Category:American computer programmers]]
[[Category:American philanthropists]]
[[Category:American technology writers]]
[[Category:Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation people]]
[[Category:Bill Gates]]
[[Category:Businesspeople in software]]
[[Category:Harvard University people]]
[[Category:Recipients of Honorary British Knighthoods]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering]]
[[Category:Microsoft employees]]
[[Category:Microsoft history]]
[[Category:National Medal of Technology recipients]]
[[Category:People from Seattle, Washington]]
[[Category:Time magazine Persons of the Year]]
[[Category:Windows people]]
[[Category:Fellows of the British Computer Society]]
[[Category:TED Speakers]]
[[af:Bill Gates]]
[[ang:Bill Gates]]
[[ar:بيل غيتس]]
[[ast:Bill Gates]]
[[az:Bil Geyts]]
[[zh-min-nan:Bill Gates]]
[[be:Біл Гейтс]]
[[be-x-old:Біл Гэйтс]]
[[bar:Bill Gates]]
[[bs:Bill Gates]]
[[br:Bill Gates]]
[[bg:Бил Гейтс]]
[[ca:Bill Gates]]
[[cs:Bill Gates]]
[[cy:Bill Gates]]
[[da:Bill Gates]]
[[de:Bill Gates]]
[[et:Bill Gates]]
[[el:Μπιλ Γκέιτς]]
[[es:Bill Gates]]
[[eo:Bill Gates]]
[[ext:Bill Gates]]
[[eu:Bill Gates]]
[[fa:بیل گیتس]]
[[fr:Bill Gates]]
[[ga:Bill Gates]]
[[gl:Bill Gates]]
[[ko:빌 게이츠]]
[[hi:बिल गेट्स]]
[[hr:Bill Gates]]
[[io:Bill Gates]]
[[ilo:Bill Gates]]
[[id:Bill Gates]]
[[ia:Bill Gates]]
[[is:Bill Gates]]
[[it:Bill Gates]]
[[he:ביל גייטס]]
[[jv:Bill Gates]]
[[pam:Bill Gates]]
[[ku:Bill Gates]]
[[la:Gulielmus Gates]]
[[lv:Bils Geitss]]
[[lb:Bill Gates]]
[[lt:Bill Gates]]
[[lij:Bill Gates]]
[[li:Bill Gates]]
[[jbo:Bill Gates]]
[[hu:Bill Gates]]
[[mk:Бил Гејтс]]
[[ml:ബില്‍ ഗേറ്റ്സ്]]
[[mt:Bill Gates]]
[[mr:बिल गेट्स]]
[[ms:Bill Gates]]
[[nl:Bill Gates]]
[[new:बिल गेट्स]]
[[ja:ビル・ゲイツ]]
[[no:Bill Gates]]
[[nn:Bill Gates]]
[[oc:Bill Gates]]
[[uz:Bill Gates]]
[[km:ប៊ីល ហ្គេត]]
[[nds:Bill Gates]]
[[pl:Bill Gates]]
[[pt:Bill Gates]]
[[kaa:Bill Gates]]
[[ro:Bill Gates]]
[[qu:Bill Gates]]
[[ru:Гейтс, Билл]]
[[sa:बिल गेट्स]]
[[sq:Bill Gates]]
[[scn:Bill Gates]]
[[simple:Bill Gates]]
[[sk:Bill Gates]]
[[sl:Bill Gates]]
[[so:Bill Gates]]
[[sr:Бил Гејтс]]
[[sh:Bill Gates]]
[[fi:Bill Gates]]
[[sv:Bill Gates]]
[[tl:Bill Gates]]
[[ta:பில் கேட்ஸ்]]
[[te:బిల్ గేట్స్]]
[[th:บิลล์ เกตส์]]
[[vi:Bill Gates]]
[[tr:Bill Gates]]
[[uk:Білл Гейтс]]
[[ur:بل گیٹس]]
[[fiu-vro:Gatesi Bill]]
[[yi:ביל גייטס]]
[[zh-yue:比爾蓋茨]]
[[bat-smg:Bils Geitsos]]
[[zh:比尔·盖茨]]

Revision as of 02:22, 20 February 2009

Bill Gates (born 1955, died 2008 in The Year That Never Was) was the chairman of Microsoft Corporation and Earth's richest person. He was executed by Harold Saxon in the alternate timeline created by the Master in 2008. (REF: The Time Traveller's Almanac)

Retrieved from "https://tardis.wiki/w/index.php?title=Bill_Gates&oldid=180560"