He dropped out of Harvard to start a software company. 💻 Today Bill Gates is worth over $100 billion and has given away more money than anyone in history. From Microsoft to malaria — this is the updated story.
Bill Gates Then 🌱
Bill Gates was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington. His father was a lawyer. His mother was a businesswoman.
He was a bright kid. At 13, he got access to a computer at Lakeside School. He was hooked instantly. He and his friend Paul Allen spent hours programming.
At 15, they started their first business — Traf-O-Data. It analyzed traffic data. It made $20,000. Not bad for teenagers.
Gates got into Harvard in 1973. He studied math and computer science. But he spent most of his time in the computer lab, not in class.
In 1975, he read about the Altair 8800 — one of the first personal computers. He called the manufacturer and said he and Allen had written a BASIC programming language for it.
They hadn’t. Not yet. But they wrote it in 8 weeks. It worked. Microsoft was born.
Gates dropped out of Harvard in his junior year. He was 19. He moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, with Allen to start Microsoft.
The company’s first product was BASIC for the Altair. Then came MS-DOS. Then Windows. The rest is history.
The Middle: Building Microsoft 👑
In 1980, IBM asked Microsoft to provide an operating system for its new personal computer. Gates bought an existing OS called QDOS for $50,000. He renamed it MS-DOS.
IBM’s PC became a hit. MS-DOS became the standard. Microsoft licensed it to every PC maker. The money poured in.
In 1985, Microsoft launched Windows. It had a graphical interface — windows, icons, a mouse. It changed computing forever.
By 1990, Microsoft was the biggest software company in the world. Windows 95 launched in 1995 with a massive marketing campaign. The Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up” was the theme song.
Gates became the richest person on Earth in 1995. He held the title for most of the next 25 years. His net worth peaked above $100 billion.
Like Jeff Bezos, Gates built an empire from nothing. Like Warren Buffett, he reinvested everything and thought long-term.
Microsoft faced antitrust lawsuits. The US government sued in 1998, saying Microsoft was a monopoly. Gates testified. The company was nearly split up.
But Microsoft survived. It kept growing. Office, Xbox, Azure cloud computing. The company is now worth over $3 trillion.
In 2000, Gates stepped down as CEO. Steve Ballmer took over. Gates became Chief Software Architect. He focused on technology, not management.
In 2008, he left day-to-day work at Microsoft. He turned to philanthropy full-time.
Bill Gates Now 📈
Today, Bill Gates is 70 and worth around $110 billion. He’s no longer the richest person, but he’s the most generous.
The Gates Foundation — which he co-founded with his ex-wife Melinda — has given away over $80 billion. It’s the largest private foundation in the world.
The foundation fights malaria, polio, and poverty. It’s helped vaccinate hundreds of millions of children. It’s working to eradicate diseases that kill millions.
Gates has pledged to give away virtually all his wealth. He says his children will inherit “a minuscule portion” — enough to be comfortable, not enough to be idle.
In 2021, he and Melinda divorced after 27 years. The foundation continued. Both remain co-chairs.
He’s also investing in climate change. Breakthrough Energy — his investment fund — backs clean energy startups. He’s written a book on how to avoid a climate disaster.
He’s still involved with Microsoft as a technology advisor. But his focus is on global health, education, and climate.
From a Harvard dropout to the man who put a computer on every desk. From the richest man on Earth to the most generous.
Bill Gates didn’t just build Microsoft. He’s trying to save millions of lives — and he’s spending his fortune to do it. 💪
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