Bill Gates is perhaps the most well-known computer businessman in history. Not only did he start the most popular computing company of all time, Microsoft, but he also changed the way computers were made and marketed forever. His entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen are worth studying. So let's take a closer look at Bill Gates, his history, how he started his famous company and his current philanthropic endeavors.

Who is Bill Gates?

William Henry Gates III is best known as the founder and leader of Microsoft. He created the company in 1975 with his business partner Paul Allen. Though Paul Allen left the company some years later, William H. Gates remained with Microsoft for decades, heading it as the CEO until he left the position in 2000.

Gates remained with Microsoft until 2008, then retired to take a position on the board of advisors. Since then, he has primarily acted as a business investor and charity leader, driving positive developments worldwide as the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and his involvement in other organizations.

"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”

Bill Gates
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Harvard and the Altair 8800

Though Bill Gates attended Harvard University, he didn't focus much on his studies. After reading a magazine article in December 1974 about the world's first microcomputer, the Altair 8800, Gates and Allen decided to pursue a business opportunity only they could see.

They contacted the manufacturer of the Altair 880, MITS, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

They told the president they had written a version of the computer language BASIC specifically for the microcomputer. Though this was a fabrication, the pair wanted to see if there was any interest in their "design."

To the pair's surprise, the president of MITS said that he'd like to see the language. Scrambling, Gates and Allen started working 24/7 to create the promised language.

They simulated the Altair 8800's capabilities on other computers since they had no microcomputer to work on or test.

Still, Gates knew the opportunity was too good to pass up. When the pair showed the language to MITS, it was a resounding success. Inspired, Gates took a leave of absence from Harvard in November 1975, taking a job offer to work at MITS full-time.

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The formation of Microsoft

More importantly, Bill Gates and Paul Allen entered an official business partnership named "Micro-Soft." The two got the name for the company by combining the words microcomputer and software.

However, by November 26, 1976, they'd changed the name to the more commonly recognized "Microsoft" version. Microsoft's first product was the Altair BASIC language, but Gates and Paul Allen continued to work on new products. Gates never returned to Harvard University, as his business was already massively successful.

In the years to come, MITS would collapse, but Microsoft endured. July 1980 saw IBM approach Microsoft to write software for the upcoming personal computer, the IBM PC.

Although Microsoft was initially contracted to write a BASIC interpreter for the IBM PC, the company was instead eventually hired to write the operating system for the upcoming computer when negotiations with Digital Research, another company, fell through.

What is Bill Gates' net worth?

At the time of this writing in spring of 2023,, Bill Gates' net worth is $107.9 billion. This combines his assets, stock options, portfolio values and estates.

He is currently the fourth richest person in the world, behind Bernard Arnault, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.