13 surprising facts about Microsoft's co-founder Bill Gates - Bill Gates' one 'big splurge' (2024)

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What are 10 facts about Bill Gates? ›

While Bill Gates may not have invented anything, he certainly played an important role in the development of the computer industry. He has also used his wealth and influence to make significant contributions to philanthropic causes, including eradicating diseases like polio and malaria.

Gates did not start Microsoft with a loan from his parents, it was entirely bootstrapped financially. Paul Allen and Gates had saved up a small amount of money from contract work. Together they provided all of Microsoft's seed capital.

Bill Gates

Bill co-founded Microsoft Corporation in 1975 with Paul Allen and led the company to become the worldwide leader in business and personal software and services.

Bill Gates had several entrepreneurial ventures prior to co-founding Microsoft. He created a traffic monitoring system in high school and sold it to local authorities. Later, while studying at Harvard, he developed a computerized version of the game "tic-tac-toe" that allowed users to compete against the computer.

What did Bill Gates invent? Technically, Bill Gates didn't invent anything genuinely new. Instead, he and Paul Allen created two high-quality products that computer companies could use: the BASIC programming language for the Altair 8800 and the MS-DOS operating system for the IBM PC.

The concept of a “windowed” interface had already been invented, and even existed in MS-DOS and an obscure operating environment called GEM marketed by Digital Research. Microsoft's code base for its windowing OS is entirely their own, and Bill Gates took an active role in coding it in its early years.

Gates developed his first software programs -including a tic tac toe game–at age 13 at Lakeside School, the private school he attended in Seattle–and where he had access to a computer, then a rare opportunity.

Bernard Arnault & Family

Bernard Arnault, the richest person in the world, is the CEO and chairman at Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), the world's largest luxury goods company encompassing approximately 70 renowned fashion and cosmetics brands.

Who is richest man in world 2024? ›

F or the second year running, luxury goods magnate Bernard Arnault is the richest person in the world, ranking number one on Forbes' World's Billionaires list.

Gates enrolled at Harvard University in 1973 but dropped out two years later to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams with Microsoft, which he co-founded with Paul Allen in 1975.

Bill Sr. earned his bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Washington, following three years of U.S. Army service in World War II. A founding partner at Preston Gates & Ellis, Bill Sr. served as president of both the Seattle/King County Bar Association and the Washington State Bar Association.

Bill Gates never finished his undergraduate degree — the billionaire dropped out of Harvard University after three semesters to start Microsoft.

He started tinkering with computers early. He wrote software from the age of 13 and helped to computerize his high school's payroll system. Gates entered Harvard University in 1973. He left the university during his junior year, however, to form Microsoft with his childhood friend Paul G.

Can you describe the typical daily routine of Bill Gates? A typical day for Bill Gates includes morning cardio, several hours of work broken into short increments, and evening relaxation with family or business meetings.