Bill Gates

👤 Bio & Residence

🎓 Education & Early Life

• Attended Lakeside School, an exclusive private school in Seattle.
• Scored 1590 out of 1600 on the SAT.
• Enrolled at Harvard College in 1973 but dropped out in 1975 to co-found Microsoft.
• Had a passion for computers from a young age, programming since age 13.
• Parents were active in local business and philanthropy.

📜 Career Timeline

• 1975: Co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen
• 1980: IBM adopts Microsoft software for its PCs
• 1986: Microsoft goes public
• 1995–2010: World’s richest person (Forbes ranking)
• 2000: Steps down as Microsoft CEO to focus on philanthropy
• 2008: Leaves daily work at Microsoft
• 2010–present: Focused on Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• 2021: Divorce from Melinda French Gates, but continued co-chair of foundation

🏆 Major Awards

• Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016)
• Time Person of the Year (2005, with Melinda and Bono)
• Padma Bhushan (India, 2015)
• Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)
• Bower Award for Business Leadership (2010)
• Multiple honorary doctorates worldwide

🧠 Did You Know?

• Has given away over $60 billion through the Gates Foundation.
• Owns one of the largest private collections of Leonardo da Vinci writings.
• Reads about 50 books a year.
• Is a major advocate for global health and education.
• First computer program he sold was a version of tic-tac-toe.
• His house “Xanadu 2.0” in Medina is worth over $130 million.
• Learns from Warren Buffett, whom he calls a mentor and close friend.
• Plays bridge regularly with friends.