Bill Gates
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👤 Bio & Residence
Full Name: William Henry Gates III
Date of Birth: October 28, 1955
Place of Birth: Seattle, Washington, USA
Height: 177 cm (5′10″)
Weight: ~70 kg (154 lbs)
Religion: Agnostic
Nationality: American
Ancestry: English, German, Irish, Scots-Irish
Languages: English (native)
Marital Status: Divorced (Melinda French Gates, 1994–2021); partner Paula Hurd
Children: Jennifer (1996), Rory (1999), Phoebe (2002)
Occupation: Technologist, Investor, Philanthropist
Education: Harvard (attended; left 1975)
Net Worth: $100B–$160B (public estimates)
Total Social Followers: X 65M+ • LinkedIn 35M+
Businesses: Microsoft (co-founder); Cascade Investment; Gates Ventures; TerraPower (stake)
Current Residence: Medina, Washington, USA
Number of Houses: Multiple (US)
🎓 Education & Early Life
- Wrote early BASIC programs at Lakeside School with friends.
- Co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975.
- Led Windows & Office rise in the 1990s PC era.
- Shifted to philanthropy in the 2000s focusing on global health.
- Advocates for climate tech, education, and AI governance.
🏆 Career Highlights & Timeline
- 1975–1986: Microsoft founding; MS-DOS deal; IPO (1986).
- 1990s: Windows/Office dominance; antitrust scrutiny era.
- 2000: Steps down as CEO; launches major philanthropic initiatives.
- 2014–2020s: Technology investing via Cascade & Gates Ventures.
- 2025: Focus on vaccines, malaria, sanitation, energy innovation.
🏅 Awards & Recognitions
- Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016, with Melinda).
- Time Person of the Year (2005, with Bono & Melinda).
- Honorary doctorates; global philanthropy honors.
🧠 Did You Know?
- Reads ~50 books per year and writes detailed notes.
- Published the essay “Content is King” in the early web era.
- Plays competitive bridge; partners with top-ranked players.
- Invests in next-gen nuclear via TerraPower.
- Backed breakthroughs in malaria vaccines and diagnostics.
- Runs Gates Notes blog for essays, book recs, and trip reports.
- Early coder of games and utilities in school lab time.
- Donated large portions of wealth via Giving Pledge.
- Supports pandemic preparedness and “germ games” research.
- Advocates for AI to augment education and healthcare.
- Helped fund advanced toilets for sanitation in developing regions.
- Backed climate-friendly cement and steel startups.
- Enjoys pickleball and hiking around the PNW.
- Studies global health metrics to target impact dollars.
- Supported polio eradication efforts worldwide.
- Keen on mRNA, gene drives, and novel vaccine platforms.
- Encourages “measure what matters” in philanthropy.
- Still participates in tech roadmap discussions periodically.
- Collects rare books and scientific artifacts.
- Champions math/CS education access for all students.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
When was Bill Gates born?
October 28, 1955 (Seattle, Washington).
Is he still involved with Microsoft?
Not in daily operations; advisor/investor over the years.
What is his net worth?
$100B–$160B (public estimates; market-dependent).
Who is he dating?
Publicly linked with Paula Hurd.
How many children does he have?
Three: Jennifer, Rory, Phoebe.
What does the Gates Foundation do?
Global health, education, poverty, and climate initiatives.
Did he finish Harvard?
No—left in 1975 to build Microsoft.
What are his climate priorities?
Clean energy (nuclear, storage), decarbonizing heavy industry.
What are his hobbies?
Reading, bridge, tennis/pickleball.
Does he still code?
Occasionally experiments; follows software closely.
Has he written books?
Yes—on business, pandemics, and climate.
What is Cascade Investment?
His investment holding company.
What awards has he won?
Presidential Medal of Freedom; numerous others.
Where does he live?
Primarily Medina, Washington.
What is Gates Ventures?
His private office focused on innovation and policy.