NAME: William Henry Gates
OCCUPATION: Entrepreneur
BIRTH DATE: October 28, 1955
EDUCATION: Lakeside School, Harvard College
Co-founder of Microsoft Corp
PROFILE:
Entrepreneur Bill Gates, born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington, began to show an interest in computer programming at the age of 13. Through technological innovation, keen business strategy, and aggressive competitive tactics, he and his partner Paul Allen built the world's largest software business, Microsoft. In the process, Bill Gates became one of the richest men in the world. Gates began to show an interest in computer programming at the age of 13 at the Lakeside School. He pursued his passion through college. Striking out on his own with his friend and business partner Paul Allen, Gates found himself at the right place at the right time. Through technological innovation, keen business strategy, and aggressive competitive tactics he built the world's largest software business, Microsoft. In the process he became one of the richest men in the world.
Microsoft's Growth:
The early years of Microsoft were much like that of any startup firm. Everyone wore multiple hats – from answering phones to writing code. In fact, there are reports that in the early years Gates insisted on proofreading every line of code that was used in a finished project and would often change his colleagues’ work.
Much of Microsoft’s growth can be attributed to a contractual clause Gates included in his 1980 deal with IBM. The stipulation allowed him to license MS-DOS and sell it to other personal computer companies. MS-DOS spread quickly throughout the personal computing arena. Allen left the company in 1983 after a serious illness, although he remained a member of Microsoft's board of directors for many years. In 1985, Microsoft Windows 1.0 was introduced. A year later, Microsoft was listed on the New York Stock Exchange, with Gates attaining billionaire status.
Facts about Bill Gates
1. Queen Elizabeth gave him the title of 'Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire'.
2. IBM contracted him for the development of their first Personal Computer.
3. He is the Co-Founder and the Chairperson of Microsoft.
4. He is the world's third richest person (As per the survey done in 2008)
5. He is an American Business Magnate.
7. Microsoft Windows is the world's most successful operating system. And the man behind its success is Bill Gates.
Bill Gates' Secrets of Success:
Bill Gates is a hard worker since the beginning of his life. In his college days, he used to work all night long on his computer. When Microsoft was started, Bill Gates used to sleep only for 6 hours in a day without skipping a single day of office. For Bill Gates, hard work is one of the main keys of success.
Entrepreneurship is an integral part and is present in Bill Gates from the beginning. He knows how to manage his work, he always takes a keen interest in learning, he learns from his own mistakes, he is a creative person and, most of all, and he is focused towards his goals.
Bill Gates has always been a highly confident person. He was always confident about his dream of becoming successful.
The great managerial skills of Bill Gates helped Microsoft to be a successful company. He efficiently managed all the areas of the company which required his focus.
Bill Gates is gifted with great convincing skills. He has made lots of successful deals in his career. The deal with IBM was one of them.
Technical Mind: Bill Gates is born with a highly technical bent of mind. It is a gift of god to him. Microsoft has earned lots of success through this technical mind.
Achievements as a successful entrepreneur:
The list of achievements of Bill Gates is so long that a book can be written about it. Some of his achievements are mentioned below:
1. Bill Gates was honored by Queen Elizabeth. He was given the title of 'Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire'.
2. Time Magazine included his name in '100 most influential people of 20th century'. His name was continuously there from 2004 till 2006.
3. He has received doctorates from various universities and institutes like Harvard University and The Royal Institute of Technology.
4. Bill Gates and his wife have done many generous works for the welfare of the society. For this, they have received the award of 'Order of the Aztec Eagle' in Mexico.
5. Sunday Times included his name in its Power List in 1999.
6. Forbes Magazine listed his name in 'The World's Richest People' from the year 1995 to 2007.
7. Berkshire Hathaway, an investment company, approached him to be the Director of the company.
