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Bill Gates

by Matthew from San Diego

 (https://twitter.com/billgates ())
(https://twitter.com/billgates ())

Bill Gates may be the richest person in the world, but he has donated more money than anyone else. He is the co-founder and chairman of Microsoft, though he is mostly focused on his philanthropic work through Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Bill Gates is a deserving hero because of his philanthropic work and his innovations.

Gates was born in Seattle in October 28, 1955. He originally planned to be a lawyer, like his father, and went to Harvard in 1973. But in 1975, an issue of Popular Mechanics showcased the Altair, the first personal computer, which caught the eye of Gates and his friend, Paul Allen. Gates decided at that point that he wanted to be "the forefront of computer software design" (Bill Gates Encyclopedia 1998). Gates and Allen then dropped out of Harvard and founded Microsoft together. They produced the MS-DOS 5 years later selling over 2 million units in 4 years. Gates married Melinda French on New Year's Day in 1994. Together with his wife, Gates created the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help gather support and donate money to worldwide charitable causes.

 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altair_8800 ())
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altair_8800 ())

Gates's generosity helps the world. With his success at Microsoft, Gates founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) with his wife. "OUR GOAL: to identify, support, and shape scientific research that can have the most impact and to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into solutions that improve people's health and save lives" (Gates Foundation). BMGF helps improve healthcare worldwide. BMGF has helped funded research against Polio, HIV, AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis. "OUR GOAL: to reduce hunger and poverty for millions of farming families in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia by increasing agricultural productivity in a sustainable way" (Gates Foundation). The BMGF donates to create and advance agricultural development in places where they are lacking by aiding them to overcome bad soil and plant diseases. Gates works through the BMGF to help gather support to fund these projects, and personally donates to these causes himself. Together with his wife, Gates has donated over 29 billion dollars to charitable causes. He is generous, not only founding the BGMF to gather support, but also personally donating much of his money to those in need.

Gates's innovation has changed the world. He had a huge impact of the rise of computers. Gates and his friend Paul Allen programmed the first programming language for the first personal computer, the Altair, in 1975. Gates and Allen both dropped out of Harvard to found Microsoft with the support of MITS, the company that produced the computer, and continued to write programs for other computers that came out. This helped the development of computers in the early stages. Gates later developed MS-DOS in 1980, which was the most used operating system at the time. He was also awarded the Howard Vollum Award four years later for it. Gates helped develop software and hardware for computers which helped technology grow in its early stages.

 (http://crazzfiles.com/corporate-philanthropy-the-g ())
(http://crazzfiles.com/corporate-philanthropy-the-g ())

Gates is an inspiration to others. He works hard and once only took a total of two weeks break in a six year period. Gates was also sued by the government twice. One of the conditions for computer manufactures to use MS-DOS, one of Gate's operating systems, on their systems was that they must use Internet Explorer as its internet browser. The government sued Microsoft for monopolization of internet browsers in 1997 and 1998, but Gates appealed both cases and won. Even with the success of Microsoft, he has since resigned from his position and mainly focuses on BMGF. Instead of staying Microsoft and continuing to become even richer than he already is, Gates decides to instead use that money to help people who do not have money.

Works Consulted "Agricultural Development." Agricultural Development - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Development/Agricultural-Development. "Bill Gates." Business Leader Profiles for Students, edited by Sheila Dow and Jaime E. Noce, vol. 2, Gale, 2002. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1604000264/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=b72d7d6f. Accessed 18 Jan. 2017. "Bill Gates." Encyclopedia of World Biography, Gale, 1998. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1631002447/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=51dbaf99. Accessed 11 Jan. 2017. "Bill Gates." International Directory of Business Biographies, edited by Neil Schlager, vol. 4, St. James Press, 2005. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K2440303379/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=18a285cb. Accessed 17 Jan. 2017. "Discovery and Translational Sciences." Discovery and Translational Sciences - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Health/Discovery-and-Translational-Sciences.

Page created on 2/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 2/9/2017 12:00:00 AM

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Related Links

Agricultural Development - Decription of what the BMGF does
Discovery and Translational Sciences - Decription of what the BMGF does
Bill Gates - Biography of Bill Gates